Delight Your Guests with These Irresistible Modak Recipes

Introduction to Modak

Any Ganesh Chaturthi festivity is incomplete without modaks. After all, the sweet, dumpling-looking dessert is considered to be a favorite of the elephant god, and making an offering of it is said to bring an abundance of blessings. This time of the year is also when families and friends get together and partake in festivities that involve rituals and gorging on copious amounts of delicacies. Modak is a popular sweet delicacy of Indian festivals, especially Ganesh Chaturthi. It is offered to Lord Ganesha as a prasad, and its sweet stuffing and traditional preparation symbolize faith, family togetherness, and joy. Hence, these modak recipes have become an integral part of the Indian festival tradition. If you’re planning to host a get-together this festive season, you have to include modak in your dessert roster. Here are four recipes to get you started.

Ukadiche Modak Recipe

Ukadiche modak is a popular and favorite Ganesh Chaturthi sweet and holy offering. If you’re looking for a chewy, steamed modak that instantly melts in your mouth, you must try this easy modak recipe.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

• 75 gm coconut (grated)
• 125 gm jaggery (powdered)
• 1/2 tsp green cardamom seeds powder
• 1 tbsp white poppy seeds
• 5-6 cashew nuts (chopped)
• 1 tbsp raisins

For the outer covering:

• 650 ml water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ghee
• 135 gm rice flour

Instructions:

Making the stuffing:

1. Combine grated coconut and jaggery in a pan and cook it on medium heat till it turns thick and all the moisture has evaporated. This should take around 6-7 minutes.
2. Then add cashews, raisins, poppy seeds, and cardamom powder. Give it a good mix and cook for a minute.
3. Transfer the stuffing onto a plate and set it aside to cool.

Making the dough:

1. In a pan, bring water to a boil and add ghee. Keep the heat on a medium-low temperature.
2. Add rice flour and immediately start stirring to avoid any lumps. It should come together to look like dough.
3. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Make sure to stir the dough now and then.
4. Now, transfer the dough to a separate plate and let it cool.
5. Once the dough is warm or cool enough to work with, start kneading until the dough feels smooth and lump-free.

Putting it together:

1. Take a small portion of the dough into your hands; make sure to grease your hands with either ghee or water.
2. Gently press the ball to create a small disc. Continue pressing gently until you arrive at a 3-4 inch diameter circle.
3. Add 2-3 tsp of the stuffing in the center. Start pinching the edges to create pleats and a final pinch to seal the modak.

The steaming process:

1. Prepare your steamer; let the water come to a boil. Moisten your modaks too by brushing them with water
2. Line the base of your steamer with parchment paper, banana leaves, or muslin cloth. Arrange your modaks on this base.
3. On medium heat, steam the modaks for 13-15 minutes.
4. Before serving, drizzle ghee or saffron milk over the modaks.

Dry Fruits Modak Recipe

This no-cook dry fruit easy modak recipe takes only 10 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp almonds
• 3 tbsp cashews
• 8 dates (pitted and roughly chopped)
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 45 gm desiccated coconut
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1-2 tsp water

Instructions:

1. Grind cashews and almonds until you arrive at a coarse powder.
2. Add dates, raisins, and coconut and grind the mixture again.
3. Now add ghee to the coarse mixture and grind until it takes the form of dough. If the mixture seems too dry, you can add a little water to bring all the ingredients together.
4. Grease your modak molds with ghee and add small portions of the dough to each mold.
5. Your modaks are ready to be devoured.

Coconut Modak Recipe

Two decadent ingredients — chocolate and coconut — come together to create this sweet and chewy easy modak recipe. You can serve it with a cold glass of Oreo shake.

Ingredients:

• 180 gm desiccated coconut
• 118 ml + 2 tbsp condensed milk (sweetened)
• 115 gm Cadbury chocolate

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine desiccated coconut and condensed milk. Mix thoroughly so that it easily clumps together to form a ball. Otherwise, add a little milk.
2. Grease your modak molds with ghee and fill them with the stuffing.
3. Melt chocolate in the microwave until it looks smooth and shiny.
4. Once the chocolate has melted, let it cool a little before coating the modak. The chocolate must be warm but not hot to avoid making the modak soggy. After the modak has been dipped in the chocolate, make sure to remove any excess chocolate before setting it on a plate or parchment paper.
5. Dip one half of a single modak into the melted chocolate and keep it aside to set. Do this for the remaining modaks. You can also dip the modaks completely in the melted chocolate.
6. Allow the chocolate to set for an hour, or you could pop the modaks in the fridge to speed up the process. Once set, the chocolate should have a nice, glossy finish that contrasts well with the sweet, coconutty filling, making these the best modak recipes for festive serving.
7. You can also try creating this chocolate and mawa version.

Rava Modak Recipe

Also known as Ravyache Modak in Maharashtra, this velvety modak is infused with the sweetness of jaggery.

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:

• 75 gm coconut (grated)
• 100 gm jaggery
• 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder
• 1/2 tbsp white poppy seeds
• 4 cashew nuts
• 1 tbsp raisins

For the outer covering:

• 90 gm rawa
• 118 ml water
• 118 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp ghee
• 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

Making the stuffing:

1. On medium heat, cook coconut and jaggery till you get a thick mixture.
2. Add poppy seeds, raisins, cashews, and cardamom powder to this and mix well. Let it cook for a minute.
3. Set the stuffing aside on a plate to cool.

Making the dough:

1. Dry roast semolina for around 7-8 minutes, ensuring that it doesn’t brown too much or burn.
2. In another saucepan, combine water and ghee and let it come to a boil.
3. Add the roasted semolina to this and mix immediately — you’ll end up with a thick paste.
4. Continue stirring and cooking the mixture. In a few minutes, it’ll turn into a thick, dough-like consistency.
5. Set it aside to cool.
6. Once the dough is warm or cool enough to handle, knead it into a tight dough ball.

Making the modaks:

1. Grease your modak molds with ghee.
2. Take a small portion of the dough and insert it into the molds.
3. Your rava modaks are ready!

Tips for Perfect Modaks

Shaping Techniques

For beginners, lightly grease your modak mould with ghee before pressing in the mix. For hand-shaped, easy modak recipes, pinch and pleat the edges together to make a neater modak.

Steaming Tips

Steam the modaks over medium heat, leaving enough space between them so they don't stick together. Steam until the outer shell is tender yet firm, to avoid breaking or cracking.