 Kozhukatta/kozhukkattai | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Region or state | Kerala andTamil Nadu |
| Associatedcuisine | India,Sri Lanka |
| Main ingredients | Gratedcoconut,jaggery |
| Similar dishes | mont lone yay baw,klepon,bua loi,khanom kho,tangyuan,modak |
Kozhukkattai (Tamil:கொழுகட்டை),Kozhukatta (Malayalam:കൊഴുക്കട്ട),kudumu (Telugu: కుడుము),Modaka (Kannada:ಮೋದಕ) is a popularSouth Indiandumpling made fromrice flour, with a filling of gratedcoconut,jaggery, orchakkavaratti. Kozhukatta, although usually sweet, can sometimes be stuffed with a savory filling.Modak is a similar dish made in other parts of India.
The dish is prepared by mixing grated coconut withjaggery 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 flavor of the filling. In Kerala, a variant of kozhukatta made withatta flour (instead ofrice flour) and grated coconut is a staple breakfast among some groups.
InTamil Nadu, the dish is traditionally associated with the Hindu GodGanesha and is prepared as an offering (naivedhya) on the occasion ofVinayaka Chathurthi. InKerala, it is popularly associated withOshana Sunday celebrations ofSaint Thomas Christians and among other Christians.[1] It is also eaten as an eveningsnack with tea or coffee.
Kozhukkatta is an important part of several natal customs of theSri Lankan Tamil community. In Northern and Eastern 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.[2] In eastern areas of Sri Lanka, a smaller version calledpiḷḷai 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.[3]
