Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Special Modak Recipe

User Reviews

5

16 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    30 mins

  • Shaping Modak

    40 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr 20 mins

  • Servings

    16 modak

  • Calories

    136 kcal

  • Course

    Dessert

  • Cuisine

    Indian

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Special Modak Recipe

Modak is a traditional Indian sweet dumpling featuring a soft rice flour outer covering and a sweet coconut-jaggery filling infused with cardamom and nutmeg. This recipe details making the moist stuffing by gently cooking grated coconut with jaggery and aromatic spices, then encasing it in a pliable dough made from boiled rice flour. The dough is kneaded until smooth and shaped around the cooled filling, resulting in delicate modaks cherished during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Description

The Ganesh Chaturthi Festival Special Modak Recipe combines a rice flour dough with a sweet stuffing made from coconut and jaggery, enhanced by spices like cardamom and nutmeg. The coconut and jaggery are cooked on low heat until most moisture evaporates, then mixed with a bit of rice flour to achieve the right consistency. The dough, made by boiling water with salt and oil before adding rice flour, is rested and kneaded to a smooth texture that can be molded easily around the filling. This preparation produces soft, flavorful modaks with a mildly sweet and spiced interior.

The cooking takes care not to overcook the stuffing, preserving its moisture balance. The dough's pliability allows for neat shaping of the modak, an essential aspect of their traditional appearance and texture. These modaks embody a staple sweet made especially for Ganesh Chaturthi, embodying cultural and festive significance.

Once assembled, modaks can be steamed or fried depending on the method chosen (not detailed here). Serving them fresh highlights the soft outer covering and fragrant sweet filling. This recipe focuses on the foundational preparation of dough and filling critical to authentic modaks.

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Ingredients

Servings

For outer covering

  • 1 cup rice flour or 200 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon neutral cooking oil or ghee, generic cooking oil
  • 1.5 cups water

For sweet stuffing

  • ½ teaspoon neutral cooking oil or ghee, generic cooking oil
  • ½ teaspoon poppy seeds - optional
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
  • 1 cup coconut or 100 grams, fresh grated
  • 1 cup jaggery or jaggery powder, 200 grams, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon rice flour - optional

Instructions

Making stuffing

  1. Heat a pan and reduce flame to a low. Add ghee or oil and then tip in the poppy seeds, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Fry for a few seconds until the poppy seeds start crackling. 
  2. Add the grated coconut and jaggery.
  3. Mix very well. On a low flame cook the coconut and jaggery mixture till there is less moisture in the mixture or for about 7 to 9 minutes. Do not overcook.
  4. Then add rice flour to this mixture which will help in absorbing any extra moisture.
  5. Let this mixture completely cool.

Making the dough

  1. Combine water, salt and oil in a pan or saucepan.
  2. Heat till the water comes to a boil.
  3. Lower the flame and add rice flour. As soon as you add rice flour then stir and mix well.
  4. Remove the pan from the stove-top and cover it with a lid.
  5. Rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
  6. Take the entire mixture in a large plate or board.
  7. Begin to knead it. Spread some water on your palms before kneading as the dough will be hot.
  8. Knead the dough really well. If the dough appears crumbly, dense or dry, then sprinkling a few teaspoons of warm water continue to knead.
  9. Pinch small portions from the dough and roll into small balls in the palms of your hand.
  10. Cover the balls with a clean kitchen towel.

Shaping modak with hands

  1. Spread some ghee or oil in your palms before shaping modak.
  2. Flatten the dough ball with your fingers to a round-shaped circle or a shallow bowl. Place a portion of the sweet stuffing in the center with a spoon.
  3. Pleat and press the edges. Bring all the edges on the top and gently press to seal the top. Get rid of any extra portion of the dough from the top. Make modak this way with the entire dough and stuffing

Shaping modak with mould

  1. Firstly spread some oil or ghee inside the mould. Then close the mould.
  2. Place the dough ball inside the mould. Then create a space inside by pressing the dough inside the mould.
  3. Add the sweet stuffing inside the created space.
  4. Close and seal the bottom with a small piece of the dough by flattening it.
  5. Open the mould and gently remove the modak.
  6. Make all modak this way by using any of the method - by shaping with hands or by using the mould. Cover with muslin or a clean kitchen napkin.

Steaming modak

  1. Take 2 to 2.5 cups water in a large pan and let it begin to heat on a stove-top
  2. Grease the steamer pan with some oil or ghee.
  3. Arrange all the modak neatly in the greased steamer pan keeping some space between them.
  4. Use a rack or steel stand and keep the steamer pan carefully on top of the rack. The water should have begun boiling in the pan.
  5. Cover with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.
  6. When the Modak are done, drizzle a bit of ghee on top. Serve Modak to Bhagwan Ganesha.

Notes

  • This recipe uses rice flour for the outer covering, which should be handled carefully while hot to achieve the correct dough texture.
  • The filling mixture requires careful cooking to reduce moisture but avoid overcooking, preserving the softness and flavor of the coconut and jaggery.
  • Cardamom and nutmeg powders are key to giving the stuffing its distinctive aromatic character.
  • Allow the stuffing to cool completely before filling the dough to prevent it from becoming too soft or breaking.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 136kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 25g (8%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Sodium 31mg (1%) Potassium 39mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Vitamin E 1mg Calcium 10mg (1%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 3µg Iron 1mg (6%) Magnesium 7mg (2%) Phosphorus 22mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16modak

Amount Per Serving

Calories 136 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 136kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 25g 8%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 31mg 1%
Potassium 39mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Vitamin E 1mg
Calcium 10mg 1%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 3µg
Iron 1mg 6%
Magnesium 7mg 2%
Phosphorus 22mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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