Savory Modak, Uppu Kozhukattai, Ganesh Chaturthi Special
In Southern India, It is customary to offer Savory Modak or Uppu Kozhukattai which is a Ganesh Chaturthi Special item along with sweet Modak to Lord Ganesha.Some other popular names for Uppu kozhukattai are Ulundhu Kozhukattai, Kara kozhukattai. Uppu means salt in Tamil hence the name uppu kozhukattai for these savory dumplings.
Ingredients
For stuffing
- ½ cup White lentil or whole urad. Can use Urad Dal instead.
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 nos Green Chillies
- 1 tsp salt
Tempering for Stuffing
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- ½ tsp Black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Whole urad/white lentil
- ⅛ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tbsp Curry leaves Finely chopped.
- ½ tsp salt
Dough for Modak
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup rice flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
Preparing Paste for Stuffing
- Soak White Lentil for 3 hours. Discard Water.
- Add Ginger.
- Add green chillies.
- Grind to a coarse paste.
- Add Salt.
- Mix and keep aside.
Cook stuffing
- Grease a steamer.
- Put paste and spread evenly.
- Steam for 15 minutes.
- Check with toothpick if cooked properly. Toothpick should come out clean. If it does not, then cook for some more time.
- Once cool, take it out.
- Crumble with hands and keep aside.
- Heat a pan for tempering. Add Sesame Oil.
- Add Mustard seeds.
- Once seeds crackle, add asafoetida.
- Add urad.
- Add curry leaves.
- Roast for 2 minutes.
- Add crumbled paste.
- Stir for 2 minutes and then turn off flame.
Make Dough
- Add Water to a heavy bottom pan.
- Add sesame oil.
- Add Salt.
- Add rice flour.
- Stir and turn off flame.
- Cover and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl.
- Add 1 more tbsp of oil.
- Knead to a smooth dough.
- Cover with a damp cloth.
Make Modak
- Take lemon size dough ball.
- Flatten and make a circle.
- Put some stuffing.
- Seal corners.
- Make pattern with hands.
- Fill water in a pan. Heat. Grease a steamer plate.
- Arrange Modaks and steam for 15 minutes.
- Serve.
