FRIED MODAK / PORICHA KOZHAKATTAI / RAVA KOZHUKATTAI / MODAGAM

Rava kozhukattai ( Rava modak ) is normally prepared ganapathi homam. This fried modakam is offered to fire while performing homam. Unlike the normal modak or kozhukattai this can kept outside and will stay good for 1 week. I prepared this during sankatahara chathurthi and offered to lord ganesha. Normally this is prepared using wheat flour, but i tried it with rava as wheat flour makes the outer layer very soft and chewey. Here we go for the fried modak recipe which is crispy and tasty.

Ingredients :

For the outer layer :

Rava (  Fine Semolina ) - 1 Cup

Salt - A Pinch 

Water - To knead the dough

For making the filling (Puranam) :

Grated coconut - 3/4 Cup

Jaggery - Little more than 1/4 cup

Elachi Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon

Ghee - 1 Teaspoon

Method :

Preparation of the outer layer :

Mix rava and salt in a bowl add enough water to it and knead it to a soft pilable dough, cover and rest it for 1 hour. Check the dough in between if it becomes too hard, then sprinkle some water and knead the dough again well.

Preparation of filling ( Puranam ) :

In a heavy bottom pan add little water and add jaggery to it when it melt filter it to remove impurities. now add the filtered jaggery water to the pan again and allow it to boil for some 5 minutes now add coconut to it and mix well and cook until the grated coconut mix well to it and forms a ball like mass.

Now add ghee and elachi powder to it and mix well. Now puranam is ready.

Now for making kozhukattai's ( Modakam ) :

First make small balls out of the puranam ( filling ) and keep it ready. Now knead the dough again well and dust with little maida ( plain flour ) and roll out the dough as thin as possible, and cut out in small circles. Now take one small circle and place the filling ball in the centre and cover the entire filing with the dough and press it firmly. so that the filling doesn't come out. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough, and keep it ready for frying.

Heat oil in a deep and fry it medium flame ( make sure the oil is not smoky ) and fry the modak ( kozhukattai ) in batches 6 to 7 kodak at a time. Drain the excess oil in a tissue paper. Once it is cool down, store it in a air tight container. Crispy Rava kozhukattai is ready to eat.

Notes :

Make sure the dough is soft enough otherwise the you will find it difficult to roll in to chappathi.
Make sure oil is just right to test that put a pinch of rolled out dough in oil, it has to slowly raise to top.
while making modak, trim of the excess dough from the center, excess dough will take longer time to cook and turn chewy.
The inside filling will come out while frying, so try to filter the oil once in very two batches, i did like that.