Modak - Modakam - Kadubu - kudumulu

Modak(kozhukatai) is a sweet dumpling offered to lord ganesha during ganesh  chaturthi. It is called modak in Northern parts of India.  modhaka or kadubu in kannada, modhaka or kozhukkatai in Tamil, and kudumu in Telugu.Modak is a favourite food to Lord ganesha.It is prepared with jaggery(bellam), coconut and rice flour. I am also sharing some important tips while making modak.It hope it will be very useful for begginers.

  For stuffing

             Jaggery - 1/2 cup.

             coconut - 1 cup.

            

Take a kadai, add jaggery, add little water, when it melts you get the syrup, then add coconut and heat for few minutes  till everything combines well . switch off the stove .Divide it into equal portions and make small balls and keep it aside.

Basic Kozhukkatai(kudumulu) cover  dough preparation

Ingredients

Rice flour/Idiyappam Flour - 1 cup.

salt - as required.

water - 1 cup.

This is the ingredients required for making dough.

Method 

• Take Heavy bottomed vessel, add 1 cup of water, when it starts boiling,keep the stove in sim mode, and  add 1 cup of rice flour and salt.Let it be in sim mode for 10 minutes.

•  After 10 minutes switch off the stove and  transfer, the flour  into a  plate and knead well, to make a dough.Sprinkle few drops of hot water, while kneading the dough.The dough should be soft and smooth.Now basic modak dough is ready.[knead well, it should not have even smaller lumps in it.].cover it with damp cloth.

Modak preparation

• Take the dough, apply some oil over hand,then  divide it into equal portions  and make it into small smooth lemon sized  balls.(make sure that balls should not have crack in it).
• Make small cups as shown in the picture.

• Then fill with coconut stuffing.
• bring the edges to gether and seal properly. Do it gently.Now modak shaping  is ready.

• Then grease some oil, over idli plate and place modak(kudumulu) over it. steam cook it for 10 - 12  minutes. Now modak is ready.Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then serve.

Notes

• I always use idiyappam flour, to make modak for best results.
• It is important to note that while kneading, just sprinkle hot water  on  the dough.if you add more water to the dough, you won't get kozhukkatai(kudumulu) shape .
• Cooking  the dough in sim mode for few minutes, makes the dough softer & smoother.
• It is important to note that while kneading, if you feel water is required,just sprinkle hot water on  it.if you add more water to the dough, you won't get modak shape properly.
• kneading, is the important step, knead well to make smooth dough.
• For 2 cups of rice flour, let it be in a sim mode for  15  min. When you increase the rice flour, timings for cooking the flour, should also be increased.