Kozhukkattai ( tam, கொழுகட்டை) or kozhukatta ( ml, കൊഴുക്കട്ട) is a popular

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, fi ...

made from rice flour, with a filling of grated

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

jaggery Jaggery is a traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is a concentrated product of cane juice and often date or palm sap without separation of the molasses and crystals, and can ...

, or

chakkavaratti Chakkavaratty, Chakka Varattiyathu, Chakka Varatti, Jackfruit Preserves or Jackfruit Halwa is a type of food made from jackfruit. The seeds are removed from the fruit and it is cut into small pieces. The fruit is then cooked with ghee and jaggery ...

. Kozhukattai, although usually sweet, can sometimes be stuffed with a savory filling. It is also prepared by Kerala Christians on the Saturday prior to Palm Sunday and the day is hence called Kozhukatta Saturday. ''

Modak Modak (Marathi: मोदक; Japanese: 歓喜団; Thai: โมทกะ or ขนมต้ม; Malaysian: Kuih modak; Indonesian: Kue modak; Burmese: မုန့်လုံးရေပေါ်), also referred to as Koḻukattai (கொழ ...

'' is a similar dish made in other parts of India. This is a popular dish prepared during the

Ganesh Chaturthi Ganesh Chaturthi (ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and p ...

festival.

Preparation

The dish is prepared by mixing grated coconut with

syrup, placing it inside dumplings of rice flour, and steaming the dumplings.

Ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

, cardamom, finely ground roasted rice flour etc. may be added to enhance the taste and flavour of the filling. In Kerala, a variant of kozhukattai made with atta flour (instead of rice flour) and grated coconut is a staple breakfast among some groups.

Popular culture

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, the dish is traditionally associated with the Hindu God

Ganesha Ganesha ( sa, गणेश, ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka, and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is found throughout India. Hindu d ...

and is prepared as an offering ('' naivedhya'') on the occasion of

Vinayaka Chathurthi Ganesh Chaturthi ( ISO: ), also known as Vinayak Chaturthi (), or Ganeshotsav () is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha's clay idols privately in homes and ...

. It is prepared by Kerala Christians on the Saturday prior to Palm Sunday and the day is hence called Kozhukatta Saturday. In

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, it is also eaten as an evening

snack A snack is a small portion of food generally eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snacks are p ...

with tea or coffee. ''Kozhukkattai'' is an important part of several natal customs of the

Sri Lankan Tamil Sri Lankan Tamils ( or ), also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, live in significant numbers in the Eastern Pr ...

community. In northern Sri Lanka, there is a custom involving dumplings whose edges are pressed to resemble teeth being dropped gently on a baby's head while the family wishes for the infant to develop healthy teeth. In eastern areas of Sri Lanka such as

Amparai district Ampara ( si, අම්පාර, ta, அம்பாறை) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. Hi ...

, a smaller version called ''piḷḷai kozhukkaṭṭai'' is prepared by female family members for an expectant mother about four months after conception. These sweets are commonly exchanged at weddings as auspicious symbols of "plump" health and fertility.

Making

Image:കൊഴുക്കട്ട ഘട്ടം1.jpg, Flatten the rice dough Image:കൊഴുക്കട്ട ഘട്ടം2.jpg, Fill with the mixture of jaggery and coconut Image:കൊഴുക്കട്ട ഘട്ടം3.jpg, Close the dough Image:കൊഴുക്കട്ട ഘട്ടം4.jpg, Mold it into the shape of a ball

References

External links

Recipe for making kozhakattai

Kozhukattai in Tamil literature
{{Dumplings Indian desserts South Indian cuisine Kerala cuisine Foods containing coconut Dumplings Konkani cuisine Hindu symbols

Preparation

Popular culture

Making

See also

References

External links