Chocolate Modak with Bournville Surprise Filling

Modaks are often seen as traditional sweets made during festivals, especially for the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. But this version gives them a modern makeover where instead of the usual filling stuffing, they are filled with tiny bits of Bournville dark chocolate inside and out outside with a surprise center of chopped cashews and more chocolate. Like the smaller modaks, which are not steamed, like Ukadiche modaks, these modak with cashews and Bournville center, are soft, sweeter than usual with a slightly chewy, and almost melt-in-your-mouth quality, with every bite. You don’t need any special occasion to make them, just an excuse to treat yourself, family or friends, when you want something different for dessert.

Modak with Cashews and Bournville center

Ingredients:

For chocolate modak:

• 1 cup Mawa crumbled, grated mawa
• ½ cup Bournville dark chocolate (keep some for center)
• ⅓ cup cashews, finely chopped.
• 2 tbsp sugar, adjust to taste
• ⅛ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp oil or butter or ghee for greasing the moulds or as required

For garnish:

• 3-4 pistachios, chopped finely, optional
• 5-6 rose petals, optional

Instructions:

1. Making the chocolate and mawa mixture: Measure and set aside all the ingredients, ready for the dish.
2. Grease the modak molds with a bit of melted butter or ghee or oil. Set aside.
3. Heat a nonstick pan on low heat, then add the crumbled or grated mawa into it. Stir on low heat for 1 minute. It should start melting within 2 minutes, if not less.
4. Once the mawa melts, add the sugar, and stir until mixed.
5. Quickly break down the Bournville bar, set aside some for the surprise center and add the rest into the mawa.
6. As the chocolate starts melting, keep stirring continuously, keeping it on low heat, until all of it has melted and incorporated into the maw mixture, evenly.
7. Once the mixture starts thickening, keep stirring and then add the cardamom powder, and keep at it, until the mawa mixture starts to leave the edges of the pan. You should see the mawa mixture bunch into a ball or lump. Do not overcook or it will turn chewy and dense!
8. Transfer the chocolate mawa into another bowl or plate. Set aside to cool slightly.
9. To make the chocolate modak, wait until the mixture you just made is warm to the touch and doesn’t scald your hands. Pinch out small portions of the chocolate dough and roll each portion into a neat ball between your palms. Keep in mind these go into the mold.
10. Press one small ball into the greased modak mold, poke your finger into the center and press a small piece of the Cadbury Bournville dark chocolate into the cavity. Also add a little bit of the finely chopped cashews.
11. Press the modak. Release the shaped modak from the mold. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the rest of the chocolate pieces.
12. Arrange the chocolate modaks over a plate greased with melted butter or ghee or oil.
13. Keep them sitting at room temperature, especially if your kitchen is hot for the chocolate inside to melt a little.
14. Garnish the modaks with rose petals, and top with finely chopped pistachios, almonds or walnuts. These modaks can be refrigerated and served later as a sweet treat to family and guests.

Tips & Tricks

• Fresh mawa melts quickly and blends smoothly with the chocolate, so, if your mawa is store-bought and a little dry, you can soften it by microwaving it for a few seconds or adding a teaspoon of milk while heating it in the pan.
• Chocolate burns easily, even in mawa, so keep the heat low and stir constantly. You can also melt the chocolate separately using a double boiler or microwave, then stir it into the cooked mawa to avoid any risk of scorching.
• Let the cooked chocolate-mawa mixture cool until it’s warm, not hot. If it's too hot, it will stick to your fingers and may not hold shape well in the mold. If it’s too cold, it may harden and become difficult to press into the mold.
• A light layer of ghee, oil, or butter inside the mold helps the modak release without breaking or sticking. If you’re making a big batch, re-grease the mold every few modaks to keep the shapes perfect.
• While it’s tempting to add a lot of chopped cashews and chocolate, overfilling can cause the modak to break when shaping or pop open later. A small piece of chocolate and a pinch of cashews are just enough for that perfect bite.