Ulundu Kozhukattai | Uppu Kozhukattai | Kaara Kozhukattai

Ulundu kozhukattai, a savory kozhukattai recipe, made for Ganesh Chathurthi. A steamed dumpling, with mildly spiced stuffing made with urad dal. A famous offering made for Vinayaga Chathurthi Celebrations.

Vinayaga Chathurthi | Ganesh Chathurthi Celebrations | Uppu Kozhukattai recipe | How to make savory kozhukattai | Kaara Kozhukattai | Evening Snacks | Rainy day Snack | Steamed Snack | Easy Rice flour Recipes | Gluten free snack recipes

Kozhukattai | Modagam | Modak

Modagam | Modakam | kozhukattai is a steamed dumpling made of rice flour. It is very popular during Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations around the world.

The word Modak/Modagam, immediately makes us think about Ganesha. He is fondly called Modagapriya, one who loves modagam.

A traditional modagam is made of coconut and jaggery filling. The other popular flavors in south-india are Ellu Kozhakattai, Sesame seeds filling and savory with urad dal stuffing. I also make a sweet modak using sweet potato, chana dal and jaggery filling like that of Puran Poli.

And then we have cute varieties like this Mani Kozhukattai, plain rice balls steamed and sautéed. Ragi mani kozhukattai, similar recipe made with finger millet.

With creative cooking we also have exotic varieties made with dry fruits and milk solids. You can shape this usual kesar peda, dates paneer peda into modak using the ready made molds.

Asian Recipes Similar to Ukdiche Modak

There are many Asian recipes that are stuffed and steamed. Like this Vietnamese Banh it tran, Vietnamese Banh Bao, and Tingmos.

These similarities show how the world is one big family. Separated by borders, United by Food.

Some Snack Ideas for your Ganesha Party

Ingredients to Make Savory Modak with Urad dal

• Rice flour, used to make the outer shell of the modagam.
• Savory Stuffing : Urad dal is the main ingredient for the kaara kozhukattai
• Spices : Kaara kozhukattai is spiced with red chilies and flavored with salt and curry leaves.
• Tempering : The usual south-indian tempering ingredients like mustard seeds, hing along with chana dal for crunch.

Step by Step Instructions to make Savory Kozhukattai

Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions

• Let's make the savory urad dal stuffing first. Soak urad dal for 30 minutes. Drain and grind with ingredients mentioned along.

• Divide the ground mixture and steam cook. Crumble it .
• Heat oil in a pan, add tempering mentioned, add the crumbled dal. Saute it for 4-5 minutes. Let the moisture evaporate a bit. Keep it aside.
• Let's make the modak dough. Boil water with salt and oil. When it comes to rolling boil, reduce the flame and add the flour.

• Take it off flame and whisk it vigorously to mix the water and flour. Take it back to flame, let it cook for 8-10 minutes in a medium flame.
• Take it off flame and keep it covered with a wet cloth until use.
• To make the kaara kozhukattai. Divide the dough in to 25 ping pong sized balls. Pinch dough balls, shape them in to modak or use a modak mould. Use 1-2 teaspoon of urad dal stuffing into each modak. Seal the edges.
• I still prefer to do the traditional way of shaping it with hands. Once you are done shaping all the kozhukattai, steam cook it in batches.
• You can use a steamer or a pressure cooker without whistle. Grease the steamer plate, place the modak on the greased steamer plate. Steam cook for 8-10 minutes. The modak should look glossy once done.
• Remove the cooked modaks from the steamer. Offer it to Ganesha and enjoy.

Ulundu Kozhukattai | Uppu Kozhukattai | Kaara Kozhukattai

Ulundu kozhukattai, a savory kozhukattai recipe, made for Ganesh Chathurthi. A steamed dumpling, with mildly spiced stuffing made with urad dal. A famous offering made for Vinayaga Chathurthi Celebrations.

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Course: Appetizer, Festive food, Snacks

Cuisine: Indian, South-Indian

Keyword: How to make kaara kozhukattai, Savory Kozhukattai, steamed modak, Uppu kozhukattai

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Time for shaping the kozhukattai: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 295kcal

Equipment

• Steamer or pressure cooker without whistle

Ingredients

To Make the dough

• 1.5 cups rice flour | idiyappam flour | modak flour
• 3 cups water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon gingely oil

To Make Ulundu Pooranam | Urad Dal Stuffing | Savory Stuffing

• 1 cup urad dal/black gram dal/Uluntham paruppuu
• 7-8 red chilies
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Tempering

• 2 teaspoon oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon hing
• ½ teaspoon chana dal

Instructions

Let's make the outer cover

• In a wide pan, boil the given amount of water. Add salt and a teaspoon of gingely oil. When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame, add the rice flour, little by little and keep stirring.
• Another method is to take the boiling water out of the flame, add the rice flour, mix well to form a sticky dough without lumps and return it to the flame again.
• Let it sit on the flame for another 8-10 minutes. Add another teaspoon of gingely oil and keep stirring.
• The dough might still be sticky. Take it off the flame, Keep it covered with a damp cloth until it becomes warm enough to touch.
• When it is warm, knead it well to form a pliable dough, Keep it covered it until use.

Let's make the urad dal stuffing

• Soak urad dal in water for 30 minutes. After the given time, drain the excess water. Take it with rest of the ingredients in a mixer and grind it to a coarse paste without adding water.
• Transfer the ground mixture to another plate. Divide the ground mixture into 4 balls and steam cook for 10 minutes in a steamer or idly cooker. We used idly cooker and used idly plates for steaming.
• Once steamed, take it off the stove, transfer the steam cooked balls into a flat plate and crumble them.
• Heat a kadai with oil given under "tempering", splutter mustard seeds, add hing and chana dal. Once the dal turns brown, add the crumbled urad dal mixture to it and mix well. Saute in a simmer flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Let it be on the stove until it dries up a bit, take it off the flame. Keep it aside until use.

Making the Kozhukattai

• Knead the dough using a teaspoon of gingely oil to make a smooth and soft dough. Divide the dough into 25 equal-sized balls.
• Grease your fingers with oil and start making a small bowl shape with the dough. Stuff it with a 1-2 teaspoon of urad dal filling, gather the ends, pinch and close it to make a modak shape.
• I tried using the modak mould to shape , made around 15-18 modaks with the mould and rest using the traditional method.
• Steam cook in a steamer or in a pressure cooker without whistle for 8 -10 minutes. Take it off the stove, Serve it to Lord Ganesha and enjoy.

Notes

• Rice flour is traditionally used for making kozhukattai/modagam/modak outer shell. I have used the regular idiyappam flour.
• One has to be careful with the flour & water ratio to get a pliable dough. Some flour varieties need two times the ratio of flour some might need little extra. 
• So start with 1:2 flour to water ration then proceed to add little extra if needed. 
• Here in UAE we get modak flour in Al adil specially during Ganesh Chaturthi. You might also find Anil brand kozhukattai flour in all major South-Indian shops

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 592mg | Potassium: 201mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3mg

Disclaimer

I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.

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