Kozhukattai is always special to me because lord ganesh / vinayagar is very very special to me. This time during vinayagar chathurthi i prepared thengai poorna kozhukattai with modak press and it came out perfect. It is really simple recipe with less ingredients but you get addicted for the taste.

Ingredients:

Yields approximately 15 to 20 kozhukattais 

For making dough (outer layer):

• 1 cup – Idly rice
• 1 tbsp – Sesame oil
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

For making coconut poornam:

• 1 cup – Grated coconut
• 3/4 cup – Jaggery / vellam (powdered)
• 1/4 tsp – Cardamom powder
• 1 tsp – Oil / ghee

Preparation method:

Making of coconut poornam:

1. Heat a pan, add powdered jaggery and enough water to cover jaggery (approximately 1/4 cup) and bring it to a boil, cook until jaggery dissolves completely. Remove from flame and strain to remove all the impurities.
2. Bring back the jaggery syrup to flame and allow them to cook until it become slightly thick. Now add grated coconut, cardamom powder and stir well continuously till it roll like a ball and does not stick the sides of the pan .
3. Finally add ghee and mix well, switch off the flame and allow them to cool completely. Make small balls out of the thengai poornam and keep it aside. 

Making of dough / outer layer:

1. Soak idly rice for 5-6 hours and using wet grinder/mixer grinder grind the rice with enough water to a very fine consistency (like dosa batter). Then add required salt to it and mix well, set it aside.
2. Take a hard bottom pan, keep the flame in medium always and add 1 tbsp of sesame oil to it. Then add freshly ground rice flour and keep stirring continuously never move from that place. Continue doing this until you get thick ball.
3. Switch off the stove. Add 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in your hand and knead the dough when it is still warm into a smooth ball. Cover it with a wet tissue or cloth. Now outer layer is also ready.

Making of kozhukattai:

1. Take the modak press and grease it with oil on all the sides. Take a small ball out of dough, use your fingers to spread dough on sides of mould as shown in picture.
2. Place the filling inside and cover it with little dough on outside. Now open the mould carefully to take out the kozhukattai. Continue the same procedure with rest of the dough and poornam.
3. If you don’t have any modak press, then
   • Apply oil on your left hand, take a small amount of dough make a ball then press the flour with the other hand as thin as possible like a small cup.
   • Now take thengai poornam ball and keep it in middle of the cup, then bring it together to form shape like modakam or modak.
4. Place the kozhukattai in the idly plate or any steamer for 10 minutes or until well cooked. Yummy thengai poorna kozhukattai is ready.

Notes:

• Always prepare poornam first, then make the outer dough so that the outer dough does not get dried up.
• I made rice flour from the scratch. Even I tried with store bought rice flour but making our own rice flour is really tasty and this is the authentic way of making kozhukkattai.
• You can increase or decrease jaggery as per your sweet level.