Saturday, August 26, 2006

 

Modakam ( steam-cooked rice dumplings)

Sweet and Spicy Modakams
The modakas (Kozhakatta -sweet as well as spicy) are prepared and placed in front of Ganesh idols/photo in the house. Modak is a ritual sweet dish, specially prepared on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Today I made sweet as well as spicy modakam for Lord Ganesh. I think the shape of the modakam looks different like a cone and I made shapes which looks like a ball. The sweet Modakam is made of coconut and jaggery (brown sugar) but I tried the filling with chana dal and jaggery. Here goes the recipe!!!

Sweet Filling

  • Sauté 1 cup of rice flour in a pan without oil for few minutes.
  • Allow the flour to cool down. Add warm water with salt to the rice flour and make into mini balls.

For the Filling

  • Pressure cook 1cup of chana dal with ½ cup of water. Switch off after 2 whistles. Drain the chana dal and use the water for making the rice dough.
  • I used chana dal water to make the rice dough. Grind the chana dal and 1 cup jaggery in a mixie/blender to a smooth paste with few cardamoms.
Chana dal, Rice dough, and Jaggery

Chana dal and Jaggery grinded into a paste

To make sweet dumplings

  • With help of your hand press the mini rice balls into flat surface like puris.
  • In the center of the rice dough add a tsp of chana dal filling and bring the rice dough together and make a ball.
  • Roll it nicely and make nice shapes of balls with help of your palm. You might need oil—so have little oil while making these balls.
  • Steam cook the sweet dumplings. I used idly moulds to steam cook the modakams.

Spicy Modakams

  • Heat the pan with oil; add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, few broken red chilies, and curry leaves.
  • Add half cup of water, salt, and allow it to boil. Add 1 cup of rice flour and make to a thick paste. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
  • Make them into mini balls (if it is dry, add some warm water to it to make balls) with help of your hand, and steam cook the spicy modakam’s.

It also serves as a good snack for the evening Tea or Coffee.

11 Comments:

Blogger Menu Today said...

Hi priya,
Your version of Modakam looks great. Thanks for sharing.Happy Vinayaka Chathurti!!

12:32 AM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Priya,your variation of modaks looks delicious.I would love to try this today itself.Thanks for sharing this festive Goodie...Wishing you a happy Vinayaka Chathurthi.

2:16 AM   Edit
Blogger Prema Sundar said...

Hi Priya ,
Happy vinayaka chaturthi. The modakams look nice . We call it kozhukattai and i too made this yesterday. Ur filling is nice like the one we make for poli..Thanks for sharing the recipe.I just now read ur comment in my site. u are always welcome to my house.

4:38 AM   Edit
Blogger indianadoc said...

Happy chathurthi Priya...hmmm different ways of making modakam...it is a wonderful sweet indeed

6:37 AM   Edit
Blogger Sudha said...

Good one priya..mom's house this stuffing is used for making poli's...a good idea..i will try next time i make them..thanks for sharing..

6:37 AM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey...It Looks delicious Priya...I too havent prepared spicy one..have to try it out

9:47 AM   Edit
Blogger Kitchenmate said...

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi Priya!

11:46 AM   Edit
Blogger KA said...

Your new template looks great..

3:34 PM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lovely Modaks Priya. Belated happy ganesh chaturthi

8:41 AM   Edit
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Priya, your kozhukattai looks delicious. This time i didnt make kara kozhukattai.My recipe is similar to yours. Could you add me to your list.Thanks

1:50 PM   Edit
Blogger UJ said...

Did not know there were spicy modakams. I have never made modakams, put a few times kozakattais. Nice recipe and looks simple.

4:52 PM   Edit

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