The thengai kolukattai (coconut stuffing), is the most common and easy one.
I usually steam cook the kolukattai using a idli steaming vessel. But this time I used my rice cooker's steamer basket and got better results. The kolukattais steamed in an electric rice cooker are more softer, they could hold the shape very nicely (without cracks). The uniform release of steam has made that possible, I guess.
Anyways try this and enjoy a yummy snack.
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| Kolukattai prepared using rice cooker's steam basket |
Ingredients:
(For 15 mothagam)
Pooranam (sweet stuffing):
shredded coconut - 3/4 cup
besan flour - 2 tbsp (optional)
crushed jaggery - 3/4 cup
cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Outer layer for mothagam:
rice flour - 1 1/2 cup
water - 3 cup
salt - 1/2 tsp
coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Step 1. Outer layer:
Take the rice flour in a pan.
Dry roast it in a dry pan to loose all the moisture.
Add water, oil , salt to the flour so that it becomes like a thick dosa batter.
Now heat the mixture in very low flame and stir continuously, till we get a thick transparent rice dough.
Take off heat and let it cool.
Step 2: Pooranam preparation:
Shred a coconut and keep it handy (3/4 cup shredded coconut). I used frozen shredded coconut, which I had bought from Indian grocery store.
Add 1/4 cup water to the crushed jaggery and heat it, so that the jaggery dissolves completely. (I use soft North Indian style jaggery).
Using a strainer, filter the jaggery solution leaving behind the sediments.
Add the jaggery solution to the shredded coconut and start heating it with frequent stirring.
Stir the sweet mixture till it becomes manageable.
Add besan flour and cardamom. Stir till it becomes thick.
(Adding besan flour is optional, but it makes the job easy).
Sweet coconut Pooranam is ready.
Step 3:
Now take a small ball of rice dough, flatten it on an oiled / wet plastic sheet.
Put one scoop of sweet pooranam over the rice disc. Fold and make it like a ball.
(Fold it to semi circle shape if we are using a somas mould).
Place it inside a kolukattai mold and press to get required shape.
Arrange them all inside the steamer basket (or idli plates if using idli vessel).
Step 4:
Using steamer basket for mothagam preparation:
Switch ON the rice cooker with 2 cups of water.
Set it to steam cooking mode. Place the steamer basket as per instruction.
Arrange the mothagams and cook in steam for 15 minutes.
Let cool for few minutes, take out and enjoy !
Coconut mothagam is ready!
