Modak
Modak
Steam a dough of rice flour and hot water until pliable, shape into small cups, fill with a mixture of coconut and jaggery, pleat the edges together, and steam for about ten minutes.
Cook the grated coconut with jaggery on low heat till thick and slightly sticky. Flavour with cardamom powder. Let it cool completely before using to fill modak dough.
In a pan, combine grated coconut, condensed milk, cardamom and cook for a short time until it thickens. Shape into modak using a mould without the need of any dough or steaming at all.
Mix chopped dried fruits like cashews, almonds, and raisins with a little ghee and jaggery, and use this as a filling inside dough modak, or shape it directly into no-cook modak balls.
Rub ghee on a modak mold or your palms. Shape some of the dough or coconut mix with your hands and steam it for a short time in a covered pot with a steamer basket.
Cook the khoya gently with sugar and cardamom until it comes together. Shape into a modak using a mold, chilling briefly if necessary to help it hold its form.
You can cook the grated coconut and jaggery until thick and glossy. Then let it cooldown for some time and use as a rich, traditional stuffing for steamed or fried modak.
For the modak stuffing, you need to heat a heavy pan over low heat and stir together coconut, jaggery, and a pinch of cardamom until it binds and no longer sticks to the sides.
For chocolate variations, a good quality dark or semi-sweet cocoa powder works well blended into the modak dough, giving a rich flavor without affecting the dough's ability to hold its shape.
To fill the modak, the smoothest milk chocolate melts most evenly because it becomes soft and gooey once steamed, but not grainy or separating from the surrounding dough.