NEIVEDYAM RECIPES FOR GANESH CHATURTHI

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is starting from the 18th of September, so here are some Neivedyam recipes which are usually prepared as a neivedyam(prasadam), these are the lords favourites.

These are the items prepared in Kerala Iyer / Tamil Brahmin households.
Vella Kozhakattai
This recipe is prepared on Vinayaka Chathurthi day.
Rice Flour - 1 cup
Coconut scraping - 1 cup
Jaggery (gur) - 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tea spoon
Method
Boil half cup of water with a pinch of salt and mix rice flour
Stir well, remove from fire
Keep a deep pan on fire with coconut scraping and jaggery
Stir well and remove after it leaves the sides of the pan; keep it aside for cooling
Knead the rice flour mixed with hot water and make small cups with the dough
Make small balls with coconut scraping and jaggery (Purnam)
Keep the purnam balls inside the cup of rice dough ;close the cups
Arrange the Kozhakattai (5-6)in a plate and steam cook in a cooker for 10 minutes
Serve hot
Tips : The same preparation can be made as savoury by Keeping any cooked vegetable (Aloo subji) or any paruppu usili as poornam inside the cup of rice dough

Ellu Kozhakattai
Ingredients
For Dough
2 cups rice flour
1 tbsp oil
A pinch of salt
For Filling
1 cup white sesame seeds
1 cup jaggery (powdered)
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Prepare a dough as for Vella Kozhakattai, and set aside. Roast sesame seeds till pink. Grind to a fine powder along with jaggery. Add ghee and mix well. Now take a small portion of dough and with greased palms, pat into a disc. Put a small portion of filling in the centre. Fold over the edges and make a half circle. Press the edges well. Similarly make all Kozhakattais and steam.

Ammini Kozhakattai
Ingredients
5 cups rice flour (rice shouldbe soaked for six hours, drained& pounded into fine flour)
1/2 coconut (shelled & chopped fine) salt to taste
For Seasoning
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp black gram dal
2 red chillies 8 green chillies(cleaned & chopped)
2 sprigs curry leaves(cleaned & chopped)
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan and add mustard seeds, black gram dal, red chillies and asafoetida powder. When brown, add green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for a minute and add 4 1/2 cups water and salt. When water boils, add rice flour and coconut pieces. Cook on a low fire, stirring continuously till batter leaves sides of the pan. Cool and form tiny balls. Steam till done.