Poorana Kozhukattai or Modak

Poorana Kozhukattai is a traditional South Indian sweet dish made during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a steamed dumpling made with rice flour and filled with a sweet coconut and jaggery mixture. Poorana Kozhukattai is usually offered as prasadam (offering) to Lord Ganesha during the festival and is enjoyed as a delicious sweet treat.

For Poorana Kozhukattai/Modak, we need to prepare the outer shell and the stuffing (Pooranam) separately. The outer shell is made with Rice Dough and can be prepared in different ways. I have shared two methods for making outer shell and three different filings (pooranam).

Poorana Kozhukattai or Modak

Recipe by S Kamala
Course: SweetsCuisine: Indian, TamilDifficulty: Medium
Servings

10

servings
Prep time

1

hour 
Cooking time

45

minutes

Learn how to make the perfect Poorana Kozhukattai/Modak with this step-by-step guide. Discover two methods for the outer shell and three delicious fillings!

Ingredients

  • Coconut Pooranam
  • Coconut gratings – 1 cup

  • Jaggery powdered – 3/4 cup

  • Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

  • Dal Pooranam
  • Bengal Gram Dal – 1 cup

  • Powdered Jaggery – 1 cup

  • Grated Coconut – 3/4 cup

  • Cardamom Powder – 1/2 teaspoon

  • Ellu (Sesame Seeds) Poornam
  • White or Black sesame seeds – 1 cup

  • Powdered Jaggery – 1 cup

  • Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Directions

  • Pooranam 1 – Coconut
  • Add the jaggery in a thick pan and add 1/4 cup water and keep on low flame.
  • When the jaggery completely melted, add coconut gratings and stir now and then till it blends well and become solid.
  • Add cardamom powder and mix well. Cool it.
  • Pooranam 2 – Dal
  • Soak Bengal gram dhal in water for about two to three hours.
  • Cook the Dal in water till soft, but not mushy. Drain the excess water. Grind the dal in pulse mode to get coarse powder.
  • Add the jaggery in a thick pan and add 1/4 cup water and bring to boil. When the jaggery is completely melted, remove from stove and strain it to another thick bottomed vessel.
  • Keep the vessel with jaggery water on a medium flame and add the ground dal and mix it well.
  • Add coconut gratings and stir well till it become thick. Add cardamom powder and remove from stove. Let it cool.
  • Pooranam 3 – Ellu (Sesame Seeds)
  • In a thick pan add the Ellu and dry fry till it starts crackling. Remove and let it cool.
  • Add it in a mixie and grind it just for two to three rounds.
  • Then add powdered jaggery and again grind it for few seconds.
  • Finally add cardamom powder and again run the mixie for one to two rounds and remove it.
  • Outer shell – Method 1
  • Soak two cups rice in water for about one hour. Drain the water completely and grind it to a fine powder. Sieve it.
  • Boil two to two and a half cup of water along with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt.
  • When the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and add the rice flour and stir continuously until it become a thick dough. Switch off the stove and cover with a lid.
  • After few minutes remove the lid and allow the dough to cool. When it is warm enough to handle, knead it well.
  • Outer shell – Method 2
  • Add the rice flour in a broad vessel.
  • Boil 2 to 3 cups of water along with salt and a teaspoon of oil (preferably gingelly oil). Pour this boiling water in the rice flour slowly and mix it using a wooden spoon.
  • Close with a lid and keep it for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • When it is warm enough to handle, knead it well.
  • Now dough for outer cover is ready.
  • Final part
  • Take out small lemon size dough and make a ball. Using your thumb slightly press the ball in the middle and hold with your fingers and make a cup.
  • Add one tablespoon Pooranam in the cup and close the edges. It look like half circle. To make modakam, put the pooranam in the rice cup and bring all the edges to the centre and press slightly.
  • Finish all the dough and pooranam like above.
  • Arrange in a greased steamer plate or idli plate and steam it for eight to ten minutes.
  • If you find it difficult to make rice cups, you can use Kozhukattai mould.
  • Tip
  • If you make little more rice dough, after making few Poorana Kozhuttai, you can prepare “Uppu (Salt) Kozhukattai” or mini size “Ammini Kozhukattai” with the remaining rice dough. Grease your fingers and take out a little dough and make a gooseberry size balls and put it in a idli plate and steam cook for five minutes. These can be taken as it is or you can season it with mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves etc. Best thing is just sprinkle little “Idli Milagai Podi” over the kozhukattai and eat. Some people add little chilli powder in the dough itself. However, if you make plain kozhukattai, we can give it to kids also.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • You can prepare rice flour at home or you can use store bought readymade rice flour also. The water quantity depends on the quality of rice flour – sometimes it absorbs more water and sometimes less. So, boil some extra water and keep it handy. Use for 1 cup flour, one or one and half cup water first and then if require more water then add the reserved hot water.

19 Comments

  1. your recipes are all great …i am trying out one by one ..where would i get the kozhukattai mold?

  2. Hi Meenu,
    Thank you for visiting my site. The moulds are available in India. You will get it at the Utensils stores (Paathira Kadai) at Chennai. In North India also, I find these moulds in the shops near the temples.

  3. Suhasini Deepak

    Hi Aunty,

    Can I use ready made rice flour available in Departmental stores?

    Suhasini

  4. Hi Suhasini Deepak,

    Yes. You can use ready made rice flour available in stores.

  5. hi,

    How do u get the perfect stripes in the Kozhukattai. Do you do that with spoon or ???

  6. Hi Kamala,

    I have been a regular visitor to your site for the past few years.
    Whenever there is a festival I always check out your site first.

    Thanks for all the efforts you put in.

    Warm regards,

    Rasita

  7. Hi aunty
    Yesterday , I followed your steps for preparing modak,it came out very well .we celebrated very happily.
    Thanks a lot to u

  8. Kamala,
    where is this kozhakattai mould available?

  9. Hi! Your recipes are great. Modak came out well. I have a question. How do you use the mould to make modak? Is it easier than handmade? i have a mould but do not know how to use it 🙁

  10. Hello aunty I love all ur recipes. Small doubt y do v need to fry the rice flour?

    • If you are going to use home made rice flour and pour the water to the rice flour, then you have to fry it. If it is store bought processed flour, then you can use it without frying.

  11. HI KAMALAJI, namaste,today we celebrated Ganesh chaturthi festival very happily. i want to thank you so much for the receipes__steam modak.,festival vadai, and pidi kozukattai.everything came out very well. for last few months i am trying many of yr receipes. thank you very much.

  12. Kamala Madam,
    Tried your kozhukattai. Came out pretty well. Thanks a lot. One doubt ma’am , my mother always strains jaggery whenever she makes anything with that. I did not see you mention that step in your recipes. Should I strain or not. Please clarify my doubt. Thanks in advance for your reply.
    Regards,
    Usha Kalyan.

    • If you get good quality jaggery, you need not strain. However, sometimes you will find mud like substance in the jaggery. In such case better to make a syrup, strain it and add it.

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