Sweet potato modak, a colorful version of kozhukattai, made by using purple sweet potato and yellow ones for outer dough and a simple coconut sweet stuffing.

Ganesh Chaturthi festival around the corner and you are planning to try some unique modak recipe? Try this colorful sweet potato modak!
To browse all the recipes that you can try for this festival, check out my Ganesh chaturthi recipes post.
Somehow dragged until today to post. I had this idea of making colorful kozhukattai with sweet potato dough.
Though I had a different one in my mind, suddenly thought of making mooncake molds. Just to make it even more pretty.
You can use any modak mould or even jelly mold to shape this one. No mold?
Use the traditional way of making modak/ kozhukattai. This is not the plain kozhukattai we make.
With sakkaraivalli kizhangu, it has more nutritional value, fiber in it comparatively. Also the main concept is using the colorful sweet potatoes.
I thought of using the orange sweet potato, but wrongly picked up the yellow ones. Used a pinch of turmeric for brighter color.
So choose your favorite color in the vast variety of the available sweet potatoes and impress your kids and family/ friends. Recipe inspired from here.
Related links
Check my other Kozhukattai recipes.
Recipe card
Sweet potato modak
Ingredients
- ½ cup sweet potato cooked & mashed
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon kozhukattai flour or idiyappam flour
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Salt
Stuffing
- 1 cup coconut grated
- ¾ cup jaggery powdered
- 2 cardamom
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon ghee
Instructions
Stuffing
- For stuffing, heat powdered jaggery with very little water. Mix well to melt.
- Filter to remove any impurities.
- Heat coconut, jaggery syrup in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Cook until the syrup thickens and mixture gathers together.
- Add cardamom, a pinch of salt and ghee before switching off and mix well.
For dough
- Peel, wash and cut the sweet potato into cubes. Steam cook for 15 mins or until soft through inside.
- Take the cooked sweet potato in a mixing bowl. Mash well.
- Add kozhukattai flour (use idiyappam flour or rice flour, if not available), salt, oil and mix well.
- Add hot boiling water, just a little to make a dough. Knead well smoothly.
- Prepare both purple and yellow version same way. I used a pinch of turmeric for yellow one.
- Take a large lemon size ball of the dough and knead to smooth it.
- Flatten to a thick, palm sized disc. Place the mixture about 1 tablespoon in centre.
- Gather the sides to cover the stuffing carefully. Seal & roll to smooth ball.
- Place it in a mould and shape it. I used my mooncake mould. You can use any modak shape or even jelly moulds to shape.
- Steam for 5 - 7 minutes. I used my idli pot and placed the modak in bamboo steamer. You can use idli plates too. Just grease it and place the modaks. Repeat to finish.
Video
Notes
- For both the colour sweet potatoes, it is the same procedure.
- Make sure to mash the sweet potato really smooth or even use a mixie to grind smoothly.
Use really hot water for making the dough. But handle carefully. - Keep the dough, prepared modaks and cooked modaks, always covered.
- Eye appealing, yet no compromise in taste! Enjoy hot.
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Sweet potato modak method:
1. For stuffing, heat powdered jaggery with very little water. Mix well to melt.
2. Filter to remove any impurities. Heat coconut, jaggery syrup in a heavy bottomed pan.
3. Cook until the syrup thickens and mixture gathers together. Add cardamom, a pinch of salt and ghee before switching off and mix well.
4. Peel, wash and cut the sweet potato into cubes. Steam cook for 15 mins or until soft through inside. Take the cooked sweet potato in a mixing bowl. Mash well.
5. Add kozhukattai flour (use idiyappam flour or rice flour, if not available), salt, oil and mix well.
6. Add hot boiling water, just a little to make a dough. Knead well smoothly.
7. Prepare both purple and yellow version same way. I used a pinch of turmeric for yellow one.
8. Take a large lemon size ball of the dough and knead to smooth it. Flatten to a thick, palm sized disc. Place the mixture about 1 tablespoon in center.
9. Gather the sides to cover the stuffing carefully. Seal & roll to smooth ball. Place it in a mold and shape it. I used my mooncake mold. You can use any modak shape or even jelly molds to shape.
10. Steam for 5 - 7 minutes. I used my idli pot and placed the modak in bamboo steamer. You can use idli plates too. Just grease it and place the modaks. Repeat to finish.
Eye appealing, yet no compromise in taste! Enjoy hot.
Sujatha
Loved this creativity n choice of ingredients Raks.. you rock ..
Raks Anand
Thank you very much 🙂