Ganesh Chaturthi Modak Special

Ganesh Chaturthi is here and so are the sweets. Here's a homemade modak recipe from writer Manjiri Prabhu and her sister, advocate Sonia Prabhu.

Ganesha, the elephant God, is about to arrive, and what is a better way to welcome him than with a plate of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth modaks? Here is a traditional modak recipe from the dynamic sister duo behind the Pune International Literary Festival. Writer Manjiri Prabhu (Also known as the Indian Agatha Christie for her crime thrillers) and advocate Sonia Prabhu share their modak magic. 

Ingredients for the saran or filling for the Modaks:

2 cups grated Coconut 

1 cup Jaggery 

(Half the quantity of the coconut) 

Half teaspoon cardamom powder 

1 teaspoon of pure ghee ghee

1 teaspoon Poppy seed or khas khas

Ingredients for the Modak cover /Dough mixture:

1 cup Milk

1 cup Water

2 cups Rice Flour

1/4 spoon of ground Sugar

1 teaspoon pure ghee

Pinch of Salt

Procedure for making the filling:

Heat one teaspoon of ghee in a pan. Add the grated coconut and stir for some minutes, then add jaggery and continue stirring for five minutes or until it dries. Now add one teaspoon of khas khas and cardamom powder. Extinguish the flame and remove the saran/filling from the gas.

Tip - To ensure that the mixture remains soft, do not stir it too much or overheat it.

Procedure for making the dough:

Boil the milk and water together. 

Add one teaspoon of pure ghee, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 spoonful of ground sugar. Once boiling, add two cups of rice flour and stir well for a minute, so it becomes pasty. Remove from flame and cover the dough. Let it rest for four to five minutes. 

Tip - don't allow the dough to cool. It needs to remain hot

Now knead the dough till it becomes soft. Let it rest for another five minutes. 

Now take a small portion of the dough (puri size) on your palm and pat it into a flat shape like a puri. With your fingers, press the puri sides into tiny pleats. Add a spoonful of the filling, gently gathering the pleats at the top and pressing them to seal. 

Steaming the modaks:

Take two glasses of water in any utensil and keep the steamer on it. Grease the steamer with ghee and place the modaks in the steamer for steaming. Cover the utensil and steam for 10 minutes. 

A few useful tips

To test if the modak is cooked, touch it, and if it sticks to your fingers, it needs to be steamed more. 

On the other hand, you have to ensure that the modak is not overcooked either, because then it will become hard. 

Arrange the batch of steaming hot modaks on a plate and top them with dollops of ghee. Finally, your modaks are ready to eat.

Do you have some modak recipes of your own to share? Tell us in the comments below and we shall add them here.

Images courtesy: Unsplash