Easy Homemade Modak Recipe: “A Sweet Treat for Ganesh Chaturthi”

Easy Homemade Modak Recipe: A Sweet Treat for Ganesh Chaturthi” Modak is a traditional Maharashtrian sweet dumpling often offered to Lord Ganesha during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It’s a delicious treat made with rice flour and a sweet filling of coconut and jaggery. Here’s a quick and easy recipe to make Modak at home.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice Flour
• Water 1 ½ cups
• Ghee/Oil ¾ teaspoon
• Salt ¼ teaspoon
• Coconut 1 cup (freshly grated)
• Jaggery 1 cup (finely chopped or grated)
• Cardamom powder1 teaspoon
• Nutmeg is Optional: ¼ teaspoon (grated),
• Poppy seeds ½ teaspoon

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Modak

1. Prepare the Filling: In a pan, mix together the grated coconut and jaggery. Cook this mixture on low heat until the jaggery melts completely. Then add in the cardamom powder (and nutmeg and poppy seeds if using). Continue cooking for a few more minutes before removing from heat and allowing it to cool.
2. Make the Dough: In a separate pot, bring water to boil. Add ghee and salt to this boiling water. Then lower the heat and gradually add in the rice flour while stirring continuously to avoid forming lumps. Cover this pot and let it cook on low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Once done, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
3. Shape the Modaks: Once your dough has cooled down enough to handle, knead it into a smooth dough. Take small portions of this dough, roll them into balls, and then flatten them out. Place some of your prepared filling in the center of these flattened pieces of dough. Then pinch their edges together to seal in the filling, forming a shape that resembles a flower bud.

4. Steam the Modaks: Finally, place your filled dumplings in a steamer and let them steam for about 10-15 minutes.

Instructions

1. In a pan, mix the grated coconut and jaggery. Cook on low heat until the jaggery melts completely.
2. Add the cardamom powder (and nutmeg and poppy seeds if using) to the coconut-jaggery mixture. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.

1. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil. Add ghee and salt to the boiling water.
2. Lower the heat and add the rice flour gradually, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
3. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let the dough cool for a while.

Remember It’s important to knead the dough while it’s still warm. If the dough appears too hard or dry, don’t hesitate to add a bit of warm water. Continue kneading until the dough becomes completely smooth and flexible. Once done, let the dough rest, ensuring it’s covered with a damp cloth.

Once the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it into a smooth dough.

1. Take a small portion of the dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it.
2. Place some of the coconut-jaggery filling in the center of the flattened dough.
3. Pinch the edges of the dough together to seal the filling inside, forming a shape like a flower bud.
4. Place the filled dumplings in a steamer and steam for about 10-15 minutes.

And there you have it – delicious homemade Modak!

You may also like to try this

Coconut Ladoo recipe with jaggery (sonalichoudhury.com)

Semolina (Sooji) Sweet recipe Sooji with coconut sweet recipe (sonalichoudhury.com)

---

Fun Facts About Modak

Did you know that Modak is believed to be one of Lord Ganesha’s favorite sweets? That’s why it’s traditionally made during Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival celebrating Lord Ganesha’s birth.

The word ‘Modak’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Modaka’, which means a piece of joy’. And indeed, these sweet dumplings are sure to bring joy to anyone who tastes them!

In Marathi, these dumplings are also known as ‘Ukadiche Modak’, which means ‘steamed Modak’. They’re also known by different names in other regional languages.

---

How do I steam the Modaks without a steamer?

Even without a steamer, you can still prepare Modaks using common kitchen items. Here’s a straightforward method:

1. Roll up three sheets of aluminum foil into balls roughly the size of a baseball.
2. Position these balls at the bottom of a large pot.
3. Fill the pot with about an inch of water.
4. Place a heatproof plate on top of the foil balls.
5. Arrange the Modaks on this plate.
6. Securely cover the pot with a lid that fits tightly.
7. Heat the water until it boils and let the Modaks steam.

Don’t forget to check the Modaks for doneness, as the exact steaming time can vary depending on their size and the type of steamer used. Enjoy your cooking!

Below are some other sweets that people love in Maharashtra, a state in India:

1. Puran Poli: This is a sweet flatbread. It’s made with flour and filled with a sweet mix of jaggery (a type of sugar) and chana dal (a kind of lentil). It’s flavored with cardamom, nutmeg, sugar, and ghee (a type of butter).
2. Malpua: This is a sweet pancake that’s fried until it’s crispy. Then it’s dipped in sugar syrup and served hot. It’s usually topped with crushed pistachio nuts and cardamom.
3. Chirote: This is a light and crispy pastry. After it’s fried, sugar is sprinkled on top.
4. Shrikhand: This is a sweet dish made from strained yogurt. It’s flavored with saffron and cardamom.
5. Basundi: This is a dessert made by boiling milk until it reduces. It’s flavored with cardamom and nutmeg.
6. Amrakhand: This is a version of Shrikhand.

Ganesh Chaturthi festival

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is known as the God of wisdom and success. This festival is celebrated all over India, especially in states like Maharashtra and Goa, and by people of Indian origin all around the world.

The festival starts on the fourth day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, which usually falls in August or September, and lasts for 10 days.

During this festival, people make clay statues of Lord Ganesha and place them in their homes or in public places. They perform special prayers and rituals and offer the deity his favorite food – a sweet dumpling called modak.

At the end of the festival, the statues are taken in a procession with music and dancing to a river or sea, where they are immersed. This symbolizes Lord Ganesha’s journey back to his parents, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who live on Mount Kailas.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a time of joy and celebration. It’s a time when people come together to celebrate new beginnings and wisdom and to remove any obstacles in their path.