Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Mung Beans

Published: Sep 13, 2011 · Modified: Sep 9, 2021 ·by Swathi.This post may contain affiliate links ·

Sweet Kozhukattai is tradtional recipe made with rice flour outercovering and sweet mung bean filling made with mung beans, jaggery, caradmom and coconut.

Sweet kozhukattai that is what we call these dumplings is a famous offering for God Ganesh, who has the face of Elephant. He is one of my favorite God’s. My mother always used to pray to him. And when I left for my postdoctoral studies, she told if you have any problem just pray to him, he will take care of you.

Since I stayed alone during those studies, I used to tell him everything including my lab mistakes and happiness. Some time even complaint to him as he is not taking care of the issue that troubled me.

I know you think I am a little off, but what you will do you are staying alone, and calling home was possible only for only one hour a week at the maximum, because of the exorbitant cost of international calls those days.

Yes I had some friends, but still something they won’t understand. Or maybe I am sensitive person and I feel in my heart, if I tell him he will hear and help me.

After marriage, when I had my little one, nobody from my house and as his house was able to come and help us during delivery. I had lost my mother before our marriage and nobody was there to help us.

At first it was really fearsome having a baby without even knows how to change a diaper or how to hold. My father used to say “pray to God Ganesh and he will help you”.

In our belief, God can come in any form and help us. I used to pray him just come as doctor or nurse and help. Yes he did, we both husband and wife were adamant when my little one failed to show up on 39th week of pregnancy, we told our Gynecologist that why don’t we do a C-section, it will be easier. He told us only if she is not coming through normal delivery, I will do it otherwise not. Just like he told, my princess was born through normal delivery. We are grateful to him, as it would have been difficult to overcome the recovery if it is C-section.

Vinayaka chaturthi is an important festival for Lord Ganesh, if you want to see the celebrations; you have to visit Mumbai, the financial capital of India. Last time when we visited India, it was Vinayaka chaturthi festival time. In Mumbai, people bring home Ganesh idol and worship the Lord in their house with offerings for 3, 5, 7 or 11 days depending upon their financial abilities, after that they will immerse the idol in a nearby pond or sea praying to God to come next year at the same time.

During our trip back from India to US it was 7 days celebration, and everywhere there was a traffic block, our pre-booked taxi driver didn’t show up. We were in utter tension and we were going to miss the flight, luckily may be with god grace we got two taxi drivers who willing to take us airport. They did an awesome job of not only driving through the traffic but also making sure we reached the airport safely on time. The Mumbai airport is really mess from 12 A.M- 5.A.M every day, as most of the international flights arrive and depart during that time. It is difficult even to put a single feet in there.

Even though, everywhere Lord Ganesh Pooja is there in Mumbai, the most famous one is Lalbaugcha Raja where most of politicians, cine actors and also local people visit and pray.

My elder sister-in-law makes sure she visits Lalbaugcha Raja once during every festival, for that she and our niece will stand in line for more than 12 hours. Yesterday was the 11^thday of celebration they took Lalbugcha Raja for immersion in the sea. She sent me these pictures of Lalbaugcha Raja.

Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Green Gram/Moong Bean and Jaggery filling

For this Vinayaka chaturthi I made both malai modak/Peda as well as this sweet kozhukattai. My mother used to make this sweet kozhukattai every Fridays as offering. I make it once in a while, but made with coconut, jaggery and moong dal/ green gram.

You can make without moong dal/green gram. It is steamed. When we are young we loved to eat only the sweet fillings, rather than the whole kozhukattai. It is easy to make, I made only seven of them as sweets are forbidden in our house. Here goes the recipe.

To make outercovering you need rice louf, water, butter and salt.

Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Green Gram/Moong Bean and Jaggery ingredients

For the filling you need mung beans(cherupayru), coconut, jaggery and cardamom. Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Green Gram/Moong Bean and Jaggery ingredients

First roast the beans, the cook them well with water. In the mean time make jaggery syrup with water and strain it for impurities and set aside. Finally add this jaggery juice, coconut, cardamom and cooked mung beans until everything comes together as thick paste.

Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Green Gram/Moong Bean and Jaggery making filling

One your filling is ready, make the outer covering, water, salt and butter and rice flour.

Sweet Kozhukattai/ Rice dumplings with Green Gram/Moong Bean and Jaggery making outercovering

Other Kozhukattai recipes are

Ammini Kozhukattai /seasoned rice flour balls
Ukadiche modak

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