Mawa Modak Recipe For Festive Bliss: Melts-In-Mouth Modaks Made Easy

When the festival arrives, you never notice how the whole year went by, and the time flies so fast that it becomes hard to keep up. Amid chores and preparation for the festival, you hardly get enough time to prepare treats for the whole family. And the festival arrives sooner than you think. With no rest and only work, it is almost impossible to prepare treats like modak in a large batch since it requires so much preparation, and you have to make it fresh every day, or else it will go bad. Unlike the treats made for Diwali, which can be stored up to a week, Ganesh Chaturthi treats need to be made fresh every day for the ten-day prasad. A day-old treat doesn’t taste as good as the freshly made ones. This is because treats like modak have a moist filling inside, which goes bad easily.

This is why you need a simple recipe that can be made quickly and does not require an intricate or time consuming process. This article is exactly about it. Introducing a fun and easy way to make modak at home, this recipe is made using mawa or khoya as the base. Mawa Modak, also known as Khoya Modak, is a quick, rich, and delicious variation of the traditional modak. Unlike the steamed or deep-fried version, this one does not require any type of flour and a long cooking process. It only requires you to cook mawa with a few ingredients and then shape it like a teardrop using a mold or with your hands. By preparing this mawa modak recipe, you can create a soft and melt-in-mouth prasad for Ganpati Bappa and make a large amount in a short time. Follow the mawa modak recipe below and prepare it at home for this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Easy Mawa Modak Recipe For Ganesh Chaturthi:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mawa / khoya (unsweetened, crumbled or grated)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp ghee (for cooking)
• 1 tbsp chopped pistachios or almonds
• A few saffron strands

Method:

Step 1: Cook the Mawa

Heat 1 tsp ghee in a non-stick or heavy-bottomed pan. Crumble mawa and add it to the pan. Cook on low heat while stirring continuously for about 5 to 7 minutes until it becomes soft and aromatic. The mawa will start to lose some fat or ghee. Once cooked, turn off the flame and let it cool down enough to handle.

Step 2: Add Sugar and Flavor

Once the mawa has cooled down a little bit and is still warm, add powdered sugar and cardamom powder. Make sure not to add sugar while the mawa is hot, or else sugar will melt and make the mixture thin and runny instead of thick and stable. Soak a few strands of saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk and mix them into the mawa mixture. Saffron will bring a bright color and floral flavor to modak. If you don’t have saffron, you can skip this step.

Step 3: Shape the Modaks

Grease the inside of your modak mold with a little ghee. Take a small portion of the mawa mixture and press it into the mould. If you want, add a tiny bit of chopped nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and cashews in the center for a surprise texture. Even dry fruits like raisins, date puree, etc., will go well as the center. Seal with a little more mixture, press gently, and unmould carefully. Filling the center is completely optional but highly recommended since it gives modak its classic vibe of hiding a filling inside. Plus, the dry fruits and nuts bring a delightful flavor and bite to the creamy modak.

If you don’t have a modak mold at home, you can also shape modak with your hands. For this, roll a small ball of the mixture and shape it like a teardrop or a small cone. Use your fingers to create gentle pleats. Creating pleats is optional, but it brings the modak vibe to the dessert. Garnish the top with a sliver of pistachio, silver vark, or a few saffron strands.

Step 4: Let Them Set

Place the modaks on a plate or tray. Refrigerate for 30–40 minutes to help them firm up slightly. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Tips for storage:

1. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeping it refrigerated preserves the flavor and freshness for a long.
2. Best consumed within 2–3 days for freshness. Keeping it for long will end up making it taste spoiled.