Modak

Steamed rice flour and coconut sweet

Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 35 min
Serving Size 4
Recipe Type Microwave Oven

The Maharashtrian delicacy, Ukdiche Modak, is central to celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi as Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweetmeat. Legend says that Anusuya, an ancient saint’s wife, invited Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha to her house to seek their blessings. Different kinds of food could not satisfy Lord Ganesha until Anusuya served him a modak. His stomach was full, and he burped, just as Lord Shiva burped 21 times. This led to the practice of preparing 21 modaks as an offering to Lord Ganesh. These steamed dumplings are made with rice flour dough, filled with a luscious mixture of grated coconut and jaggery, and infused with aromatic cardamom.

Ingredients

For Stuffing:
½ cup Jaggery
1 cup Freshly Grated Coconut
¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
Chopped Almonds & Cashew Nuts 2 tbsp
For Modak Dough:
1 cup Water
¼ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ghee
1 cup Rice Flour
For Modak Steaming:
3-4 Turmeric Leaves
1 tsp Ghee for greasing

Method

In a shallow pan, add all the ingredients for the stuffing and mix.
Place this mixture on a moderate flame and cook until the jaggery sweats and dries the coconut mixture.
Once the filling is moist and not runny, remove it from the flame and let it cool.
To make the modak dough, add all the ingredients except rice flour to a deep kadhai, place it on a high flame, and let the water boil.
Once the water starts boiling, add the rice flour. Reduce the flame to the lowest and continue stirring the mixture until the water is completely absorbed and the rice dough is formed.
While the dough is hot, cover the kadhai with a lid and let it rest for 5 minutes. Move the dough to a working table and knead well.
Divide the rice dough into small spheres weighing 15 gms approx.
Gently press the rice dough into the modak mould.
From the opening of the modak mould, fill the stuffing (approx 1.5 tsp) and seal the open end with rice dough.
Add water sufficient to fill the bottom of the deep skillet by 2 inches.
Grease a perforated colander with ghee and line it with turmeric leaves.
Heat water in a skillet on high flame, and cover with a lid.
Once all modaks are placed on the colander, place the colander on the skillet and cover with a lid.
Steam the modaks for 10 to 12 minutes. After steaming, allow the modaks to rest for 5 minutes.
While removing, dip the modaks in cold water and place them on a clean banana leaf.
Open the mould delicately and break open the modak. Serve hot with ghee poured on top.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

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