Traditional Ukdiche Modak Recipe for Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth

(This article is from The Quint's archives and has been republished to mark the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.)

Ingredients:

2 cups Basmati rice flour
A pinch of salt
Oil for greasing
2 cups scraped fresh coconut
1 tablespoon ghee
1 cup grated jaggery
A pinch of green cardamom powder
A pinch of nutmeg (jaiphal) powder
1 tablespoon roasted poppy seeds (khus khus)

Method:

To prepare stuffing, heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Add jaggery and stir till it melts.

Add coconut, lower heat and mix well. Add cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and poppy seeds, mix well and cook till the coconut turns golden brown. Transfer on a plate and cool to room temperature.

Boil 2 cups water with salt in a non-stick pan. Add rice flour, lower heat and keep stirring for a minute. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle some more water, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Repeat this process once more.

Transfer the mixture to a large plate and knead till the dough is completely smooth and pliable. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into balls. Grease your palms with some oil and spread each ball to form a bowl. Fill with a portion of the stuffing, pleat the edges and gather them together to form a bundle. Pinch to seal the edges at the top.

Heat sufficient water in a steamer. Place the prepared modaks on a greased perforated plate and steam for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe: Chef Anupa Das
Camera: Chintamani Wagh and Divya Talwar
Edit: Veeru Krishan Mohan
Producer: Divya Talwar