Modak’s many avatars

The favourite snack of Ganesha comes in many shapes and sizes. Here are some varieties to try out this festive season

Traditional Steamed Modak

Ingredients

Water - 3 cups nRice flour - 3 cups

Grated Coconut - 3 cups

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cup,

Oil / Ghee - 1 tsp nCardamom Powder - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

In a pan, heat some water. Add salt and ghee, add the rice flour and mix everything well. Switch off the flame and cover it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes spread the mixture in a bowl and allow it to cool. In a pan, heat some oil. Then add grated coconut and jaggery. Mix well till the jaggery melts completely. Then add cardamom powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Remove the flour mixture into a flat bottom pan and knead the dough well.

Take out lemon-sized balls of the dough and shape it into a small roti with your fingers. Apply oil to your palms so that the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands. Fill the small roti with the coconut filling leaving some space for folding it.

Pinch the outer covering with your fingers into small pleats and then fold them up. Join them and cover the filling completely. Make all the modaks like so and keep them aside. For cooking, fill 1/4th of the steamer with water. Cover it with the lid.

If you are using a pressure cooker, don’t put the vent valve. Let the modaks steam for 10 to 15 minutes and they are ready. You can also serve them with ghee.

Recipe Courtesy- Ruchkar Mejwani

Dry Fruits Modak

Ingredients

Almonds - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 3 tbsp

Dates, seeds removed and roughly chopped - 8

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Desiccated coconut - ½ cup

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Water, if needed - 1-2 tsp

Method

Take almonds and cashews in the jar. Pulse it to grind coarse powder. Now add dates, raisins and dry coconut. Again pulse it to make a coarse mixture. Now add ghee.

Again start pulsing and it should come together like a dough. If not then you can a teaspoon of water at a time, pulse and see. Remove the mixture to plate. Grease the mould using ghee and start shaping into modak. Usually, keep the mould close, start stuffing and pressing tightly from the bottom hole. Then smooth out the bottom surface and after that, open and unmould.

Recipe Courtesy – Kanan Patel

Wheat Flour Modak

Ingredients

Ghee – 1/2 cup

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Pista, finely chopped – 1 tsp

Almond, finely chopped – 1 tbsp

Cashew nut, finely chopped – 1 tbsp

Desiccated coconut – 1 tsp

Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp

Jaggery – 3/4 cup

Oil/ghee for greasing

Method

To make Wheat Flour Modak, take a kadhai and add ghee and let it heat on low to medium flame. Add wheat flour and mix well.

Roast until golden and aromatic. Stir it continuously on low to medium flame to avoid burning.

When the mixture becomes golden and aromatic, add finely chopped pista, finely chopped almond, finely chopped cashew nut and desiccated coconut.

Mix well until it binds and turn off the flame. Do not let it cool completely. Add cardamom powder and jaggery. Add jaggery little by little and mix well. Grease the mould with ghee.

Take small portion of mix and fill in the mould. Open the mould gently and demould it. Wheat Flour modak is ready to serve.

Recipe Courtesy – Cook with Parul