Ragi Millet Uppu Kozhukattai With Sundal Puranam

RAGI UPPU KOZHUKATTAI | RAGI BLACK EYED PEAS STUFFED SAVORY MODAK | KELVARAGU KAARA SUNDAL PURANA KOZHUKATTAI. This was one among the kozhukattai I made for Vinayagar Chaturthi this year. Do refer the below picture for the festival spread I made on that day. I also shared the prasadam for 4 families surrounding us on that day. Not only them my family members also liked the kozhukattai varieties I made that day. My friends asked

the recipe for several modaks and especially the ones I made using millets. I am yet to share the link (have to share this recipe after publishing it). we have to offer god for at least three days, So immediately the next day after the festival, I prepared some kozhukattai. This ragi based sweet and savory was there among those varieties because we are hooked with the taste. The last picture was clicked after sharing prasadam with neighbors.

I make this recipe on and off as a neivedhyam on auspicious days. You can see my 2018 Instagram post with these millet kozhukattai HERE below. Would you like to know what I cook day to day? then do check my Instagram Page.

Before Covid we go to near by temple and make clay Ganesha for the festival. Or sometimes we buy clay and do Ganesha at home. Do check this below Instagram post for our first handmade Ganesha’s picture.

This year in last minute we were gifted with few beautiful clay Ganesha’s (refer picture below) by our next street friend. With planned prasadam menu and unplanned gifts our Ganesh Chaturthi Pooja went so well and I hope the same from you too.

How I planned and made 11 Kozhukattai varieties in a day

On this year Ganesh Chaturthi festival I made 11 kozhukattai varieties. I preplanned the dishes I am going to make and did some work before the festival day.

• Roasted ingredients like peanut, sesame needed for the filling a day or two days before the festival.
• Melted Jaggery with water, filtered impurities then kept in the fridge a day ahead.
• Grated fresh coconut a day ahead and stored in freezer.
• For millet based kozhukattais and red rice kozhukattai i soaked the rice, powdered and kept ready the previous day.
• Also soaked chana for sundal , early morning on the festival day before start making the other kozhukattai varieties.
• Also cleaned the entire house and pooja items a couple of days before the festival.
• On that day I kept the lunch simple and finished lunch a little earlier before the usual lunch time.

• Before lunch I prepared all the filling and after lunch I made rice based and millet based modak outer dough.
• My kids joined me after finishing their virtual school at 3pm. I taught them how to use modak and they did perfectly.
• They made both ragi and regular purana kozhukattai varieties (yeah I have lot of moulds so it was helpful).
• My son was rolling ammini kozhukattai as fast as fast he can and he rolled two balls at a time for ammini kozhukattai and paal kozhukattai (will share the video in another post).
• By that time I did all red rice and millet pidi kozhukattai varieties.
• While shaping modaks I covered the finished ones with wet cloth so not to dry until steaming.
• Once done with shaping I steamed the shaped modaks and at the same time prepared sundals as well…
• Hubby after his office work, joined us in plating and arranging the pooja items.

So at the end of the day we had a peaceful pooja followed by a tasty treat 🙂

• Ellu Poorana Kozhukattai
• Jaggery Paal Kozhukattai
• Ragi Peanut Palm Jaggery Purana Kozhukattai
• Black Eyed Peas Sundal
• Ammini Kaara Kozhukattai
• Thengaai Purana Kozhukattai
• Ragi Savory (Uppu) Kozhukattai, current recipe
• Red Rice Pidi Kozhukattai (Recipe Later)
• Red Rice Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai (Recipe Later)
• Thinai Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai (Recipe Later)
• Vellai Sundal | Chick Pea Sundal

Uppu Kozhukattai Ingredients

Yields 13-15 Modaks

Millet Outer Dough Version 1 Ingredients

Ragi Flour – 3/4 Cup
Salt – 1/4tsp
Water – 1.5 Cups
Sesame Oil – 1 Tbsp Plus More for Shaping Modaks

Millet Outer Dough Version 2 Ingredients

Ragi Flour – 3/4 Cup
Salt – 1/4tsp
Water – 1 Cup
Cumin Powder – A Pinch
Sesame Oil – 1 Tbsp Plus More for Shaping Modaks

Refer Black Eyed Peas Sundal Recipe for Stuffing Used exact ingredients to this recipe

Here I described a technique to make outer dough but with two different water proportions and a slight variation in the making process. Also there is an another way of making dough by mixing flour with boiling water in a wide bowl until it reaches a stiff dough. It’s described already in Ragi Idiyappam Recipe. In this method if water is not hot you may end with uncooked and non pliable dough (it breaks when you shape). If you add more water while mixing then you have to follow the first method to fix the dough ie cook on stove for few minutes to get a stiff dough.

Lets go with the easy method for beginners which uses Instant millet flour. The dough prepared using this method is very flexible to work while shaping the kozhukattai using mould or without mould.

Millet Uppu Kozhukattai Outer Dough First Version

• In a wide pan add flour, salt (Pic 1) and water.
• Make a lump free millet batter (Pic 2).
• Bring this mixture to boil in medium flame by stirring the batter (Pic 2).
• Once the batter starts bubbling (refer video) then it starts to thicken very quickly so keep an eye.
• At this stage continue stirring, you may use wire whisk and non stick pan to ease this process.
• I have a very clear video tutorial for this process which is a key for the right kozhukattai consistency.
• Do check the video tutorial at the bottom of this post.
• The millet batter thickens quickly like shown in Pic 3 & 4.
• Do keep stirring from this point in low flame by adding sesame oil (Pic 4).
• Oil helps not to burn the ragi dough at the bottom of the pan and prevents forming lump.

• Continue stirring until it reaches a non sticky dough.
• All the moisture should evaporate and form a stiff dough (Pic 5).
• Let it cool at room temperature meanwhile you can prepare the stuffing.
• When the outer dough is warm apply oil to your palm and knead to soft pliable dough (Pic 6).
• The dough should not be sticky and gooey after kneading otherwise cook again and bring to that consistency.

Millet Uppu Kozhukattai Outer Dough Second Version

• Add water, oil, salt and cumin powder (optional) to a pan (Pic 1) and bring it to boil (pic 2).
• When water comes to rolling boil (pic 3) do reduce the flame and add the ragi flour.
• Do sprinkle flour like shown in Picture 4 and while adding keep stirring with your other hand ( Pic 4, like we do for upma).

• The water ratio for this method is low compared to the first version, so it thickens and become a stiff dough very soon (pic 5).
• While its hot do stir well and break the lumps if any in the dough (Pic 6).
• Let it come to room temperature, meanwhile prepare the savory filling to stuff.

How to Stuff and Shape Millet Uppu Kozhukattai

• Prepare the stuffing you want and keep it ready.
• Mash the sundal slightly with the ladle (pic 1) or do pulse in the mixie.
• You can pulse entire sundal to coarse texture or make half of the sundal to coarse texture.
• But don’t stuff whole peas as it is, its tough to work with whole peas, also tastes good when you mash slightly.
• Grease the plates with oil or ghee to place shaped modaks and keep it ready (like shown above).
• Either pinch the stuffing and make oval (for stuffing in the mould, like shown above ) or round balls to manually shape the kozhukattai.
• Grease your palm and the mould with sesame oil and position it closed.
• Take a small lemon size outer dough and insert it into the mould evenly without any gap (pic 2) i.e should not see inner mould.
• Also press dough with a finger to get good mould impression on your kozhukattai (Pic 3 & 5).
• Now gently stuff the prepared savory sundal filling in to it (Pic 4).

• Take a pinch outer dough and seal the bottom of mould with it.
• Gently open the mould and release the stuffed millet kozhukattai (Pic 5).
• I have shown demo on how to shape the kozhukattai without using mould in the video tutorial please do check it.
• Arrange the shaped kozhukattai / modaks over greased idli or steamer plate (Pic 6).

How to Steam Millet Uppu Kozhukattai

• Add water to Idli or steamer pot, close the idli pot with lid and bring to boil.
• Meanwhile arrange the shaped Kozhukattai/modaks in the idli plates greased with oil or ghee.
• When water comes to rolling boil do place the idli plates carefully inside the pot.

• Again cover the pot and the modaks steam for 5 minutes in high flame.
• Once modaks are done they look shiny on top.
• Let it sit at room temperature for 3-4 minutes before taking out from the plates.
• Can serve immediately or arrange in hot pack till you eat.

How to Steam Millet Uppu Kozhukattai in Instant Pot

• Layer the kozhukattai placed plates on steamer stand or idli stand (Pic 1).
• Add water to Instant pot inner pot and set sauté mode high (Pic 2) by closing the IP with glass lid (Pic 3).
• Let the water comes to boil, once its boiling do cancel the sauté option (Pic 3).

• Place the steamer stand gently in to the boiling water (Pic 4).
• Cover it with lid by pressing the steam release button down ie steam mode (refer picture 5) or check the video tutorial.
• Pressure cook high for 5 minutes in steam mode using manual timer (use manual timer for steam mode, refer video).
• Once done, remove the lid, kozhukattai looks shiny as shown above & step by step Picture 6.
• Serve piping hot tasty millet kozhukattai immediately.

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