Modhagam (Channa Dal Stuffing)

             A Modhagam(Kozhukattai) is a dumpling made from rice flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry grated coconut, jaggery or dry fruits mixture.Stuffing is also called Pooranam.So many types of pooranam is used to fill the stuffing like channa dal pooranan,coconut pooranam ,dry fruits pooranam.etc.,Click this link for Ganesh Chathurthi Celebration.

Here,i used Channa dal pooranam for stuffing.In my home, we usually offer modagam to Lord Vinayagar.We are celebrating this festival as  little personal touch as My Man’s name is one of the Vinayagar names.This year(2014) vinayagar chaturthi falls On Aug 29, so i preplaned to post ‘Modagam’ atleast a day before.And i prepared this recipe 26th and finally posted now.

Modhagam Recipe :

Thats it : Stuffing – Outer Dough - Steaming

Cooking Time : 45 mins    Makes : 8Modaks

VIDEO : Modak

Ingredients :

Rice Flour	1 Cup
Water	1 ¼ Cup
Ghee	1 tsp
Salt	½ tsp
For Channa dal Stuffing: Channa dal	½ Cup
GratedCoconut	¼ Cup
Powdered Jaggery	½ Cup
Cardamom pods	3

Preparation :

For Channa dal Pooranam:

1.Pressure Cook Channa dal with 1 ½ cup of water for 5 whistles.After pressure releases mash it well.Keep aside.

2.Heat a kadai, add powdered jaggery,cardamom pods with immersing level of water.After it dissolves strain it to remove the impurities.

3.Add jaggery syrup,coconut to the mashed dal and cook for 3 mins in simmer flame till it thickens and leave the sides of the cooker.

4.Cool it for 2 mins .Grease your hands with little ghee and make small balls with light heat.Keep aside.

For Outer Layer:  

4.Heat a pan, add water ,salt and make it boil then switch off. In a wide pan,add rice flour then add water little by little and form a tight dough.Keep aside.

5.Take small amount of dough and make a ball by applying little ghee in your hands.Just pat the dough with fingers till it thins.Take a channa pooranam ball and keep it at the centre of the thin patted dough.Fold together towards upside and just press 4 fingers as a print to form a shape..Keep ready the modaks.

Steaming:

6.Boil idly pot with little water.Arrange all the modaks in the oil greased steaming plate and keep inside.Close the lid.Steam for 10-12 mins.After steaming, modak looks like shiny texture.

Happy Vinayagar Chaturthi.....!