Modak| Mothagam| Modakam is a sweet and savoury dumplings offered to Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha likes Modak and hence he is called by the name Modakapriya. Mothagam has many versions depends on the shell and the stuffings used. Rice flour, wheat flour is generally used to make modakam. Now a days people started make using millets and add coco powder with the rice flour to give variation. The stuffing varies from, Coconut jaggery, Sesame seeds jaggery, Peanuts jaggery, Chana dal jaggery, Moong dal jaggery, Dates, Chocolate..etc. Rice flour version is generally steamed and the wheat flour version is deep fried. In this post i am using chana dal and jaggery stuffing to make mathagam.

Kadalai paruppu mothagam

INGREDIENTS:
Rice Flour| Idiyappam flour|Roasted rice flour- 1 cup (If you use mould you might require 1/4 cup more rice flour )
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Water- 1and 1/4 cups

For Pooranam/ Dal stuffing:
Chana Dal- 3/4 cup
Coconut- 1/4 cup
Jaggery, grated- 1 cup
Cardamaom powder- big pinch

Mothagam recipe

PROCEDURE:
Stuffing:
  • Pressure cook the chana dal in 2 cups of water for about 4-5 whistles till the dal becomes mushy. If it has not cooked soft grind one in a blender jar to make it mushy.
  • Using a ladle or masher mash well the dal; set aside.
  • In a wide pan add the jaggery and half a cup of water and allow to melt and becomes a syrup.
  • Once the syrup starts to bubble add  the mahsed dal, coconut and cardamom powder and mix well and cook the mixture.  The mixture cooks and the water content evaporates and it starts to thicken. When the moisture almost evaporates switch off the flame and allow to cool. The leftover moisture goes off once the mixture cools down.
  • Once the mixture cools down make small lemon sized balls.
Dough:
  • If you use normal (not roasted) rice flour add the flour inside the boiling hot water and cook the flour with out lumps by constant stirring and make the dough.
  • If you use roasted rice flour| Idiyappam flour, add the rice flour, salt and oil inside a bowl. Heat water in a pan till rolling hot stage.
  • Now pour the hot water over the rice flour and mix with a spoon. Stop adding when the rice flour becomes a soft dough stage. Knead to make a  soft dough.
  • Rest for few minutes to cool the dough with a lid. When the dough is warm you can start preparing the kozhukattai.
Kozhukattai/ Modak:
  • Pinch a lemon sized ball and roll inside the palm and flatten the ball and dip the finger inside water and spread to make a thin sheet as much as possible. 
  • Keep the stuffing inside and gather the edges by lightly pulling the dough and seal the edges tightly.
  • Grease a idli stand and arrange the kozhukattai on top.
  • Heat water in a steamer vessel or idli steamer once the water becomes rolling hot keep the idli stand inside the hot water and allow to steam for 10 minutes till the outside rice flour dough becomes shiny.
How to make modagam

Vinayagar Chaturthi recipes