Cross from Maharashtra into Tamil Nadu and the modak becomes kozhukattai. Same dumpling, same coconut and jaggery inside, but the shape changes: no twenty-one pleats, just a smooth teardrop closed neatly at the top. Plainer, and somehow more serious for it.
The filling is called poornam and it is worth making properly. Melt the jaggery in a little water and strain it before it goes near the coconut, because jaggery almost always carries grit. Cook the two together until the mixture turns glossy and pulls away from the pan, then let it cool completely. Warm filling inside warm dough is how kozhukattai split in the steamer.
Ten go on the plate for Pillaiyar before anyone in the house eats one.
Everything you need for this recipe is on the shelf at One Place Bazaar, delivered to all 32 counties. See the rest of our Ganesh Chaturthi recipes.
