Tuesday 11 September 2012

Mani Kozhakattai - Ammini Kozhakattai

Ganesh Chathurthi or Pullayar Chathurthi is a festival celebrated all over India. We @ AGC decided to celebrate the festival by making an array of dishes for Ganesha during the first week. In Tamil Nadu Kozhakattai is made in different shapes and a variety of filling. For those who do not know what a kozhakattai is, it is basically a rice dumpling stuffed with sweet or savoury filling.

Once the different varieties are made, there is always some dough left. And kids love this part of the festival. They get what is called a Mani Kozhakattai or Ammini Kozhakattai. It is nothing but the rice flour dough rolled into small balls and steamed and then seasoned.



Every house makes this during Pullayar Chathurthi that I think even Pullayar (Ganesh) has started loving this as a neivedhyam.



I am actually a little scared of making this dough. Somehow do not get the correct consistency. This time was also no different. Almost nailed it. But not perfect. That is why I always make Sukhiyan/Modakam for Pullayar.

Ingredients

Rice Flour 2 cups
Water 4 cups
Sesame Oil 4 tsp + little for greasing
Salt 1 tsp

Seasoning
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Curry Leaves few
Hing a little
Idli Molaga Podi 3 tbsp (as per taste)
Coconut 2 tbsp
Sesame oil

Method of Preparation

1. Heat water, oil and salt in a pot.

2. When the water boils, add the rice flour and stir so that there are no lumps. Make sure the water is all absorbed.

3. Cool it and when it is cooled, knead the dough.

4. Make small balls (less than marble size). Grease your hand with a little oil. Take a small pinch from the dough. Place it in your palm and roll with the other palm. Once done place it on a greased idli plate.

This step will take a lot of time.

5. Steam the kozhakattai for about 15 minutes or till done.

6. Cool and then season it. You can serve to little kids without seasoning as well.

7. For seasoning, heat a little oil in a pan. Add mustard. When it sputters, add the urad dal. When it browns, add the curry leaf and hing.

8. Add this to the cooled kozhakattai along with coconut. I served this version to my son.

9. To make spicy ones, you can add idli molaga podi to it.



Check out the other AGC thoughout this week 
AnushaJayanthiKavithaPriya MRadhikaVeena, Priya S

11 comments:

  1. Rolling them is such a tedious job Rosh. I just wish someone would do it for me. Lovely snap.

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  2. loved the way u explained it...

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  3. Kozhukattai looks delicious....Like it...

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  4. like the cute ganesha idol.. and also those cute balls :)

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  5. Loved that marvellous ganesh idol..Eventhough rolling this mani kozhukattais is time consuming i love them very much, am planning to make them very much soon.

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  6. yummy and lovely kozhukattai..
    pls join my space dear..
    Shabbu's Tasty Kitchen

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  7. Oooo! Loved the pic! Not a big fan of kozhakattais but I can eat the salted ones. And my mum makes it bland. Your molaga podi idea sounds really good!

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  8. I love these, the little kozhakattes look perfect.I am planning to make a slightly different version next week.

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  9. Always makes me giggle/smile when I read Mani kozhakattai - my hubby is Mani and I see him round and edible sometimes - Looks superb re! Amma called it paal kozhakattai - I undertake to make these sometimes, but is a labor intensive one so save it for when i have some help - :)

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