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Pillayarpatti mothagam

Among the South Indian prasadam made in temples, Pillayarpatti mothagam holds a special place. Try out this easy recipe for Ganesha Chaturthi.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
cooling time for the dough. 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine gluten free, Indian, South indian
Servings 25 balls

Equipment

  • Steamer
  • Spice mill

Ingredients
  

To roast and powder

  • 1 cup Raw rice
  • 1/4 cup Moong dal

for jaggery syrup

  • 3/4 cup jaggery
  • 2.5 cups water

Additional ingredients

  • 3 tbsp coconut
  • 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
  • 2 tbsp ghee ( used only for greasing, can swap for coconut oil)
  • 1/2 cup hot water ( use only if the rice absorbs water too fast)

For the steamer

  • 2-3 cups drinking water

Instructions
 

For the jaggery syrup

  • Pound the jaggery cubes and add a cup of water and set it aside to dissolve.
  • Strain the soaked jaggery for impurities. add more water and set it to boil.
  • Keep skimming the top as the impurities appear further.
  • The consistency we need for this recipe is just boiled not thickened.

For the roasted flour mix.

  • In a frying pan , dry roast the rice and the moong dal.
  • Once the rice appears opaque and the moong dal slightly browned, remove this mix and set it aside to cool.
  • Coarsely powder this mix and set it aside.
    rice dal mix.

To make the mothagam.

  • Add the coarsely powdered mix into a larger pan and add the jaggery syrup.
    rice and jaggery syrup
  • Keep at medium heat and let this come to a boil.
  • Contiously stir as the mix cooks in the jaggery syrup.
    cooking pillyarpatti mothagam.
  • As the mix cooks the water will be absorbed, add some boiling water only if needed.
  • Once the rice and dal cooks and the mix become thick, add teh coconut and cardamom powder.
    pilllayarpatti mothagam mix.
  • Mix well and let it come to luke warm so you can handle the mix.

To steam the mothagam.

  • Grease the steamer plates with a bit of ghee or coconut oil.
  • Grease your palms and make lime sized balls of the cooked and cooled mix. ( be careful, can be hot)
    lime sized ball.
  • Place the balls on the steamer plate.
  • Steam the readied balls in a single layer in the steamer for 15 minutes.
  • Let it stand for another 5 to 10 minutes.
    steamed Modak ready
  • Remove the mothagams from the steamer and serve hot.
    Pillayarpatti mothagam south indian prasadam.
Keyword Indian desserts, steamer recipe, Temple prasadam
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