Kozhukattai recipe | Kolukattai recipe | How to make Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai with detailed photo and video recipe. This is one of the important South Indian sweet recipes prepared during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is very similar to the famous ukadiche modak, but there isn’t any strict rule to follow any particular shape. These are prepared on the day of Ganesh Chauthi and offered to lord ganapathi and served as prasadam to friends and family.
Kozhukattai recipe | Kolukattai recipe | How to make Thengai Poorna Kozhukattai with step-by-step photo and video recipe. Ganesh Chaturthi festival marks the beginning of the festival season in India. It also means a series of sweets and savouries prepared to offer your favourite god and then eventually served with friends and family. However, there are some particular sweets for particular festivals, and kozhukattai or kolukattai is one such offered to Lord Ganesha.
Most people raise the question of how this differs from Ukadiche Modak. Technically, it does not differ in ingredients or preparation. The main difference lies in the shape of the dessert. Unlike the Maratha version, this recipe does not follow a strict shape. You can choose any shape you prefer, steam it, and offer it to Ganapathi. In this post, I show 5 ways or shapes to prepare Kolukattai, and you can pick what suits you. The stuffing becomes richer and tastier when you add toppings like sesame seeds and poppy seeds over the jaggery and coconut. These additions make it more flavorful than the traditional version. I have not added them here, but you can add them if you wish.
Furthermore, some additional tips, suggestions and variants to the kozhukattai recipe. Firstly, the traditional recipe is always made with rice flour without any alterations to the dough. Yet you may experiment and prepare it with plain flour, wheat flour, or a combination of wheat and plain flour. Secondly, as a replacement for the jaggery, you may use brown sugar or even white sugar. Using sugar would be tastier, but certainly not a healthy option. Lastly, if you have any leftover rice dough, you can use it for rice pakora, or you can also use it for akki roti. You may also prepare akki shavige or idiyappam rather than wasting it.
Finally, I request you to check my other related Sweets Recipes Collection with this post of Kozhukattai recipe. It mainly includes my other related recipes like puran poli, rava modak, poornam boorelu, rava laddu, wheat sweet, tutti frutti burfi, pancharatna sweet, appalu, crushed peanut chikki, and rice flour sweet. In addition to these, I would also like to mention my other related recipe categories, like,
About Thengai Kozhukattai
Kozhukattai, also known as Kolukattai, is a traditional South Indian sweet made during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is especially popular in Tamil cuisine, where families prepare it as a sacred prasadam for Lord Ganesh. The recipe uses rice flour dough shaped into small dumplings and filled with a sweet mixture of coconut and jaggery. This sweet is considered the South Indian counterpart of the Maharashtrian Ukadiche Modak. The process of shaping the outer layer and filling the mixture requires care and devotion. People believe offering this sweet brings blessings and prosperity. The dumpling is steamed until soft and glossy, which makes it light yet flavorful. It forms an essential part of festival celebrations and family traditions.
The beauty of Kozhukattai lies in its versatility and presentation. Traditionally, people make it in the classic dome shape, but it can also be shaped into stars, moons, or suns to make it visually unique. The filling of jaggery and coconut provides natural sweetness and fibre, making it both tasty and healthy. When served with hot ghee, the dumpling melts in the mouth and enhances the festive feel. Families prepare dozens of these with devotion and distribute them as prasadam among relatives and friends. The recipe combines tradition with creativity, allowing variations while keeping the spiritual essence intact. Kozhukattai remains a comforting sweet that ties generations together in festival celebrations.
Fun Fact:
Children often compete to create the most creative Kozhukattai shapes, and elders happily accept them all as prasadam for Lord Ganesh.
Chef Tips for Kozhukattai
Kozhukattai is simple to make but needs patience and precision. These tips help you prepare soft dumplings and add creative variations.
- Dough: Use hot water to knead the rice flour dough, but keep it soft and moist to avoid cracks.
- Filling: Stick to coconut and jaggery for tradition, but add cardamom or dry fruits for a richer taste.
- Shaping: Shape them into domes for the classic look, or try star and moon shapes to make them fun for kids.
- Steaming: Steam on medium heat until glossy, but avoid over-steaming as it makes them chewy.
- Serving: Serve plain for prasadam, or drizzle hot ghee on top for a melt-in-mouth festive treat.
Video Recipe
Recipe Card for Kozhukattai
Kozhukattai Recipe | Thengai Poorna Kolukattai
Ingredients
for thengai poorna stuffing:
- 1 cup jaggery
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cup coconut, grated
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp ghee
for dough:
- 2 cup water
- ½ tsp ghee
- 2 cup rice flour
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
how to make thengai poorna stuffing:
- firstly, in a large kadai take 1 cup jaggery and ¼ cup water. stir until the jaggery melts completely.
- now add 2 cup coconut and mix well.
- continue to cook until the mixture starts to separate the pan and holds the shape slightly.
- further, add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and 1 tsp ghee. mix well.
- finally, thengai poorna is ready for stuffing. keep aside.
how to make dough for kozhukattai:
- firstly, in a saucepan take 2 cup water and ½ tsp ghee.
- mix well and get to a rolling boil. keep aside.
- in a large bowl take 2 cup rice flour and ¼ tsp salt. mix well.
- now add hot water in batches and mix well.
- add the water until the flour turns moist.
- now start to knead the dough sprinkling water if requried.
- knead for 5 minutes or until the dough turns soft.
- kozhukattai dough is ready. wet your hand and knead if the dough seems dry.
how to shape kozhukattai:
- firstly, to prepare modak shape, pinch a ball sized dough and with the help of both thumbs start pressing the edges and create a dent in the centre.
- now place a ball sized coconut stuffing in the centre.
- bring the edges together and seal by pressing.
- now prepare the modak shaped kolukattai.
- to prepare half-moon shaped, place a ball sized dough on the greased banana leaf.
- press as this as possible.
- now place the coconut stuffing and fold half.
- seal the sides and half-moon shaped kolukattai is ready to steam.
- to prepare round ball-shaped, take ball sized rice flour dough and flatten on the palm.
- place the coconut stuffing and roll into a round ball. ready to steam.
- to prepare star and flower-shaped modak, cut using a cookie maker.
- place the modak in steamer leaving gaps in between.
- cover and steam the modak for 10 minutes or till the shiny texture appears on them.
- finally, offer kozukkattai to lord ganesha and celebrate ganesh chathurthi.
Nutrition
How to Make Kozhukattai With Step-by-step Photos
Thengai poorna stuffing:
- Firstly, in a large kadai, take 1 cup of jaggery and ¼ cup of water. Stir until the jaggery melts completely.
- Now add 2 cups of coconut and mix well.
- Continue to cook until the mixture starts to separate from the pan and holds its shape slightly.
- Further, add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and 1 tsp ghee. mix well.
- Finally, Thengai Poorna is ready for stuffing. Keep aside.
Dough for kozhukattai:
- Firstly, in a saucepan, take 2 cups of water and ½ tsp ghee.
- Mix well and get to a rolling boil. keep aside.
- In a large bowl, take 2 cups of rice flour and ¼ tsp salt. mix well.
- Now add hot water in batches and mix well.
- Add the water until the flour turns moist.
- Now start to knead the dough, sprinkling water if required. Knead for 5 minutes or until the dough turns soft. Kozhukattai dough is ready.
Shape kozhukattai:
- Firstly, to prepare the modak shape, pinch a ball-sized dough and with the help of both thumbs, start pressing the edges and create a dent in the centre.
- Now, place a ball-sized coconut stuffing in the centre.
- Bring the edges together and seal by pressing.
- Now prepare the modak-shaped kolukattai.
- To prepare half-moon shaped, place a ball-sized dough on the greased banana leaf. Press as much as possible.
- Now place the coconut stuffing and fold in half.
- Seal the sides, and the half-moon-shaped kolukattai is ready to steam.
- To prepare a round ball, take ball-sized rice flour dough and flatten it in the palm.
- Place the coconut stuffing and roll it into a round ball. ready to steam.
- To prepare star and flower-shaped modak, use a cookie cutter.
-
Place the modak in a steamer, leaving gaps in between.
-
Cover and steam the modak for 10 minutes or till the shiny texture appears on them.
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Finally, offer kozukkattai to lord ganesha and celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.
Notes
- Firstly, you can add dal to the stuffing for variation.
- Also, knead the dough well, adding the required amount of water and ghee till it forms a smooth dough.
- Also, if the modaks break while you are pressing and creating a cup, do not worry. Sprinkle water and ghee, knead well.
- Finally, grease your hand with ghee before you start preparing kozukkattai, else it will stick to your hand.
I have tried many recipes for pillayar chathurthi for more than twenty years. But everytime, the kolukattai would crack or become very hard. I followed this recipe and kolukattai came out perfect. Thanks for the detailed recipe.
Thanks a lot