Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Kozhukkattai and Paruppu payasam for Vinayaka Chathurthi.




Ganesha is the first to be worshipped, whenever we start anything hoping to go well.He in turn relieves us from the difficulties and solves our problems.

Vinayaka Chathurthi is celebrated in the month of Avani on chaturthi (4th) day which comes after the new moon.

As always, I headed to the kadai veedhi, the previous evening to get the Mun Pillayar/Clay Ganesha, yerukkampoo malai , arukam pullu, vilampazham, and the other fruits, the decorations like thennanthoranam, vazhaikkannu, chandanam and kumkumam.Then with the last minute shopping of vellam, yelakkai and the milk packs. The Mavilai thoranam was put up from leaves of the front yard mango tree and the pooja room was made the previous evening.

On the day of Vinayaka Chathurthi I prepared Kozhukkattais/Modakams and Pasipparuppu/Moong dal payasam as neivedyam.

Ing for the outer cover of the kozhukkattai :
(Yields 45-50 nos).

Raw rice powder is specially prepared for neivedyam a day ahead.Soak one kg ponni raw rice for half an hour in water.Drain and dry grind.
Rice powder prepared by the above method-2 cups
Water-2 ½ times of rice powder
Ghee-a tbsp
A fat pinch of salt

Ing for the Filling/Pooranam:

Freshly grated shavings from a medium sized coconut
Crushed jaggery-half the quantity of the grated coconut,loosely packed in a measuring cup.
Cardamom powder-to flavour
Fresh ghee-Atbsp(Reserve half of this to grease fingers and palms while making kozhukkattais) .

To prepare the Filling/Pooranam:

Heat half the tbsp of ghee in a non stick kadai.Add the grated coconut and the crushed jaggery together.Sauté for a few minutes to melt down the jaggery pieces and steam off the water content. Mix in Cardamom powder. Keep this aside.

To prepare the rice dough, the outer covering:

For the safer side, to avoid lumps, I suggest the less exp cooks like me to mix the rice powder with 2 ½ parts of water directly, in a round thick bottomed vessel.Add oil and transfer the vessel to the stove top in medium heat, bringing to to a boil stirring all the time.The dough soon thickens to form a soft ball.Close the vessel with its lid to enhance the final cooking for a few more minutes keeping the flame to minimum.Transfer the dough to an appropriate casserole.The warmer the dough, the easier to proceed.

To prepare the crescend shaped kozhukkattais:

I prefer making them with the “poori dough presser” as it has proved handy and easier for anyone who has to proceed single handed.

I line the presser up and down with two square pieces of polythene sheets, sticking up and down again with drops of ghee and grease the sheets on the outer side as well.

Now, smear a few drops of ghee to your palms and finger tips. Take out a handful of warm rice dough from the casserole and roll them evenly into small lime sized smooth balls.

Keep one ball in the centre and press lightly to form a poori sized shape.Place the filling on the lower half, in a linear way.

Fold carefully and press the edges lightly.Let your fingers be always greased with ghee so as to avoid any sticking of dough to the finger tips.

Arrange them, steam cook for 10 minutes and you are done!.



Pasipparuppu / Moong dal payasam.
(Yields 4-5 glasses)

Ingredients:

Lightly dry roasted split moong dal-1/2 cup
Jaggery ball-1 medium-Crush to smaller lumps
Milk(boiled cow’s milk or fresh coconut milk)-a large cup
Raw rice-a tbsp
Coconut gratings-1/4 cup
Salt-a fat pinch
Cardamom powder- to flavour
A few cashews roasted in a tbsp of ghee-to garnish

Method:

1. Wash and soak raw rice in cold water for ½ an hour.Drain and grind well with coconut in a mixie, to a smooth paste, adding water.Keep aside.

2. In a pan, boil the jaggery lumps with ¼ cup of water.Melt down the lumps.Boil for a few more minutes to attain honey consistency.Cool and filter impurities.Keep aside.

3. Boil 2 large cups of water in a heavy bottomed broad vessel.Add roasted moong dal. Keep the flame medium to avoid boiling over, stirring in between.

4. When 3/4th cooked, stir in the jaggery syrup.Let it boil well and after a few minutes stir in the rice and coconut paste.Stir continuously in medium flame to avoid lumps and bring to a boil.

5. The payasam might have got thicker by now.Add salt.

6. Add milk to attain the right consistency and boil again stirring all the time.Add cardamom powder and remove from fire.If you add coconut milk, add in the final stage and let not the payasam boil too much.

7. Add even more milk if you like the diluted version as the payasam tends to get even thicker once it cools down.

8. Garnish with roasted cashews along with its ghee.

This is specially posted for dear "Lathamma" of Yum Blog for her Festival Cooking Series.

Also my submission to RCI-Tamil festivals hosted by Viji of vcuisine.

My daughter gave me a helping hand in decorating Ganesha and rolling out the rice balls, of course in between her to and fro runs to the T.V front, not wanting to miss the spl programmes aired on the day...:D

29 comments:

  1. Kozzhikuttais look super delicious. I have a chappati presser like your but never thought &about using it to make these.

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  2. oh, reminds me of Chinese dumplings. You can fry those the day after for extra crispiness, or boil them nstead of steaming...

    Bharathy, sorry to steal your event, but please, do as your heart wishes. Make your own Xmas event. something like Traditional Xmas Cooking would be a lot of fun. (In Slovakia, we have a really crazy one). Or Xmas Chef (cookinf something what you usually eat for Christmas).

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  3. Bhakti & bhukti looks divine n delicious:), reminds me of my mom's cooking. I'm sure lil one was a great help for u.

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  4. Wow, I love Pillaiyaar,and that yerukka flower malai too,we use white color if available!!Great posting.....:))

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  5. Looks like the way my mom decorates.Yerukkam poo maalai and kolams are lovely. Is that a new pillayar? Do you have the practice of immersing the pillyar in water after the pooja? My heart breaks when they do that. When I was little I would beg my mom not to give away that vinayakar. Now I'm old enough and I don't believe in that tradition, so I keep my pillayar after the pooja.
    Love your payasam too. That's so nice of your daughter to help you. Give her a pat on her back on my behalf.Sorry for the long comment.

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  6. Wow....the entire post looks delicious dear.....:-)
    Ganpati must have given a lot of blessings to Bharathy dear :-)

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  7. and now i shall post the round up :D. thanks for the entry. vazhakkai pattinam varuval romba ruchiyaga irukkum pola - will try soon. lot of calories but who cares, i can burn if i consume once in a while.

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  8. kozhukatai rombha joora irrukku! Late aanaalum super entry!:))

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  9. Solla marandutene! pillayar rombha aazhagu!:))
    Veetula maamarum erukkunnu thriyum. Maanga adikka theriyum pola! ore kallula rendu maanga! Athathan sonnen!

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  10. Beautiful Ganesha Bharathy and the sweets are looking delicious.Yummy post for both events! Tell your daughter she did a great job helping mom!:)
    RCI K first one is out!

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  11. Bharathy...thats two birds in one shot yaar...very nice, ganesh looks lovely and so are your offerings...wonderful post...

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  12. Kalakittenga ponga. The outer layer of kozhakattai is so silky, just the way it should be.

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  13. really superb bharathikka.....lovely pillayar n dishes looks delicious....hmmm i love modhakam....beautiful decoration,reminds me of my home....nice entry too...

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  14. bharathi...looks great..love the tip of mixing the water and the rice flour to save the woes of lumps later on...will keep it in mind.

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  15. very lovely pictures of God and Ganesh murthi! delicious feast.

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  16. Bharathy Romba nalla irukku :) suveyavu irrukku!

    poori pressser looks easy to handle truly great idea

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  17. Bharathy, a divine post. I always prefer the Man Pilayar, and it is our custom to buy that only, even though you get many fashionable ones. Your experience and tips of making Kozukattais will help many Bharathy. No doubt it is a delicate one to prepare. Thank you for the lovely entry. Will include all your photos. Appreciate your interest. Viji

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  18. How pretty! Enjoyed the post and pictures!

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  19. the koyukottas luk just soo cute, bharathy!!..too gud, missing the paripupayasam!!!..hummmm

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  20. Bharathy dear, I had a hearty laugh yesterday reading your comments!:)) I knew while posting the book that you will copy down the recipe in tamil! Friends like you make blogging funfilled!:))

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  21. bharathy looks like you are very traditional now a good entry too

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  22. Happy cook try this way it is easier.But the polythene papers stick together every time and you need to adjust by sticking em back..the only hazzle!..:)

    U're right Zlam.Some even fry them making small balls with the same filling
    and with covering made of all purpose flour..:)

    Thanks Shiva...She surely supported me in between "hopping around" :D

    Welcome to my place Raji.I have never seen white flowers of "yerukku"..!!

    Yes Kribha, every year I go out to but the new Clay pillayar sold by the road sides.We usually immerse in Cauvery water,the 3rd day..:)..I cleverly keep away from this..Yes I will pass ur loving regards to her.Love the looong comment,always! :)..thanks a lot..

    Hopefully, Sirisha :D.. Hugs!

    Thanks a ton for giving me extra time!..Lakshmi..Oh yeah..you can..I generally make the varuval for Kids as they love this..:)

    That was a Brilliant comment, lathamma..that was a lovely "nose cut" to me...one comment with 2 meanings..err...neengaluma!!!!(oru kal 2 manga):D :D

    Over to your place Ashaji..

    Thanks Srivalli..

    Thanks Sugi...but I am not happy with the photos...had to shoot in a hurry,that too with greasy, messy palms!!:)..I pity my dear old camera..:)

    Thanks a lot girls..Remya Rajitha and Sharmi :)

    Do you speak Tamil,Roopa?...Cute!!!:)

    Thanks for all the encouragement,Viji!..that u gave along with accepting my entry..!

    Hugs to you gals,Sona and Jyo!:)

    Where was I humorous yesterday...Ma..?? ;) ;)

    Renuka...enna Kindala?? :)

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  23. hi bharathy....

    perfect kozhukattai & excellent post!my id id jsobila@gmail.com
    sorry im not available untill oct20, as im packing to india this sat,, for 2 weeks vocation....
    send me mails surely i will reply u,,take care.... bye....

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  24. thank u bharathy....
    u can sign into adsense at http://google.com/adsense , i prefer to create seperate gmail account for adsense alone instead of blogger acc. In google/adsense.com home page itself full demo explaning how to use adsense is available,
    u have to just select the ad type, and link ur blog name , get ad code, paste that ad code in html box of ur layout.thats it..ask all ur friends and relatives to click in ur ad,, u can earn mini 50 $ monthly for all ur hard work in blog:))..let me know if have any more doubts...

    u can use all contents of
    photobucket .,if u want u can sign in for free, and store ur favorite photos,,but it will be visible to all public... if u want to use a photo in blogger without changing original size,upload it photobucket and use the html of that picture in ur blog.

    r u in orkut bharathy?? photobucket will be very useful if u r in orkut..


    delete this comments if u want:)

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  25. very nice pics bharathy!!
    kuzhikoota looks yummy!!

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  26. yummy!....why am i not your neighbour?:(
    I am going to try ur payasam for vijaya dashami. will have my dance students and their parents for food. so will give you its feed back later!

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  27. what a nice entry, bharathy! i love parippu payasam and kozhukkattai..:)

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  28. Bharathy, its an excellent recipe ! I tried it today for Varalakshmi pooja and my family members liked it very much. Your tip for mixing the rice flour directly to water was very useful.

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