Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai | Chana Dal Modak

Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai / Chana dal modak with step by step pictures and lots of tips. This Kozhukattai is a must in my home every year for Ganesh Festival and it’s loved by everyone. I always prepare this inner stuffing (kadalai paruppu pooranam) in bulk and use it for Puran Poli, Suzhiyan and Sweet Paratha too. This stuffing stays good for 10 to 12 days under refrigeration, so you can prepare it in advance and minimize your workload during the festival time. Ok, let’s go the preparation….

Check my other  Modak / Mothagam / Kozhukattai Recipes like

• Thengai Poorana Kozhukattai
• Kara Pidi Kozhukattai
• Sweet Pidi Kozhukattai
• Spicy Mini Kozhukattai
• Ganesh Chathurthi Recipe Collection

Chana Dal Modak

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Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai | Chana Dal Modak

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai is a must for Ganesh Festival and it's loved by everyone. The stuffing stays good for 10 to 12 days under refrigeration, so you can prepare it in advance and minimize your workload during the festival time.

Course: Ganesh Chathurthi Recipes, Snack

Cuisine: South Indian

Keyword: Chana Dal Modak, Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai

Servings: 20 Modak

Author: Priya Santhamohan

Ingredients

For the Channa Dal Pooranam (Inner Stuffing)

• 1 Cup Chana Dal / Bengal Gram / கடலை பருப்பு
• 1.5 Cup Water / தண்ணீர்
• 1 Cup Jaggery / வெல்லம்
• 2 tbsp Grated coconut / துருவிய தேங்காய்
• 3 to 4 Cardamom / ஏலக்காய்
• 2 tsp Ghee / நெய் Link for Homemade Ghee

For the Outer Dough

• 1 Cup Rice Flour / Idiyappam Flour
• 1¼ Cup Water / தண்ணீர் As Needed
• Salt / உப்பு As Needed
• 2 tsp Gingelly Oil / நல்லெண்ணெய்

Instructions

For the Channa Dal Pooranam (Inner Stuffing)

1. First, measure and keep all the ingredients ready and soak channa dal in water for 2 hours. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a vessel and add the channa dal.

2. Just cook the channa dal till soft, but not mushy (press between your fingers to check). You can also pressure cook for 4 whistles in 1 cup of water. Drain the water completely. Once it cools down, transfer the chana dal to a mixer.

3. Grind it coarsely in pulse mode, just once, don't make it to a paste. To a pan, add the ground channa dal and powdered jaggery.
4. In another pan, add 2 tsp of ghee, add grated coconut and crushed cardamom. Roast till nice smell wafts. Then add it to the channa dal - jaggery mixture.

5. Make small balls with the pooranam (inner stuffing).

For the outer dough

1. keep all the ingredients ready.

2. Take a large bowl, add rice flour with salt. Pour boiled water little by little to the rice flour.

3. Mix with the ladle, once slightly cooled, add oil and knead with your hand till soft and smooth. Also, cover the dough with a damp cloth to avoid dryness. Take the Modak mould and grease with little oil. Stuff little dough into the mould and use your fingers to spread it.

4. Place the pooranam inside the mould and seal it. Now open the mould gently and de-mould the modak.

5. Grease an idli plate/steamer with oil and place all the modaks carefully. Steam if for 8 to 10 minutes and the modaks looks shiny and it's done now. Give a resting time of 5 minutes and then remove the kozhukattai.

Recipe Notes

Tips for Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai

For the Channa Dal Pooranam (Inner Stuffing)
1. Always soak the channa dal for minimum 2 hours, else it won't get cooked properly. 
2. I cooked the channa dal separately in an open pot. You can also pressure cook it for 4 whistles. 
3. Ensure the channa dal is just cooked but not mushy. It should hold the shape after cooking. 
4. Also, grind the channa dal coarsely just once in pulse mode. Never grind it to a paste.
5. Adjust jaggery as per sweetness required for this Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai.
6. I used pure jaggery powder, so didn't filter. If you doubt, the jaggery you use is impure, filter it and then add it to the ground channa dal.
7. This pooranam stays good for 10 days under refrigeration. Always prepare this pooranam first and then prepare the outer dough.

For the outer dough

1. Use good quality homemade riceflour or readymade idiyappam flour to get soft kozhukattai.
2. Ensure to make the dough till smooth without any cracks.
3. If the dough is dry, the kozhukattai breaks and turn hard, so knead again with enough water.
4. If the dough is sticky (more water content), the kozhukattai cannot be shaped, to  troubleshoot it, knead it with little gingelly oil.
5. Always keep the dough covered with a damp wet cloth till use, to avoid dryness.
6. Also make the outer covering of the Modak as thin as possible or else the Mothagam becomes thick and harder.

Kadalai Paruppu Pooranam Kozhukattai

Method for Chana Dal Modak

For the Channa Dal Pooranam (Inner Stuffing)
1. First, measure and keep all the ingredients ready and soak channa dal in water for 2 to 3 hours. Boil 1.5 cups of water in a vessel and add the channa dal.

2. Just cook the channa dal till soft, but not mushy (press between your fingers to check). You can also pressure cook for 4 whistles in 1 cup of water. Drain the water completely. Once it cools down, transfer the channa dal to a mixer.

3. Grind it coarsely in pulse mode, just once, don’t make it to a paste. To a pan, add the ground channa dal and powdered jaggery.

4. In another pan, add 2 tsp of ghee, add grated coconut and crushed cardamom. Roast till nice smell wafts. Then add it to the channa dal – jaggery mixture. Mix everything till it becomes thick.

5. Make small balls with the pooranam (inner stuffing). For the outer dough, keep all the ingredients ready.

6. Take a large bowl, add rice flour with salt. Pour boiled water little by little to the rice flour.

7. Mix with the ladle, once slightly cooled, add oil and knead with your hand till soft and smooth. Also, cover the dough with a damp wet cloth to avoid dryness. Take the Modak mould and grease with little oil. Stuff little dough into the mould and use your fingers to spread it.

8. Place the pooranam inside the mould and seal it. Now open the mould gently and de-mould the modak.

9. Grease an idli plate/steamer with oil and place all the modaks carefully. Steam if for 8 to 10 minutes, the modaks looks shiny and it’s done now. Give a resting time of 5 minutes and then remove the kozhukattai.

Try this Chana Dal Modak Recipe along with Black Channa Sundal for this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Chana Dal Modak Recipe