Ukadiche Modak Recipe

Ukadiche Modak

Ganapati festival feast is synonymous with Modak. Lord Ganesha’s favourite food…Taste it and you know why!!!

Majority of the households in Maharashtra make these beautifully shaped (the shape can only be called as-Modak shape, no other shape describes it better!!) mouthwatering Modak during Ganesh festival

I have very fond memories associated with Modak. When I was at my mom’s place ,on Ganesh Chaturthi (first day of Ganesh festival) my Mom would make the dough for the Modaks and since it has to be shaped and filled when hot, we all -my father, brother and myself- would help her make the Modaks.It was a fun family activity! I have this beautifal picture embedded in my memory forever!

To make about 10-12 Modaks:(Recipe source…obviously my Mom)

Ingredients:
For the cover:

1 cup fine , fresh Rice flour

1 cup water

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp oil

For the filling:
 

1 cup freshly scrapped Coconut-only the white portion

1 cup crushed jaggery

2 tsp Khuskhus (poppy seeds) roasted

Method:
 First make the Stuffing. Put the Coconut and jaggery in a heavy bottom pan and cook on medium flame, stiriing in between. Cook till the jaggery melts and the mixture becomes homogenous. Add the roasted poppy seeds and cook for few more minutes.Remove from heat and allow it to cool.


 

(You can also add raisins, saffron and cardamom to the mixture if you like.)

Now make the rice flour cover.The cover has to be made a bit carefully. So keep aside all your other jobs and take 1 cup water in a pan and boil it. Once it boils add salt and oil to it . Add the rice flour immediately with one hand and stirring the mixture continuously with the other.Take care that no lumps are formed in the mixture.Cover for 1-2 minutes. Remove the dough on a flat surface and knead well with your hands while still hot…You can apply a little oil  to your hands to avoid the dough from sticking.

This is a very important step. You have to knead the dough properly to avoid the cover from cracking. Now take a small lemon sized ball from the dough and keep the remaining dough covered with a cotton cloth in the pan.(The remaining dough should not be allowed to cool)…This is where extra help is welcome…

Flatten the small ball shaped dough with both your hands like a puri.Don’t make it too thin. Now hold the flat dough in your left hand and add the coconut stuffing.Apply little oil to your right hand and pinch the edges of the flattened dough at 4-5 places,like this:

  

Bring them together to join them at the centre of the Modak. Shape resembles that of garlic bulb from top(I am not supposed to say garlic,especially since the Modaks are made for God…but I couldn’t find any other analogy!!)

Repeat this prpcess for the remaining dough and make more Modaks before the dough cools down. If you are alone you can guess how fast you have to make it!!!

After all the Modaks have been made steam them.Take a steel sieve.Grease it with oil. Keep the Modaks one by one in it taking care that they do not stick to each other.

Keep this sieve on a steamer(You can use a deep vessel with 1/3rd water.) Cover the Modaks and cook for about 12-13 minutes.

Congrats..You have just made one of the most delicious ,traditional Maharashtrian Sweet!

Top each hot steaming Modak with Ghee generously ( You will need the ghee after all the hard work.) Offer them to God….and don’t waste any time putting the entire Modak in your mouth…Blissful isn’t it…Worth the effort??? Of course it is!!!

Another recipe

Ukadiche Modak are my absolute favourite things to eat in this universe! The maxim of 'no gain without pain' holds 100% with regards to preparing them. The bliss of eating modaks you have had a hand in preparing is unparalleled. Modaks are Lord Ganesha's favourite eatable, not without reason, and so they are usually made during the Ganapati festival. The bland english name is sweet steamed rice dumplings - nowhere near justice. As with most sinful things, don't bother if you are going to worry about calories.
Amazing ukadiche modak to be eaten with loads of pure desi ghee. The first target is one dozen. Read on for the photo recipe.

Lots of nice fresh coconuts	My messy grating. Don't grate too much, take only the whites
Grate loads of jaggery	Condiments - Nutmeg (Zayphal) powder, Cardamom powder, Saffron, Kismis
Grated jaggery and coconut - ratio 2.5:4	Cook over slow flame till watering and you get consistent final 'saaraN'
Add condiments and this is 'saaraN'. This can be stored for later in a fridge	For the riceflour dough boil 3 units water and 1 unit milk. While boiling add 4 tbsp oil.
The real thing, riceflour. Sakas's Modak special works very well :)	Add in 4 units riceflour and a bit of salt to the boiling water+milk+oil. Do NOT stir. Poke holes, cover securely and let it steam in it's own heat. The proportions above and here need to be exact.
Take the above 'ukad' and knead into a dough. The more you break your back and knead, the matter. Crush all globules of course. Do not use too much water. Make flat round puris, add in generous amounts of saaraN, and fold into the traditional shape	The traditional shape. There are moulds available for consistent size and shape. But this is more fun. Keep the edges of the puris thin and consistent
The cooking apparatus. A large vessel 1/3rd filled with water and a thin cloth covering the mouth tied with a string. Start boiling the water while the dough is being made into the raw modaks	Place raw modaks on the cloth, dipping the base in water. Cover with a vessel and steam for 15 minutes
Get out the banana leaf, hope someone else has made a few other items and taste changers :). You will need these to achieve the one dozen modak aim

Decorative modak