MOTHAGAM / KOZHUKATTAI

On this festive day we offer Mothagam / Kozhukattai for our Pillayar/Lord Ganesha.I make Kozhukattai on, Sankatahara Chaturthi/ Sankashti, Amavasai,If any wish fulfilled I immediately Prepare Kozhukattai. 

On Vinayagar chathurthi  day meant preparing poornam kozhukattais and ulundu kozhukattais were the only two offerings prepared Apart from the kozhukattais We usually prepare Payasam, Appam , Ulundhu Vada, Sundal, Raw rice Idly as Neividhyam. I always Prepare Kozhukattai using rice batter Sweet & Savory version of modak, and in tamil, it is kwon as Vella kozhukattai (sweet version) & Uppu Kozhukattai (savory version).

So here goes the recipe of Mothak  / Steamed Rice dumpling filled with sweetened coconut stuffing ..

Vella Poorna  Kozhukattai:

Ingredients :

For Outer Cover : Dough Preparation

Raw Rice - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/4 Teaspoon

Oil - 2  Table Spoon + ( 1 Table Spoon while kneading )

Water - 2 Cups

Method:

1.Soak rice for at least 1 to 2 hours. Then grind it to a very smooth batter by adding 2 cups of water.

 2.Now add oil, and salt to the batter and mix well. Heat pan, then pour this batter, Keep the flame in medium low, and start stirring the batter continuously

3.Slowly the batter will start thickening, mix well continuously so that no lumps are formed.

4.Once the dough is well cooked, if you touch the dough, it shouldn't be sticky or can be easily made into balls without sticking to your hands. Remove from fire and keep it covered.

5.Once cool enough to handle take little portion of the dough and knead well with oil-greased hands or with wet hands to form a soft smooth dough.

Note: Keep the dough covered all the time. As the out layer can dry up quickly.

Vella Kozhakattai / Sweet Version : For filling : ( Pooranam / Sweet Filling )

Ingredients :

Grated coconut – 1 1/2 Cup

Grated Jaggery - 1 Cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 Tsp

Ghee- 1 Tsp

Water - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method :

1.Heat pan add water, then add jiggery,When the jaggery dissolves completely in water, strain it to remove impurities.

2.Then again add this to pan, and allow it to boil for 2 minutes, then add grated coconut, then add elachi powder, and mix well and stir well continuously till it roll like a ball and does not stick the sides of the pan

3.Add ghee to it and mix well. Allow it to cool completely. Then make Small balls out if it and keep it aside. The sweet filling / Thengai Pooranam is ready.

For making the outer covering of Kozhukattai

1.Grease hands with oil, now take a dough ball ( small size ball ), and start flattening it with your fingers around the sides, and continue towards the centre of the ball, so that it forms a cup shape with all sides of the same thickness.

2.Place the sweet filling ( Pooranam) in the centre, and slowly gather all the edges of the cup together and Close the sides of kozhukattai mavu gently in all the sides.
3. Now the pooranam is closed completely by the mavu. Remove the excess mavu from the tip to make modhagam

4.Repeat the same process for the rest of the dough and pooranam.

5.Steam for about 10 to 12 minutes. You will see a glossy coating over the modak / Kozhukattai when it is done. Allow it to cool completely and transfer it to a container.

The yummy thengai poorana kozhukattai is ready to serve and for neivedhyam 

Ulundu Kozhukattai

The savory version of kozhukattai , which is made by stuffing urad dal poornam, made for ganesha chaturthi.

Note: For Outer covering As said above..

For the filling

Urad Dal – ½ cup

Fresh Coconut – ½ cup

Green Chillies – 2
 Curry Leaves – few sprig

 Oil – 2 tsp
  Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

 Asafoetida – a pinch

  Salt to taste

To make Ulundu Poornam for stuffing:

1.  Wash and soak the urad dal for 20 minutes. Discard the water, and rinse in fresh water again. Drain completely.

2. Grind this along with green chillies and curry leaves into a very coarse paste, without adding any water.

3. Transfer into a bowl, add salt and mix well.Make small balls out of the batter and press it to small patties shape.  Grease oil in idly plate and arrange the patties..
4. Heat oil in a fry pan.. Add mustard seeds, let it crackle and add split urad dal, , hing and curry leaves.

5.Now add the steamed dal and scraped coconut and stir well for 5 to 6 minutes

6.Set aside to cool slightly by covering it with a damp cloth.   Knead it to soft dough, once the dough is still warm..

7.Grease your palms and pinch out small lemon sized balls out of the dough.  Now pat it slightly thin. Shape into small oblong shaped balls.

 8. Place 2 tsp of prepared filling in the centre.And fold it to half of crescent shape and seal the edges.

9.Repeat this until the entire dough finishes.Place the kozhukattais one by one in the greased idly plate.

Now, delicious  Ulundu  Kozhukattais  are ready.

Eggless TuttiFrutti Cake / Tutti Frutti Loaf Cake

Eggless TuttiFrutti Cake

Tutti Frutti Cake is very easy to make and it looks colorful and delicious. I am great fan of Tutti Frutti. The cake was very soft and yummy This cake is perfect to be served as an accompaniment with evening tea/coffee or just as an anytime snack.

Ingredients:

 All purpose flour- 1 cup + 2 tbsp

 Powdered sugar -½ cup

Milk -1 cup

Unsalted butter -¾ cup (at room temperature)

Vanilla essence -1 tsp

Baking Powder  1 tsp

Baking Soda-½ tsp

Tutti frutti- ½ cup

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180deg C.

2. Grease a loaf tin. In a bowl sieve maida, baking soda, baking powder and keep aside.

3. In a wide bowl take the butter and both the sugars. Whisk well so that the ingredients blend well until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla essence and combine.

4. Then add the flour mixture in three additions into the liquid mixture. Do not over beat, just mix till well combined in low speed. Pour more milk if necessary to get a right (thick flowing) consistency

 5. Then add the tutti frutti to the cake batter and fold it nicely. Pour this batter into the greased loaf tin.

 

 6.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 to-25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it cool completely, slice the loaf into slices and serve it with tea/coffee or eat as it is as a snack.

Chocolate Bread Rolls

For the month of July, Gayathri the host of Home bakers challenge for this month, gave us five bakes to choose. The theme was Bread Rolls. On her choice I baked chocolate Bread Rolls. Thanks to Gayathri for suggesting this yummy recipe Me and my family loved it.

These Bread Rolls  are quite simple to make. “Bread and Chocolate Combination are darn good! crusty rolls stuffed with chocolate, make for a delicious tea time treat. . I was pretty happy the rolls came out super soft. Easy to make, delicious and addicting to eat .They stayed soft for days and they tasted just as fresh as the day when they were first baked.. Give a try and the well worth the effort. I made small variation from The Original Recipe and this is  eggless version.

Recipe Source- Hungry at Midnight

Ingredients

All-purpose flour-3 cups

 yeast-2 tsp

 Sugar-3tbsp

Salt-1 tsp

Butter- 2tbsp+1 tbsp

Whole milk- 1 cup

Baking powder-¾ tsp

Salt-1 tsp

Chocolate chunks-12

 

Method:

1.In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk and let sit for 5 minutes.

2.Into the bowl,add maida,yeast,sugar and salt. Pulse for 5 seconds

3.Add all ingredients, except the butter, into a bowl and mix until a dough forms.

4.Add the butter to the bowl and knead the dough with your dough hook attachment or your hands until the dough is not so sticky anymore.

5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for one hour. The dough will have doubled and be covered with small bubbles.

6. After the dough has proved, deflate the dough on a floured surface.

 7.Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces.Roll each piece into an oval shape, big enough for your chocolate. 

8. Place the chocolate almost on the edge of one side, cut the remaining dough in to strips, fold over and tuck underneath. Place on a lined baking tray.

 9.Cover your rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in warm spot for the second fermentation round about 45 minutes.

 10Preheat your over to 180 °C.Bake these rolls 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Before eating, heat up 10 seconds in the microwave for runny chocolate and softer bread.