Purple Sweet Potato Kozhukattai, a delicious and sweet kozhukattai made from the purple sweet potato filling. This is my inspiration from the Chinese moon cake and i have seen a number of recipes using purple sweet potato filling for mooncakes and thought it was interesting and wanted to try the same concept with our own kozhukattai/ modak.

To my surprise, the purple sweet potato kozhukattai turned out way more delicious that i had expected. The purple sweet potato has a unique flavor and it makes this kozhukattai more appetising.

If you're looking for some unique kozhukattai recipe, then definitely give it a try! Also it makes wonderful snacks for kids.

Purple Sweet Potato

Like the regular sweet potato, the purple sweet potatoes also have mild sweetness in it, so depending on the sweetness of the potato, you may need more or less of sugar as per your taste.

I have used 1/3 cup of sugar for 1/2 heaped mashed potatoes and it's perfect for our taste(not too sweet). But if you like more sweetness in your kozhukattai, then you can add up to 1/2 cup of sugar.

Also here in this recipe, i have also used grated coconut for the filling. In the past i tried the same recipe without coconut. But we liked the filling with coconut more. So adding coconut is purely optional and you can omit it too.

Before moving on to the recipe, let's check out some FAQs about kozhukattai.

What type of rice flour is good for making kozhukattai?

Pacharisi / Raw rice flour is the most commonly used flour for making kozhukattai. You can make your own rice flour at home or use the store bought flour.

If you're buying from the store, make sure that the rice flour is very fine. Usually it's available in the market in the name of kozhukattai maavu or idiyappam flour.

In our home, while we grew up, Amma always made dough from idli rice batter for both kozhukattai and idiyappam. The flavor and the texture are so unique compared to rice flour dough. If you're interested in how to make kozhukattai dough using idli rice, do check out the link below.

Related : How to make kozhukattai dough using idli rice

Why do i get a crack on my kozhukattai/modak after steaming?

Overcooking ! As we already use the fine flour and hot water for making the dough, the kozhukattai will be ready in a few minutes. So don't over cook the kozhukattai, it will make the dough crack.

Now let's check how to make this yummy and vibrant looking kozhukattai.

Here, My little one is posing for me and i like this pic so much :-)

Purple Sweet Potato Kozhukattai | Sweet Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For Dough

Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Boiling water - little less of 1/2 cup

For Filling

*Purple Sweet Potato - 1

Sugar - 1/3 cup

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

*It yield around 1/2 cup heaped mashed purple potato.

Procedure

First take the purple sweet potato, peel the skin and cut into small pieces.

Put the sweet potatoes into a steamer plate and steam it for around 8-10 mins or until it's fork tender.

Next heat a pan, add the ghee and the cooked sweet potato and mash it with a ladle well and saute it in the ghee for 2-3 mins or until it's aromatic.

Then add the sugar and mix it well. The mixture will loosen a bit as sugar melts. Finally add the coconut and cardamom powder.

Cook the mixture till it all comes together and switch off the flame. Let it cool to touch and then make a small ball. Do the same for the remaining filling.

Next,For the dough, take the rice flour in a bowl, add salt and oil.

Mix it all well together. Then pour the boiling water & mix it with a wooden laddle.

Once the dough start comes together, use you hand and make a soft dough. Take a pinch of dough and form a ball. Do the same for the remaining dough.

Now that the dough and the filling are ready, let's make the kozhukattai. Grease your hand and take an outer dough ball and gently press it with your fingers around the edges and move towards the center, it will make a small bowl like the below image. Next add a ball of filling in the center and close the outer dough with the filling covered.

You can either make the round shape or modak shape as you wish. I have made a. mix of both the shapes. Place it on the greased steamer plate.

Steam the kozhukattai for 5-7 mins on medium flame.

That's it ! Tasty and unique purple sweet potato kozhukattai is ready to serve.

Related: How to make Palkova Kozhukattai

Notes:

Greasing your hands generously with oil will help to shape the kozhukattai easily.
I have used sesame oil for greasing the hands and steamer plates as it gives a nice aroma to the kozhukattai.

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Tuesday, August 19, 2025