Paal Kozhakattai

Paal Kozhakattai is a traditional sweet recipe of Tamilnadu. It is easily prepared and quite different ways to prepare depending on our taste and time limits. We can prepare using normal milk or using coconut milk. Well, I like to use both, as I do want the flavor of coconut milk to be there. But am lazy to take lot of coconut milk. SO I mix them and it tastes great! It is not too sweet, so anyone who are quite conscious on their sweet intake can try this out.
This would be a different healthy dessert for the kids too!

Modhagam

Its Sankatahara Chathurthi for this month. Every Sankata Hara Chathurthi reminds me of  when Shyam and Hasini were boen. Like I told in the previous Chathurthi post, I prepare Modhagam or any other kind of kozhukattai for the day and offer it to temple. Sri Guruvaayoorappan temple in NJ is where we celebrated my daugthter's Ayushhomam. And we visit there on these occasions and spend our time there. The temple is so beautifully constructed, you feel the Sanctity the moment you enter the gate!
Now they are constructing this temple to a even bigger and beautiful temple. They also have sort of donation going in the temple for their construction. People, who like their kids' names to be inscribed in the new temple, can donate for the temple and let the holy spirit grow and bless us!

Modhagam is a yummy snack and also widely used dish for neivedhyam for vinayakar chaturti or Ganesha festivals.
Also whenever we do other varieties of kozhukattai and if we have left over pooranam, then we can use that pooranam to prepare modhagam and this way we do not need to throw away the left over Pooranam. Any kind of pooranam can be used to prepare modhagam. Here I am showing thengai poorana modhagam, a very traditional way! Try this and let me know your feedback!

Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai

Uluthamparuppu poorana kozhukattai is a special tasty dish and one of the neyivedhyam on Vinayaka Chaturti Festival. I prepare any one of the kozhukattai on the Sankatahara Chathurthi every month. Last saturday, I prepared this type of Kozhukattai.
Sankatahara Chathurthi is a special day and this day is even more special both of my kids were on this day. So I try to offer something on this day of every month to Lord Ganesha.

You need:
Urad dhal - 1/2 cup
rice flour - 1 cup
green chilli - 3
oil - 2 tsp
curry leaves - 3 bunch
salt - to taste
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Grated coconut - 1 tsp


Soak the urad dhal in water for 30 mins and after that take the uad rdhal from water.
Add green chilli and salt and grid the urad dhal in a mixer one or twice
Add the ground urad dhal mixture and cook it in idly plate in a pressure cooker for 5mins. You can smell the nice aroma while it gets cooked.

Take the cooked urad dhal mixture from the pressure cooker and using your hand break the urad dhal mixture.
Heat the pan and add mustard seeds and once the mustard starts to sputter add hing, grated coconut and urad dhal mixture and mix it well and keep it aside

Make equal size urad dhal mixture balls and keep it aside.
Take a pan and add 1/2 cup water , 1 teaspoon oil and little salt and when the water starts to boil , add the rice flour and mix it well and remove from flame and keep it aside covered with plate
Take the rice flour mixture after 5-10 mins and sprinkle some warm water and also some oil and mix it well like a chapati dough.

Take some oil in a bowl and take little oil in a hand and then take little amount of rice flour and using the oil make it like a cup and then in the middle of it add the urad dhal pooranam.

For a detailed step by step explanation to prepare the outer cover for the kozhukattai is given here. Close the flour and keep it aside.

Steam cook the urad dhal poorna kozhukattai in pressure cooker by placing it in a idli plate for 5 mins
The delicious urad dhal poorana kozhukattai is ready for neivedhyam as well as for serving.

Kozhakatai & appam

Sankatahara Chaturthi is the fourth day of the waning lunar phase after the full moon. Sankashti means liberation during difficult times and therefore observing this fast is believed to reduce problems and seek the blessings of Lord Ganesh. If Sankashti Chaturthi falls on Tuesday, it is known as Angaraki Chaturthi or Angaraka Chaturthi. Angaraki is the other name of Mangal or Kuja or Chevaai or Bhauma (planet Mars).

Traditionally, Kozhakattai or modak are made on this day.

Sankata literally means “problems or worries” and Hara means “removing or eliminating”, therefore Sankata Hara Chadurthi or Sankatahara Chadurthi is a day to invoke the blessings of Lord Ganesh to remove all problems in life. 

 

How to perform Sankashti Chaturthi Puja & Vrat?

Devotees observe fast for the whole day and conclude it after moonrise. After taking a bath in the evening, Lord Ganesh is worshipped with Durva (a variety of very fine grass). Aarti is taken and the Naivedyam is offered to Lord Ganesha. Then Lord Moon is worshipped and the fast is broken by offering meal to Brahmin. Reciting prayers of Lord Ganesh form an important part of the Sankashti fast. Ganesh Gayatri, Ganesh Ashtothram Shatanamavali (108 Names), and Ganesh Atharvashirsha Avartan are the main mantras recited while observing Ganesha Sankatahara Chaturthi Vrata. Observing this fast brings happiness and fulfills one’s desires.

I used to stay on fasting till the pooja gets over, and complete my fasting with the Modak, and appam, that I prepare on this day!

For Modak