Showing posts with label Vinayagar Chaturthi. Show all posts

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Sweet Coconut Kozhukattai | Klepon (Indian Version)

Sweet Coconut Kozhukattai, a delicious and very inviting kozhukattai stuffed with jaggery and coated with cardamom flavored grated coconut.

A couple of months back, i saw a video about the recipe klepon (Indonesian sweet dumpling flavored with pandan leaves) which is made from glutinous rice flour and sounds so similar to our kozhukattai but a little different in the making.

I was totally impressed by the idea of how klepon is made and want to try the same with regular rice flour. So within a few of days of watching that video, i tried the same recipe with the regular rice flour and cardamom flour. To be honest, i was mind blown by the taste and how cute it looks with very minimal effort.

Also if you're new to cooking or struggle to make mothagam, then this recipe is a saviour for you. Trust me, it tastes just like thengai poorna kozhukattai ! So give it a try on this kozhukttai for this vinayagar chathurthi.

Jaggery

For this kozhukattai, you need small chunks of jaggery pieces to stuff the kozhukattai. You can either cut the jaggery into small chunks (while doing that, you end up with some powdered jaggery which you can use it later for other recipes) or you can gather some grated jaggery into small marble / pea sized balls depends on the size of the kozhukattai you want.

Depending on how big the jaggery piece you use for each kozhukattai and how quickly it melts, you end with fully liquid jaggery syrup inside or some liquid and some crunchy pieces of jaggery.

I simply love when i bite into it, the liquid jaggery squirts into your mouth and mix with coconut ,it tastes so yummy and flavorful.

This somehow reminds me of karupatti paniyaram that Amma used to make, she simply added some grated/small chunks of palm jaggery into dosa batter and made the paniyaram. Once cooked, some of the karupatti pieces are not melted completely and that would make a gooey inside on some of the paniyaram and i loved those very much in my childhood days.

Also when browsing about klepon to know more about it. I came to know there are different versions of this recipe available in many countries with different names. In Malaysia/Singapore, it's commonly known as "ondeh ondeh" and in Thailand it's known as "Kanom ko".

So here is my humble attempt of recreating the klepon with the twist of Indian flavor. Do give it a try and let me know how you like it in the comment section. Also it's a great recipe to make with kids, no messy stuffing so they can easily put one piece of jaggery into each kozhukattai.

Now let's see how to make this sweet coconut kozhukattai.

Sweet Coconut Kozhukattai | Klepon(Indian Version)

Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 8 mins | Serves : 2 to 3
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

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

Jaggery pieces - about 15 small pieces

Grated coconut - 1/3 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First let's make the dough, take the flour in a bowl, add sesame oil and salt. Give a good mix.

Pour the hot water into the flour and make a soft dough. Keep it aside for 5 mins.

Next let's gather all the other ingredients. Cut the jaggery into small pieces as shown below and keep it ready. In another plate, add the grated coconut and cardamom powder and mix it well and keep aside.

Now take a small ball of dough and make a small dent in the center and then place a piece of jaggery and close the jaggery with the dough and roll into a smooth ball.

Or else you can make a flat disc from the small dough ball and then place a piece of jaggery and close it. This way of making is so easy and i recommend this for beginners.

Do the same for all the dough. To boil the kozhukattai, bring a pot of water to boil and then add the kozhukattai in batches into the boiling water.Make sure that the water is boiling while adding the kozhukattai otherwise it sticks to the bottom or disintegrates into the water.

Boil it for 5-7 mins in medium flame or until the kozhukattai starts to float on top. Don't stir the kozhukattai for the first 2-3 mins and then gently give a swirl with a spoon to make sure that nothing sticks to the bottom. Remove from the water and then immediately put it on the coconut mixture.

Shake the plate so that the coconut would stick to the kozhukattai well.

That's it. Delicious and easy to make coconut kozhukattai is ready.

Related: How to make Peanut Kozhukattai

Notes:

Taste great when it's warm.
Depends on the size of the kozhukattai, the cooking time varies. Make sure that once the kozhukattai floats on top, remove it immediately. Otherwise it would be rubbery.
The amount of coconut and jaggery are purely personal, you can add as much as you want as per your family needs.
Make sure that the water is boiling while adding the kozhukattai otherwise it sticks to the bottom or disintegrates into the water.

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Purple Sweet Potato Kozhukattai | Sweet Kozhukattai

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.

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Thengai Pidi Kozhukattai | Easy Kozhukattai Recipe

Thengai Pidi Kozhukattai, an easy to make delicious kozhukattai with wonderful coconut flavor. Honestly, this kozhukattai recipe is not a standalone one, we make this kozhukattai with the last batch of idiyappam dough whenever we make idiyappam at home.

If you're from the southern parts of Tamilnadu or especially from the Tirunelveli state, you might know this habit of making kozhukattai with the last bits of idiyappam maavu(dough). When i was a kid, i absolutely loved this kozhukattai and even asked Amma to make a little extra of this kozhukattai.

It doesn't need any fancy ingredients but the flavor and the taste are awesome especially when it's hot.

In those days, people didn't like to waste anything, this kozhukattai is mainly made in order to avoid throwing away the last bits of idiyappam maavu which would be cold and hard to squeeze at the end. So people simply make these kozhukattai by adding some coconut and sugar for the sweet version or only coconut for the savoury version.

Though it's made with leftover idiyappam maavu, today i have shared the whole recipe from scratch. Instead of sugar, you can also add jaggery powder but i grew up eating these sugar kozhukattai so still i have been making it like that.

If you're looking for an easy evening snack then definitely give this kozhukattai a try. Now let's check out how to make this easiest and delicious kozhukattai.

Thengai Pidi Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Serves : 2
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 1/2 cup

Water - 1/3 cup

Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp

Salt - a pinch

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First take the rice flour in a bowl, add the salt and mix it well. Heat the water in a saucepan, when the water starts to boil, switch off the flame and add the sesame oil into it and then immediately pour the water into the rice little by little.

Mix it with a ladle vigorously. Once the rice starts to form a dough, stop adding the water(depending on the quality of the rice flour, you may need little less or more of the water mentioned here) and cover it with a lid for 10 mins. When the rice is hot enough to touch, make a nice dough and add the remaining ingredients(sugar, grated coconut and cardamom powder) into it.

Mix it all together and then pinch a small ball of dough and make the kozhuttai.

Place it on the oiled steamer/idli platter and steam it for 5-7 mins.

Delicious and flavorful kozhukattai is ready.

Related: How to make Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai

Notes:

You can make this kozhukttai without cardamom powder too.
Don't over cook the kozhukattai otherwise it might be rubbery.
Kozhukattai would be shiny when it's fully cooked.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Palapazham Kozhukattai | Jackfruit Kozhukattai

Palapazham Kozhukattai / Chakka Kozhukattai, a delicious stuffed kozhukattai made with the jackfruit & coconut filling.

I'm a big fan of jackfruit and whenever i see a jackfruit at the grocery store(which is very rare here in Canada), without a second thought, i would pick it up. I like to eat jackfruit as it is, so making dishes with jackfruit is very rare in my kitchen.

One day, the jackfruit that i got was very less sweet so it was sitting in the refrigerator for a few days without anyone touching it, hence i had thought of making this kozhukattai which i knew from a friend. To my surprise, it was so good and i simply love the jackfruit flavor in the kozhukattai.

From then onwards, this kozhukattai became a regular in my kitchen. If you too like jackfruit flavor, then definitely give a try on this delicious kozhukattai.

Before moving on to the recipe, let's see some FAQs about the mothagam in general.

Why can't I shape the modak / mothagam ?

Dough consistency is the key to making modak shapes easily. There are a couple of things to be taken care of for making the dough. Those are

Rice flour should be fine enough such that adding hot water into the flour makes it almost cooked.
Almost cooked rice flour is pliable and easy to make shapes. Otherwise you can't make shapes and the dough would be easily breakable.
Water should be boiled for making the dough.
Grease your hands well to avoid the dough sticking to your hands while shaping.
If you're a beginner, buy a modak/mothagam mold, it will do your job a lot easier.

Why do my modak/mothagam get cracked after steaming?

Steaming for a longer time would make the modak crack on the outer layer. Since the dough is almost cooked already, there is no need to cook for a longer time. Just 5-7 mins of steaming is enough.

Palapazham Kozhukattai | Jackfruit Kozhukattai

Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 3
Recipe Category: Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For outer layer

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

For Stuffing/Pooranam

Jackfruit - 7

Jaggery - 1/3 cup

Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup

Procedure

First let's make the stuffing/pooranam. Take the jackfruit and remove the seeds and place it on the steamer basket and steam it for 3-4 mins until they are soft.

Let them cool a bit and grind into smooth puree. In a sauce pan, add the jackfruit puree, coocnut and jaggery. Give a quick mix.

Turn on the heat and cook the mixture till it leaves the sides of the pan. Let it cool down completely.

Now, for the outer layer, take the flour in a bowl, add sesame oil and salt. Give a good mix.

Pour the hot water into the flour and make a soft dough. Keep it aside for 5 mins.

Take a small portion of dough and make a smooth ball. Grease your hand with oil and then gently press the dough with your finger and form a small disc. Fill the disc with the pooranam/jackfruit stuffing.