Modak recipe – Modak is a Maharashtrian stuffed sweet dumpling served to Lord Ganpati as his prasad for the Ganesh Chaturthi. According to Hindu Puran Lord Ganesha is named Modakapriya for his immense love towards Modak. In our old Sanskrit language, this sweet is also called Modakam. Though it has a traditional connection with Maharashtra but popular in other Indian states too with different names. Such as Modhaka in Karnataka, Modhakam, or Kozhakkattai in Tamil Nadu and Kudumu in Andhrapradesh.
Today I’m presenting the recipe of the traditional version of this modak called ukadiche modak. In marathi language “Ukadiche” means steamed so it can be described as steamed modak too. As its dough is made of rice flour so it can be called rice flour-based steamed or ukadiche modak. It’s an easy recipe of ukadiche modak and which can be prepared with mould and without mould.
Here I’ve used a very unique or innovative method instead of using regular steamed modak recipe. As I First used khoya, grated coconut, jaggery, ghee, chopped cashew and almonds for making its stuffing. Secondly used a perfect ratio of nutmeg powder and cardamom powder for flavouring of the filling of this sweet dumpling. And lastly, for making a soft dough, half cup milk is used with water, salt and ghee. Must follow all of my tips and tricks to know each and every detail of this recipe.
Ganesha Chaturthi is the special worshipping day of Lord Ganesh, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Ganapati is the God of wisdom and brilliance and also known as Vighnaharta who demolishes all obstacles of our life. For the last 12 years, I have been worshipping Lord Vinayaka(one of his 108 names) in my House. We bring the idol of the Lord for Sthapana and welcome him with aarti Vandana and the shower with flowers. For the last 3 years, I have been preparing this special ukadiche modak on the day of ganesh chaturthi. So this year I decided to share the recipe of my special stuffed modak.
Modak is pretty similar to our Bengali puli pithe or sweet dumpling. Where grated coconut and date palm jaggery stuffing are wrapped up in a rice flour dough which we generally serve in our Bengali festival “Pous Sankranti”. But the shape and taste of both are quite different.
This year must try this special Modak recipe for Ganpati Bappa’s puja and let me know your valuable comment in the comment section below.
You can even try my other festival sweets or indian sweets in this festive season, Malpua recipe, Tri color sweet barfi recipe, doodh peda recipe, and Gajar ka halwa recipe, milk powder gulab jamun recipe.
Happy Ganesha Chaturthi to all of my friends, May Lord Ganesha brings good luck and happiness to you and your family.
Modak recipe | Special recipe of modak for ganesh chaturthi
Ingredients of modak
For the modak’s stuffing
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 2/3 cup jaggery
- 1/2 cup khoya
- 10 cashew nuts
- 10 almonds( finely chopped)
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 pinch of nutmeg powder
- 2 tsp ghee or clarified butter
For making the dough of modak
- 1 cup of rice flour
- 1 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 1 hr
Served in: 1hr 10 mins
Course: Festival sweet/Indian dessert
Cuisine: Indian(Maharashtra)
No. of Servings: 12-14
Author: Moumita Paul
How to make modak(ukadiche or steamed) recipe
Instructions
Stuffing of ukdiche modak
- Place a pan on medium heat and make it hot.
- Add 2 tsp ghee to it and add the coconut to the pan. Mix it well with ghee.
- Add jaggery to the pan mix it nicely. Let it completely meltdown and nicely mixed with coconut.
- Then add khoya to it and mix it well.
- Add dry roasted finely chopped cashew and almonds to the pan.
- Finish this stuffing by adding 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and 1 pinch of nutmeg powder to it. Mix it nicely.
- Turn off the heat and remove the filling from the pan.
- Cool it down completely.
Making of soft rice flour dough
- Take a vessel with 1 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 tbsp ghee to it.
- Place the vessel on the heat.
- Add salt in it and bring it to boil.
- When it starts boiling, slow down the flame to minimum heat.
- Add the rice flour to it and mix it quickly to make it lump-free.
- Stir the mix well for 2 mins and turn off the heat.
- Cover the mixture for 8-10 mins.
- Remove the mix on a plate, which was greased with little ghee.
- Start kneading the mixture with hand, as it is still hot enough, do it carefully. Turn it to be a soft dough.
- Now rice dough and coconut stuffing are ready for folding the modakam.
- Prepare some equal size balls from the dough and keep the balls aside.
Modak without using mould:
- Greased your palms, take a ball, and press its center down with your thumb finger.
- Slowly press its edges from both sides with fingers to make the edges thin.
- Make a deep-wide hole from the center. It looks like a bowl.
- Put 2-3 tsp stuffing in its center.
- Again grease your fingers with ghee to fold it nicely.
- Press a portion of its edge, just imagine you are making a mouth of Diya or Deepam.
- The same way makes 6-10 Diya or Deepam mouth along its edges, as much as possible.
- Then first, slightly press down the stuffing with the thumb finger.
- And take all the Diya or Deepam mouth together and gently join them by a slight twist.
- Then press its mouth with your fingers to seal it perfectly.
Modak using mould:
- First, grease the inner wall of the modak mould with ghee.
- Then, put a little dough into this mould.
- Grease your pointer finger to make a deep hole and press the dough towards the mould wall to get the prominent shape of that mould.
- Put some coconut stuffing into the hole and then seal it with a little portion of dough.
- Seal it perfectly, to make sure that the stuffing should not come out in any way.
- Slowly open the mould and take out the modak from the mould.
- Modak is ready with mould, repeat the process till all the batches aren’t done.
How to steam modak in a colander
- Take a bowl with 1 1/2 cup of water and place it on the heat. Bring the water to boil.
- Grease the colander with ghee and spread some beetle leaves or banana leaves or moist cloth on the bottom of the colander.
- Place the modaks into the colander and cover it with a tight lid. Slow down the flame.
- Steam it for 8-10 mins and the same way steam all the modaks.
- Cooldown the modaks and serve it to Ganapati Bappa first.
Tips for making this steamed sweet
- Good quality superfine rice flour is required to make this recipe. Even you can make the rice flour with your own at home.
- Even you can moist your fingers with little water too while folding and sealing the modakam with its edges.
How to make modak(with and without mould)
Making the fillings of ukadiche modak
- Take a pan and place it on medium heat and make it hot.
- Then first add 2 tsp ghee to it and add the coconut to the pan. Mix it well with ghee.
- Add jaggery to the pan mix it nicely. Let the jaggery completely melt down and incorporated into the coconut.
- Now add khoya to it and mix it well.
- Then add dry roasted finely chopped cashew and almonds to the pan.
- lastly, add 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and 1 pinch of nutmeg powder to it. Mix it nicely.
- Turn off the heat and remove the stuffing from the pan and keep it on a plate to completely cool down.
Making rice flour dough for modaks
- First, take a vessel and place it on the heat.
- Add 1 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup milk and 1 tbsp ghee to it.
- Now add the salt to it and let it boil.
- Once it starts boiling, slow down the flame to low heat.
- Then add the rice flour to it and mix it quickly to make it lump free.
- Stir it well for 2 mins and turn off the heat.
- Cover it and keep it aside for 8-10 mins.
- Remove the mix from the pan and keep it on a plate which is greased with little ghee.
- Start kneading it with hand, as it is still hot enough, do kneading carefully. Turn it to be a soft dough.
- Rice dough and coconut stuffing are ready for folding the modakam.
- Make equal size balls from the dough and keep the balls aside.
The shape of modaks without mould
- If you don’t have moulds, don’t need to worry. You may easily shape these Modaks just using your hands.
- First, grease your palms with little ghee. Then take a ball on your palm and press its center down with your thumb finger. Now first slowly press its edges from both sides with fingers to make the edges thin and make a deep-wide hole from the center. It will look like a bowl.
- Place 2-3 tsp stuffing in its center. Then again grease your fingers with ghee before folding it.
- Now press a portion of its edge with your thumb and other fingers, just imagine you are making a mouth of Diya or Deepam. The same way makes 6-10 Diya or Deepam mouth as per your choice. As shown in the pic.
- Now first slightly press down the stuffing with the thumb finger. Then take all the Diya or Deepam mouth together and gently join them by a slight twist. And then press its mouth with your fingers to seal it perfectly. Then the cone-shaped modak will be ready with many pleates on its shell or cover.
How to shape modaks with mould
- Take the mould, grease its inner part with ghee.
- Now put a little dough into this mould.
- Next, grease your pointer finger and make a deep hole and spread the dough towards its(mould) wall to get the prominent shape of that mould. Obviously, we don’t need much thick cover for this sweet dumpling.
- Fill the hole with coconut stuffing and then seal it with a little portion of dough. Seal it perfectly that the stuffing should not come out in any way.
- Then slowly open the mould and take out the Modakam from the mould.
- Modakam is ready. Repeat the process for making all the batches.
Steam modakam without a steamer:
- If you don’t have a steamer for making this sweet don’t worry I have an easy solution.
- Take a bowl with 1 1/2 cup of water and place it on the heat. Let it boil.
- Then take a colander, grease with oil or ghee. Here I’ve spread some beetle leaves on the bottom of the colander. You can apply banana leaves too.
- Now simply place the modaks in the greased colander and cover it with a tight lid. Slow down the flame.
- Then Steam it for 8-10 mins. After 10 mins remove this steamed sweet and the same way steam all modakam.
- Serve these modaks to Ganapati Bappa on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganapati Bappa Morya.
