Spicy Ammani Kozhukattai

This is one Kozhukattai which can be made using excess outer cover dough. Make small balls and pressure cook it just like other kozhukattais.

Ingredients to make Ammani Kozhukattai   

Steamed balls - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbsp
Hing - a pinch

Salt - to taste
Multi Purpose Powder or Idly Dosa Powder - 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves - a few

(If Idly Dosa Powder is used, reduce the salt quantity)

Method:


In a pan heat oil, temper mustard seeds and when it splutters add Urad Dal, hing, curry leaves and Steamed Balls. Add salt (there will already be salt added to the flour, so salt have to be added very carefully). Mix with the back of a laddle not breaking the balls. Add the Multi Purpose powder or Idly Dosa Powder and mix well so that it all mixes nicely.

Paruppu Kaara Kozhukattai

I normally soak a little more of the dals that I soak for Aama Vadai and pressure cook them in the idly plates. Then make them in the form of Pidi Kozhukattai and the smaller ones are set into the outer cover and made one more kozhukattai and the bigger ones are again pressure cooked. These Kozhukattais taste too good. (These can also be alternated instead of either Paruppu Poorana Kozhukattai or Ulunthu Poorana Kozhukattai)

Varalakshmi Vratam/ Viratam Recipes

Varalakshmi Vratam  falls on the Friday that comes after Aadi Amavasya or Aavani Amavasya.For most of the Tambrahms especially those from the Coimbatore area, and Brahmins of Karnataka this is first initiated on the first year of marriage in the month of Avani. The girl's parents give Amman face(mugham), silver sombu as seer. The amman mughams of those who perform the pooja alone should be kept in the pooja. Only one kalasam should be kept in one house hold, even if more than 1 woman is performing the pooja.   For neivedhyam some special items are made. I am adding the same here.

Moong Dal Payasam
Aama Vadai
Paruppu Kozhukattai
Thengai Kozhukattai
Ulundu Kozhukattai
Ellu (Til) Kozhukattai
Raw rice Idly
Appam

are the main items that are offerred. In some houses, Ulundu Kozhukattai is left out and all the other items are made.

To make the outer cover for the Kozhukattai;s check here.

Both coconut pooranam and sesame poornam can be made the previous day itself.

Raw Rice Idly

Raw rice idly is normally made for all those festivals. As boiled rice idly is not made for Neivedhyam.

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 4 cups
Urad Dal - 2 cups.
Methi seeds - 2 tbsp
Salt  to taste

Method:
Wash and soak raw rice and urad dal separately. Soak the raw rice for almost 4 hours. Grind everything together to a fine batter. Add salt and mix the batter together.

It can be made idlies the next day for Neivedhyam.

Ulunthu Pooranam (Urad dal stuffing)

Ingredients:
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup
Green chillies - 6
Gingely Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 sp
Asafodeita - 2 pinches
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup

Method:
Wash and soak the dals together for about an hour. Grind all the ingredients except oil and mustard seeds together to a batter consistency. The batter should be of a consistency thicker than idly batter.

In a pressure cooker, place the idly plates and steam the batter to idlies. Remove the idlies and grind them in the mixie. Let it be coarse. Heat gingely oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and when it splutters add the ground mixture. This makes a great stuffing and it can also be had separately too.

Ulunthu Pooranam

Pooranam stuffed Kozhukattai

Ellu Pooranam (Sesame Sweet Pooranam)

Ingredients:
Black sesame seeds - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 6 to 8 (Powdered)

Method: 
Wash and soak the sesame seeds for about an hour. Drain the water and untill the red colour in the water goes off wash it thoroughly. Dry it on a clean cloth untill it becomes dry. Rub the sesame seeds to remove the skin. Fry it in a dry pan untill it splutters.

Grind the sesame seeds to a fine powder. Add jaggery and cardamom powder to it and blend it again.

Paruppu Pooranam

Ingredients:
Bengal Gram Dal - 1  cup
Jaggery - 1/4 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 pinch
Grated coconut - 3 spoons

Method:
Pressure cook the dal and mash it thoroughly. Add jaggery, cardomom powder and grated coconut to a pan and heat it till the mixture mixes thoroughly.

This can be used for making both paruppu pooranam  Kozhukattai and also Poli

Aama Vadai

Though the name of this vadai raises many people's eyebrows and make them ask whether it is anyway related to tortoise no it is not. Either this or plain Ulundu vadai is prepared as Neivedhyam for almost all special pooja days.

Ingredients:
Bengal Gram Dal - 2 cups
Thuvar Dal - 2 cups
Salt to taste
Red chillies - 6 to 8
Curry Leaves - 1/2 cup
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece or powdered asafodeita 2 spoons

Method:
Wash and soak the Bengal gram and Thuvar Dal together for almost 1 hour. Grind it along with the other ingredients to a coarse consistency. Mix all the ingredients.

Heat oil in a pan. Make balls of the dough. Flatten the dough and put it in oil and fry till it becomes golden brown. Remove from oil and drain it.

Thengai Pooranam for Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai

This can be made using either sugar or Jaggery. But the best taste is obtained when it is made with Jaggery.

Ingredients:
Coconut - 1 Big
Jaggery - 3/4 cup or Sugar 3/4 cup
Cardamom - 6 nos

Method:
Grate the coconut (only the white portion should be used).In a hard bottom pan add jaggery and 1/5th cup of water. And when the jaggery dissolves in water and when it starts bubbling add the grated coconut and powdered cardamom. Lower the flame and let the coconut and jaggery mix together. Untill the consistency becomes sticky, keep stirring the mixture. When cold transfer to another container and use it to make Modhak or coconut poorna kozhukattai.

To make the same with sugar: Add 1/4 cup of water to sugar. Bring it to boil and to one string consistency. Add the grated coconut and keep stirring it continuously without leaving the laddle. Add the cardamom powder and stir untill it leaves the sides of the pan.

Grated coconut and Jaggery

Mixed grated coconut and jaggery in heated pan

Thengai Pooranam

Thengai Pooranam filled in Kozhukattai Choppu

Modhakam

How to make outer cover for Kozhukattais

To make Poorana kozhukattai for Varalakshmi Viratham or Vinayaka Chaturthi one have to get the outer cover ready first.

 Ingredients:
Processed Rice Flour - 4 cups

Salt - 1 tsp
Water - 4 cups
Gingely Oil - 1 tbsp

 (Water should be taken equivalent to the amount of rice flour)

Method:
In a hard bottom pan add water, salt and gingely oil and when the water comes to a boil add the Processed Rice Flour  slowly stirring constantly. Let the flour not form any lumps. Keep stirring using the back of a laddle so that all lumps can be mashed. Keep stirring untill it forms a lump and when all the water gets absorbed.

Remove from flame and transfer it to a white cloth (preferably soft white kitchen towel or veshti piece) and wrap the whole flour. Wrap it and tie the top. When cold open the cloth and knead the flour again and make it 3 parts.

Take small lump of the dough and rub it to a fine ball. Rub gingelly oil in both the hands before making the ball. Make the ball as a cup. Any kind of Pooranam can be kept inside the cup and folded and steamed in pressure cooker.

Note: To make Thengai Poorana Kozhukattai (Coconut Poorana Kozhukattai), it can be made in the form of Modhakam. For other types of Kozhukattais, both the ends can be closed and sealed before steaming.

Cooked Kozhukattai mavu before it is kneaded well 

Cooked Kozhukattai maavu before it is kneaded well

Kneaded Kozhukattai maavu

Choppus made out of the kneaded cooked maavu

Moong Dal Paayasam

A payasam that is made specially for all Ambal Poojas.

Ingredients:
Moong Dal - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups
Cardamom Power - 2 pinches
Milk - 2 cups
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashewnuts - 6 to 8 nos

Method:
Pressure cook moong dal. When done add jaggery and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep in low flame and stir untill the jaggery dissolves thoroughly. Remove from flame and add milk.

In a tadka laddle add ghee and fry the cashew nuts untill golden brown. Add it to the Payasam. Serve hot or cold.