Home » Food and Drink »  Festival Cusine »  Ganesh Chaturthi- Cuisine Learn how to make a whole host of traditional dishes prepared on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi as made in the South and in Maharashtra.

Kozhukattai Dal Filling

A South Indian speciality. A special dish offered to Lord Vinayaka Ingredients Rice- 400 gm Gram Dal -1 cup Jaggery- one small lump Coconut gratings- 2 tbsp. Cardamom powder- 1 tsp. Oil for cooking Salt- 1 tsp. Method To prepare Flour & Dough: Wash the rice and soak for 2 hours. Spread it on a white cloth and dry in the shade. Grind in a hand mill or grinder the next day. Sift through a fine sieve. An equal quantity of water and flour is used to make the dough. Take an equal quantity of water and boil well with 1 tbsp. of gingelly oil and a big pinch of salt. Add the flour and simultaneously stir for about 5 minutes. Ensure that lumps do not form while adding the flour. Soak a white cloth in water and rinse out. Spread it on a plate and place the dough on it. Tie up in a bundle and keep aside. When the dough has cooled, knead the dough well and shape it into small balls. Filling: Cook the dal. When half cooked, remove from fire. Pour out water and crush with spoon or hand. Add jaggery and coconut gratings and cook till water evaporates. Mix the cardamom powder and keep aside. Grease palms with the gingelly oil. Take a ball of the dough and shape into a nice cup. Add the filling and seal it into a cone shape. Make about 15-20 kozhukkattais and arrange them in an idli vessel in a single tray. Close and steam for 10 minutes to cook the kozhukkattais. Pull out the tray. Transfer the kozhukattais to a serving dish. Serve hot.

Kozhukkattai Sesame Filling

Ingredients Rice- 400 gm Sesame seeds- 1/2 cup Jaggery- 1/2 cup Cardamom- 7 Big pinch of salt Gingelly oil- 1 tbsp. Method To prepare Flour & Dough: Wash the rice and soak for 2 hours. Spread it on a white cloth and dry in the shade. Grind in a hand mill or grinder the next day. Sift through a fine sieve. An equal quantity of water and flour is used to make the dough. Take an equal quantity of water and boil well with 1 tbsp. of gingelly oil and a big pinch of salt. Add the flour and simultaneously stir for about 5 minutes. Ensure that lumps do not form while adding the flour. Soak a white cloth in water and rinse out. Spread it on a plate and place the dough on it. Tie up into a bundle and keep aside. When the dough has cooled, knead it well and shape it into small balls. Filling: Wash sesame seeds and soak for one hour. Wash several times till the washed water ceases to be red. Drain and dry. Spread on a clean, rough surface and rub nicely with palm to peel off the skins. Winnow out the skin and roast the new white seeds to a reddish colour in a hot frying pan. Grind it to a smooth powder with an equal quantity of jaggery and cardamom powder. Pound these together well. Grease your palms with the gingelly oil. Take one ball of the dough and shape it into a nice cup, add the filling and seal it to form a boat shape. Make about 15-20 kozhukkattais and arrange them in an idli vessel in a single tray. Close and steam for 10 minutes to cook the kozhukkattais. Pull out the tray. Transfer the kozhukattais to a serving dish. Serve hot.

Kozhukkattai Coconut Filling

Ingredients Rice- 400 gm, Coconut grated- 1 Jaggery- 1 cup Cardamom- 6 Oil- 2 tbsp. A big pinch of salt Method To prepare Flour & Dough: Wash the rice and soak for 2 hours. Spread it on a white cloth and dry in the shade. Grind in a hand mill or grinder the next day. Sift through a fine sieve. An equal quantity of water and flour is used to make the dough. Take an equal quantity of water and boil well with 1 tbsp. of gingelly oil and a big pinch of salt. Add the flour and simultaneously stir for about 5 minutes. Ensure that lumps do not form while adding the flour. Soak a white cloth in water and rinse out. Spread it on a plate and place the dough on it. Tie into a bundle and keep aside. When the dough cools, knead it well and shape it into small balls. Filling: Grate coconut finely. In a frying pan, add a little water and jaggery (powdered) and heat. Wait till jaggery is dissolved and water begins to boil. The syrup will thicken and froth up giving out a nice smell. Add coconut gratings and stir it over a low fire. Cook till water is fully absorbed and fillings become sticky. Add powdered cardamom. Grease the palms with the gingelly oil. Take one ball of the dough and shape into a nice cup. Add the filling in the centre of the cup and seal to form a ball with a broad base and a sharp conical tip. Make about 15-20 kozhukkattais and arrange them in an idli vessel in a single tray. Close and steam for 10 minutes to cook the kozhukkattais. Pull out the tray. Transfer the kozhukattais to another serving dish. Serve hot.

Kozhukkattai Urad dal Filling

Ingredients Rice- 400 gm Urad dal- 1 cup Green chillies- 10 Bengal gram dhal- 1/2 cup Mustard- 1/2 tsp. Asafoetida- a pinch Salt to taste Oil to cook Method To prepare Flour & Dough: Wash the rice and soak for 2 hrs. Spread it on a white cloth and dry in the shade. Grind in a hand mill or grinder the next day. Sift through a fine sieve. An equal quantity of water and flour is used to make the dough. Take an equal quantity of water and boil well with 1 tbsp. of gingelly oil and a big pinch