Rupascorner: Kozhukattai recipe

Hi All,
I am a great GANESHA devotee and every now and then I try bribing Him with kozhukattais!!
Though I have tried and tested various recipes for making Kozhukattai's , my Mom-in-law's is fool proof. She is an excellent chef and a wonderful home maker. Since my husband and Dad-in-law are great foodies and enjoy good variety food we women folk are always trying out new recipes all the time to please their gastronomical needs...
The success formula of my Mom's (MIL) cooking according to my Dad (DIL) is a potion of TLC (Tender Love & Care) which is added to the ingredients !!

My Mom's small tips have helped me learn a lot and avoid wastage !!
Here goes the Kozhakattai recipe...

Ingredients:Filling/Poornam # 1 : coconut poornam1 cup - Coconut, grated 1 ½ cup -Jaggery (2 if you want it even sweeter,I prefer 2)4-5 nos - Elaichi/Cardamom ** There is also another filling made out of Til (Seaseme seeds pwder) I am not too sure how to make it :(
Filling/Poornam # 2 : Uppu poornam (Salted)
50 Gms Urad dal (Whole or broken) ( for some 15 no's)
Salt to taste
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - grated ( Little)
Mustard seeds
Asefoetida” (Heeng) powder / Whole
Curry leaves

Method:
Soak the urad dal for 30 mins.
Grind Ginger, Greean chilles and the dal together coarsely in the mixer like a dough .(Do not add water too much ).
Steam this paste in pressure cooker or steamer for 15 - 20 mins.
Heat coconut oil (pref.) in a pan .
Add mustard seeds, one it splutters add Heeng and the steamed paste .
Add salt.
Mix it well and garnish with chopped curry leaves.
Once it cools it can be used a filling

For the dough:1 cup -Rice flour 2 cups - Water pinch of salt ½ tsp - Oil ( preferably sesame seed/gingili oil)Procedure:Coconut Poornam:Freshly grated coconut is the best for making the coconut filling. Take a wide pan and first add the jaggery with little water and keep the gas in low flame .Once the jaggery dissolves switch the gas and strain it and clean the pan .( Jaggery tends to accumulate dirt and stones sometimes,so it is better to be cautious as you dont want to be chewing small hillocks !!!) Again reheat the pan and add the strained jaggery solution now toss in the coconut and stir till the mixture thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add the elaichi powder and stir for another half a minute. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow it to cool. Freshly grated coconut gives this filling its best taste.
You can add a teaspoon of ghee to give it a better taste and to avoid the filling from sticking to the pan .(Optional)Dough: In a kadai/vessel bring two cups of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and 3-4 drops of oil to the water. Once the water comes to a boil, gradually add the rice flour. Hold the end of the ladle( reverse) in the center of the vessel while adding the flour and then stir continuously for 3 mins on a low flame and then turn off the heat. Try using the end of the laddle than the mout like a stick and keep mixing / stirring the flour in the water.(This will prevent formation of lumps )When the dough is still hot, transfer it to a plate and cover with a wet cloth and knead well to remove any lumps. The wet cloth is to shield your palms from the heat.Kozhakattai: Have some oil in cup and grease your hands as you make the kozhakattai. Take a lime sized ball of the dough and shape it into a cup with your fingers. First slightly flatten the ball on your palm like a disk, place your thumbs at the center of the disk, and the fingers on the outside and shape like a cup by moving the dough between your fingers.Put a spoon of the filling sweet or salt into the cups and seal it with the dough. You can either make them round or oval in shape. Steam cook the dumplings and serve.