GANESH CHATURTHI SPECIAL - KOZHUKATTAI PAYASAM

                     Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day after new moon in the month of aavani (a tamil month - mid August to mid September). It is falling on 29th of August this time. It is celebrated throughout India and is a very important Hindu festival. Lord Ganesh statues made of clay are bought to house, decorated and worshiped for days and are floated in water bodies after a few days, usually 5th day or 7th day.
 In Tamil nadu, people even make pallu (meaning teeth) kozhukattai when a baby's teeth has just started to grow. They are stuffed with minute coconut bits. The belief is that the teeth would grow as beautiful as these dumplings/ kozhukattai. Would soon post these recipes.

                     The main offering to Lord Ganesha is kozhukattai/ modak. These are dumplings stuffed with many stuffings that ranges from coconut and jaggery mixture, pulses n jaggery mixture and sometimes they are made plain and is called uppu kozhukattai or neer urundai in tamil.

                      As Ganesh chaturthi falls on 29th of august, i thought of posting this modak recipe here. This is a dessert (payasam) made up of kozhukattai.

INGREDIENTS

FOR KOZHUKATTAI

Rice flour - 1/2 cup

Water - 1 cup

Salt - as required

Gingely oil - as required

FOR PAYASAM

Whole milk - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1/2 cup (or as required)

Coconut milk - 1/4 cup

Cardamom - 2 pods (shelled)

Cashenuts - 6 to 7 nos (optional)

Ghee - 1 teaspoon

METHOD
For Kozhukattai

1. Heat water and a teaspoon of gingely oil in a wide vessel and when it starts bubbling switch it off.

2. To it, add the rice flour slowly whisking with a laddle. Use the stem of the spoon for even mixing. Now, heat the mixture again till all water evaporates. This would require continuous stirring and wrist would ache by the time you finish off. Turn off the stove and keep it aside. 

3. When the heat can be handled, make small balls or cylinders or desired shapes. Make sure they are small else they won't absorb the sweet sauce properly.
For Payasam

4. In a pan, add milk and bring it to boil.
5. Meanwhile, powder jaggery and with a tablespoon of water melt the jaggery in a pan. Strain them for impurities and keep aside.

6. Keep the milk in medium flame turning it then and there. When it has reduced to half,add in the jaggery mixture and cook for 10 minutes.

7. Now, add the modaks and cook further for about 5 minutes.

8. Switch off the flame and add in the thick coconut milk and mix it gently.

9. Crush the cardamom seeds and the cashewnuts. Fry them in a teaspoon of ghee and pour over the payasam. 

10. Serve hot or chilled

TIPS

1. For best results, use only the first milk of coconut that is thick.

2. The kozhukattai/ modaks can be steamed and tempered with mustard and dry chilly for a snack.

3. Cardamom can be added while grinding the coconut for coconut milk.

4. Cashewnuts can be dry roasted and added too.
5. The coconut milk can be added just before serving. This would make it the perfect dessert.