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 territ ...
n
dumpling made from
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...
, with a filling of grated
coconut,
jaggery, 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 jagge ...
. 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 (க ...
'' is a similar dish made in other parts of India. This is a popular dish prepared during the
Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Preparation
The dish is prepared by mixing grated coconut with
jaggery syrup, placing it inside dumplings of rice flour, and steaming the dumplings.
Ghee, 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
Atta/Ata (Urdu: ; Hindi: , Bengali: আটা, romanized: Āṭā) or chakki atta is a wholemeal wheat flour, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used to make flatbreads such as chapati, roti, naan, paratha and puri. It is the most widesprea ...
(instead of
rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...
) and grated coconut is a staple breakfast among some groups.
Popular culture
In
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, 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 Deva_(Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in Ganapatya sect. His image is ...
and is prepared as an offering (''
naivedhya
200px, Prasad thaal offered to Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad ">Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Ahmedabad">Swaminarayan temple in Ahmedabad
Prasada (, Sanskrit: प्रसाद, ), Prasadam or Prasad is a religious offering in Hinduism. Most ...
'') 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
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels. Palm Sunday marks the first day of Hol ...
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 with tea or coffee.
''Kozhukkattai'' is an important part of several natal customs of the
Sri Lankan Tamil 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, 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
See also
*
List of Indian sweets and desserts
This is a list of Indian sweets and desserts, also called ''mithai'', a significant element in Indian cuisine. Indians are known for their unique taste and experimental behavior when it comes to food. Many Indian desserts are fried foods made wi ...
*
Thennai Kozhakkattai
Thennai kozhukkattai is a sweet dumpling dish, popular in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in India.
Preparation
It is typically prepared on special occasions, and involves significant preparatory work, usually involving the entire family. Th ...
*
Manda pitha
*
Momo (dumpling)
Momo is a dish with origins from Tibet. They are bite-size dumplings made with a spoonful of stuffing wrapped in dough. Usually steamed, though they are sometimes fried or steam-fried. The dish has spread to China, Nepal and India.
Origin
Momo ...
*
List of dumplings
This is a list of notable dumplings. Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources) wrapped around a filling, or of dough with no filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour or pota ...
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