Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Cavithi is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated throughout India with equal festivity and devotion to honour the elephant-headed God Ganesha’s birthday. He is the younger son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
Lord Ganesh is the symbol of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. He is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies as he’s considered the God of beginnings. The recipes prepared during this festival varies from state to state. But kudumulu or modak or kozhukattai is believed to be one of the favourite foods of lord Ganesha. Today I’m here to share Poornam Kudumulu Recipe, a sweet version of kudumulu.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on Shukla Chaturthi of the Hindu month of Bhadra (generally falls between August and September). People bring home life-like clay model (murthis) or Lord Ganesha and celebrate the festival by worshiping the Lord in a special way from 1 day to 11 days depending on the family tradition and commitment of each individual. On the last day of the festival the idols are taken out in a colourful and musical procession and immersed traditionally in water.
This year, September 5th marks the beginning of this festival. You can find more information about this festival here.
Coming back to the Poornam Kudumulu recipe, it is a steamed sweet dumpling prepared as prasadam/neivedyam for Vinayaka Chavithi or Ganesh chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi, a favourite of Lord Ganesha.
There are different variations with the filling and you can be creative to add any enhancements you wish. Poornam Kudumulu recipe uses coconut jaggery mixture. Click here for the recipe. We normally use homemade rice flour for making these Kudumulu. Click here to get the recipe.
Off to Poornam Kudumulu recipe!!
Step-by-Step process to follow for
Poornam Kudumulu Recipe:
Click HERE to go directly to the video!! But, I recommend to go through detailed recipe for a few tips to take back!!
The process involves the following simple steps.
1. Preparing rice flour:
- Click on the picture below or here to learn how to prepare rice flour at home. We will be using this flour to prepare the dough for the outer covering of the kudumulu.
- You can also use store bought flour but you may get cracks while making the shape. Try out both ways and see the difference for yourself!!
2. Making Poornam for the stuffing:
- Click on the picture below or here for Coconut poornam recipe, which is the stuffing we are going to use to for Poornam Kudumulu Recipe.
- You can also use the stuffing in the recipe for Bobbatlu or Puran poli and Poornam Boorelu Recipe. Check it out!!
3. Making the dough for the soft shell:
- Add 3/4 cup water to a deep pan or a pot.
- To this add 1/4 cup of milk and salt.
- Now add 1 teaspoon oil or ghee to the water.
- Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat.
- Once it comes to a boil, add 1 cup of rice flour, a teaspoon of maida (all purpose flour) and mix.
- Stir well and close with a lid for 3 to 4 seconds inserting a ladle between lid and the pan. This way the dough cooks evenly.
- Open the lid. turn off the heat and stir till you get a lumpy mixture.
- Cover and set aside to cool down a bit. Do not allow to cool down completely.
- Knead it to a smooth dough while it is still slightly hot.
- If required you can dip your fingers in more water or a little oil and knead it to a soft but non sticky dough.
- Divide the mixture small equal sized balls.
- Cover them with a moist cloth while you work with each ball.
There are so many ways to shape these kudumulu without using a mold. If you have molds, go ahead but today I will show you a simple way to make kudumulu without molds.
4. Stuffing and shaping the Kudumulu:
- Take a ball, dip your fingers in oil. Flatten it in your palm. When ever needed, dip the fingers in oil or water.
- Basically we need a evenly shaped round disc with edges thinner than the central part.
- Place one coconut jaggery laddu in the centre.
- Bring the edges together and close it carefully, making sure there are no cracks to it.
- Pinch off excess dough and shape it like the picture below or as you wish.
Do you want to make it look even better?
- Take a chopstick or anything of that sought and make a slight impressions vertically around the modak. Make sure not to press too hard, otherwise the filling might come out.
- Repeat the process for each dough ball.
5. Steaming kudumulu:
- You can grease idli plates with oil and steam them in a pressure cooker or a idli pot.
- Arrange kolukattai’s in the idli plate and steam for 8 to 10 minutes or till done. I have just arranged kudumulu in a perforated plate.
- Steam over medium high heat in a pressure cooker without whistle for about 8 to 10 minutes or till done.
- Once done, turn off the heat and let them stand for a few minutes before serving.
Serve as a prasadam to Lord Ganesha and then you can enjoy!!
Poornam Kudumulu Recipe | How to Prepare Kozhukattai | Recipe of Modak
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Milk
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon oil or ghee
- 1 Cup Homemade rice flour Click here for recipe
- 1 teaspoon Maida All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon oil or ghee for greasing
For the filling
- 1 Cup Coconut Poornam Click here for recipe
Instructions
Making the dough:
- Add water, milk, salt and 1 teaspoon oil or ghee in a deep pan or a pot.
- Bring it to a boil over medium heat, add rice flour and maida.
- Stir well and close with a lid for 3 to 4 seconds.
- Open, turn off the heat and stir till you get a lumpy mixture.
- Cover and set aside to cool down a bit.
- While still hot, knead it to a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough to small balls.
Stuffing and shaping Kudumulu:
- Take a ball and flatten it in your palm to a disc shape.
- Place poornam in the centre.
- Bring the edges together and close it carefully.
- Repeat for all the dough balls.
Steaming kudumulu:
- Boil water in an idli pot.
- Grease idli plates with oil.
- Arrange kudumulu in the idli plate and steam over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or till done.
- Turn off the heat and serve once cool.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Homemade Rice Flour yields better results than store bought.
- You can also use idiyappam flour to make the kudumulu or kozhukkatai.
- Adding little milk while preparing the dough gives nice white kudumulu or modaks and it also enhances their taste.
- Addition of a teaspoon of maida to the rice flour gives a little elasticity to the dough for the dough to become more pliable and this way it’s easy to roll to a disc and we get perfect shape.
- Inserting the ladle between lid and the pan makes the dough to cook evenly. Also cooking the dough in low heat yields a smoother and soft dough.
- Kneading the dough is very important step, just sprinkle some hot water while kneading and let it not dry out. Knead well to form a smooth and soft dough. Add a few drops of oil if its too sticky.
- Prep time excludes rice flour and poornam preparations.
Do check out other Dessert Recipes, Diwali Sweets, Diwali Snacks and Festival recipes from blog!!
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Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!
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Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2014 and has been updated for comprehensiveness and freshness.
Happy Cooking 
Cheers!!
Padma.
