Gingelly Seed (ellu) Kozukottai

Ingredients
White gingelly seeds - ½ cup
Jaggery powder - ½ cup
Cardamom powder - ¼ cup

Method
Roast the gingelly seeds till they begin to pop.
Cool and powder in the mixer.
Add jaggery powder and cardamom powder and run the mixer for few seconds till the
mixture is well combined.

For Covering
1. Sift the rice flour to ensure that there are no lumps. Boil 4 cups of water with 1tsp salt and 2 tsps of oil (preferably gingelly oil) remove from fire, add 2 cups of flour, stirring the mixture well with a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon or churner, to make a smooth lump. Continue to add more rice flour ½ cup at a time and mix till you have a smooth, soft ball which is not sticky.
2. To test, cool a small lump and see if it can be flattened easily on the palm into a pliable thin disc. If it is sticky, ad more flour. Cover the dough with a wet cloth to prevent it from drying while you prepare the filling.

Coconut Kozukottai

Ingredients
Coconut - 1 big
Powdered jaggery - ½ cup
Cardamom powder - ¼ cup

Method
1. Grate the coconut finely.
2. Mix jaggery with ¼ cup of water, stir over a low flame till dissolved. Strain through a thin cloth.
3. Place the liquid on fire a boil till it forms a thick syrup.
4. Add coconut and cook till the mixture is firm enough to shape into balls.
5. Add cardamom powder and allow to cool.

For Covering
1. Sift the rice flour to ensure that there are no lumps. Boil 4 cups of water with 1 tsp salt
and 2 tsps of oil (preferably gingelly oil) remove from fire, add 2 cups of flour, stirring the mixture well with a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon or churner, to make a smooth lump. Continue to add more rice flour ½ cup at a time and mix till you have a smooth, soft ball which is not sticky.
2. To test, cool a small lump and see if it can be flattened easily on the palm into a pliable
thin disc. If it is sticky, ad more flour. Cover the dough with a wet cloth to prevent it from drying while you prepare the filling.

Steamed Modak

Ingredients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Water - 2 cups *
Salt - ½ tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
For Filling
Grated coconut - 4 cups
Powdered jaggery - 2 cups
Roasted poppy seeds - 2 Tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
* The quantity of water may vary slightly according to the quality of rice flour.

Method
1. Boil the water with salt, sugar and oil.
2. Add the rice flour and cook on a slow flame till it forms one lump like a soft dough.
3. Cool slightly and knead with greased hand till smooth. (The dough should be pliable but not sticky. If it is too stiff, dip your hand in hot water while kneading the dough. If it is too sticky,
sprinkle a little rice powder and cook a little longer.)

For Filling
1. Combine coconut and jaggery and stir over a low flame till the jaggery melts and the moisture from coconut is absorbed.
2. Add the other ingredients.

To make the modak
1. Take a lime size ball of the dough on your left palm.
2. Flatten into a small poori, with the edges thinner than the centre.
3. Place a little filling in the centre and gather the edges in pleats and bring them up to enclose the filling, making a conical shape.
4. Prepare all the modaks thus and steam for 15 minutes.