Hi Readers,
I have taken to diligently watching tv in my enforced bed rest - 10 more weeks to go. My favourite programs are of course cookery programs. Today I watched Mrs Revathi Shanmugams program on Jaya TV. Since vinayaka Chathurthi is coming in a few days, all shows concerning cookery are showing some form of Kozhukattais or the other. I usually note these recipes down by typing them simultaneously in a text file on my laptop, but today, our luch was late and we were having lunch while this program is on. I love the way Mrs Revathi Shanmugam explains the recipes and also what may go wrong if we try to take shortcuts, I like her simple sarees, sweet smile and matter of fact way of teaching things. She reminds me so much of my friends mother, who is also from chettinad (devakottai/naatarasangottai).
My hubby likes these kind of things. We used to get them almost an avalanche of sweets and Kaaram used to descend on us as we were the only Tamil Muslim Family living in the colony, so I never had to make these items at home myself, though I was usually there lending a hand when aunties were preparing these items.
For my mother in law it was a different situation, My FIL was a Forest officer, she had total 8 Children with 6 Boys. around ten families used to live in the middle of the forest. So the amount that would come as presents from the neighbours would be like a drop in the well with 6 growing boys. So every festival, she and my two sister in laws, prepared all the palagaarams being prepared in the neighbouring houses for every festival, be it hindu, muslim or christian. My husband says they also helped out, but I am skeptical seeing that making him cook is like pulling hens teeth. Anyway, enough of memories and coming to the procedure for Modhakam flour as told by Mrs Revathi Shanmugam.
Soak Raw rice for two hours
Drain water well and lay out to dry . The rice should be damp and not fully dried up
Use the whipper blade in the mixie to break the rice into rawa consistency.
Seive the rawa to seperate the flour and the rawa.
Taost the flour and rawa seperately and let them cool.
Mix together and keep for preparing modhakams.
I could not note the amounts, but heres the procedure for the actual modhakams.
Dissolve jaggery in water on low heat and strain through seive to remove impurities. Add to warm coconut milk and let it come to boil. Then add moong dal cooked till al dente. Coconut cut into fine pieces.
When it came to this stage itself, my husband was looking longingly at the TV screen and desperately at my bedridden condition, I was drooling though I was having Rice with sambhar and kovakkai poriyal - a favourite combo in my house.
Coming back to the recipe,
Add elaichi powder, then lower heat to medium low add the prepared modhakam flour and stir well with a wire whisk till there are no lumps.Lower heat to Sim and cover and cook for fifteen mins. After fifteen mins, switch off heat. While still warm shape the dough into Modhakam Shapes (like dimsum shape or like pidi kozhukattais - your wish). Arrange on a tray in the steamer and steam for another ten to fifteen mins.
For some specific points to be noted: Since the rawa is cooking in jaggery mix, it requires more time to cook than th other type of Kozhukattais. That's why first cooking is 15 mins and then again steaming for fifteen mins.
You can also add grated coconut instead of coconut pieces.
The water should be boiling in the steamer when you place the tray in it. It greatly improves the texture of the Kozhukattais this way.
To cook Paasi Paruppu (mung dal) al dente stage - dry roast 1/2 cup moong dal till a nice aroma comes, soak in water. add to boiling water and cook for not more than 5 mins. drain and keep in a tighly covered container so that it retains its steam. You will get perfectly cooked dal which does not stick to each other. You can use the same procedure to make Paasi paruppu sundal.
You can also used Chana dal or cashew nuts or badam instead of Mung dal, but the traditional and original recipe is with either mung dal or chana dal.
This is a good recipe for newbies who find it difficult to shape kozhukattais but want to do something for Vinayaka chaturthi.
So you can see why I like watching Mrs Revathi Shanmugams programs, all this information in around fifteen mins of tv time and there was another recipe also. red rice kozhukattai - I cannot type any more, my back is paining again.
This is for information only. Instead of storing in the personal laptop, I am sharing on my blog for everybody. So no Photos. I will upload the photos when I try out this dish, I can get the amounts from my friends mother. But if you have the recipe, do keep in minds the above tips given by Mrs Revathi Shanmugam.
Happy Vinayaka Chaturthi to all my friends.
