Vella Kozhukattai (வெல்ல கொழுக்கட்டை)

Happy Vinayaka Chathurthi to all!! This is the first festival I am celebrating on my blog and what a better start than to start with Lord Ganesha's festival!!! Vella Kozhukattai is a traditional sweet prepared during Vinayaka Chathurthi. It is one of the difficult sweets to prepare. Vinayaka Chathurthi is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesha. Main Ingredients for the Vella Kozhukattai are rice flour, Coconut and Jaggery. There are many forms of kozhukattai and vella kozhukattai is the main form. I love this preparation my mom makes and I am trying my best to recreate her magic!! Still trying!!

Ingredients for the maavu / dough:Rice Flour – 1 cup (No need to roast)
Water 1 ¼ cup
Salt – ½ tea spoon
Sesame Oil – 2 tea spoon
Ingredients for the pooranam / stuffing:
Coconut grated – 1 cup
Cardamom – 4
Jaggery – 1 ½ cups
Water – 3 table spoons
Method
For Maavu / dough:
Heat water in a pan
Add oil and salt to it
Once the water comes to a boil, add the rice flour and blend it well
Stir it continuously till it becomes into a soft dough
Remove from heat and close with a lid and keep aside
For Pooranam / stuffing:Heat the jaggery with water and stir occasionally
Stir well till all the jaggery is dissolved and starts to froth
Stir it well again for couple of more minutes. Ensure that the mixture has very little water.
Add the cardamom to it
Now add the grated coconut to this and mix well
Remove from heat and allow it to cool
For the Kozhukattai:
Coat the palms with little sesame oil to avoid the sticking
Make small balls of the maavu
Press the balls and make a small choppu
Keep the pooranam inside and seal the top making it look like a kozhukattai
Do the above for all the maavu and pooranam
Grease the Idli plates with little sesame oil
Keep these kozhukattai on it and steam cook it (without weight) for about 10-15 minutes
After 10 minutes, check status.
Kozhukattai is done when it looks like it has sweat.
Generally it takes about 10-15 minutes to be done in steaming
Remove the Kozhukattai from the idli plate and is ready!!

Sending this to Taste of the Tropics - Coconut hosted by me, Mireille's page, Pari's Show me your Dessert, Jagruti's I'm well stuffed, Srivalli's giveaway, FFNF in Archana's page, Priya's page, Sumi's Rice Event, Festival Food - Ganesh Chathurthi, South Indian Cooking#2, Anu's page, Steamed Foods, Priya's page, Gayathri's WTML, hosted by Smitha,  Celebrate - Indian Sweets