Sri Ganesha Chaturti Prasaadams - Ellu Poorna Kozhukattai - A Sweet Dumpling With Sesame Seeds And Jaggery Filling

 ELLU POORNA KOZHUKATTAI

                                                 

Lord Ganesha's happy face - Prasanna Vadanam - looks radiant with grace when His devotees offer Him His favourite Kohukattai / Modakam. Kozhukattai is the first and foremost among the various other sweets prepared on Ganesha Chaturti day.

Tengai poorna kozhukattai ( a dumpling with coconut and jaggery filling ) is the traditional sweet prepared for Ganesha Chaturti. Some times Ellu Poorna kozhukattai ( dumpling with sesame and jaggery filling ) is also prepared for variety. The method of preparing both the kozhukattais are the same except that the fillings are different.

The dough for the outer covering of the kozhukattais are usually prepared by cooking the rice flour in water. Portions of the dough are shaped into cups, stuffed with the sweet filling, sealed and then steamed.

Here is another method where the raw rice flour is only mixed with water to make the dough. Portions of the dough are flattened on the palm and filled with the poornam ( Sweet filling ) and sealed. Then  the raw kozhukattais are directly cooked in  boiling water.

                                                  

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 1 cup

oil - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch

Sesame seeds - 3/4 cup

Grated dry coconut ( copra ) - 2 tbsps

Jaggery - 3/4 cup

METHOD

1. Dry roast sesame seeds till you get a pleasant aroma.
2. Cool the roasted seeds and grind with dry coconut gratings and jaggery into a slightly coarse powder.

3. Make plum size balls out of the ellu poornam .The oil in the sesame seeds and the sticky jaggery will enable the balls to hold.

                                                 

4.Mix rice flour, salt and oil in a bowl and make a soft dough adding water little by little.

5. Pinch a small lemon size ball from the dough, flatten it on your palm and place a ball of poornam in the middle.

6. Gather the edges together and seal the poornam with a peak.

                                                  

7. Set a wide mouthed vessel with 1/2 lit of water adding 1/2 tsp of sesame oil  on the stove and switch on the flame.                          

8. In the mean while make a batch of 6 , 8 or 10 kozhukattais depending on the size of the cooking vessel.

9. Gently drop the kozhukattais one by one into the boiling water.

10. Boil for 5 minutes . Use a spoon and slightly prod the kozhukattais so that they do not  'sit' at the base of the vessel for long.

10. Cook for 5 more minutes till the cooked kozhukattais start floating up.

                                                  

11. Remove the kozhukattais gently using a perforated ladle and drain them.

                                                  

Offer the delicious Ellu Poorna Kozhukattais to Lord Ganesha and enjoy the prasaadam along with His blessings.