Modak

A modak is a sweet dumpling popular in western and southern India. The sweet filling inside a modak is made up of fresh grated coconut and jaggery while the soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with maida. I have used only rice flour here. The dumpling can be fried or steamed. I love the steamed ones. Modak is believed to be Lord Ganesha's favourite food.

Ingredients


Oil for greasing the steaming plates.

For outer layer

Rice flour – 1 ½ cup + ¼ cup extra (for sprinkling while rolling the dough into chapattis)
Salt – a pinch
Ghee - 2 tsp
Hot water as needed.

For filling

Fresh grated coconut – 1 cup
Grated jaggery – ½ cup (you can add some more if you want it sweeter)
Green cardamom powder - a pinch


Method

Take rice flour in a bowl. Add hot water salt and ghee and mix it into dough. Keep it aside.


Mix coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder and keep it aside.

Now make small chapattis of the dough by sprinkling some more rice flour on it so that they don’t stick and place it on the modak mold  Put some filling into it and press the mold from both the ends so that the mixture inside gets sealed.

Carefully take it out on a plate. Repeat this process for the rest of the dough and filling mixture.

Now place the modaks on greased idli stand and steam it for 5 mins.


My Notes

ü  The dough should not be wet or it would stick to the mold and would be difficult to take it out.

ü  Use some extra rice flour to sprinkle while rolling the dough into chapattis. The dough needs to be soft and dry and should not stick to your hand.

ü  I steamed it in a pressure cooker without whistle

ü  I could steam only four modaks at a time because it was not possible to put all the idli plates’ one on the other. It would press the modaks and might break it.

ü  You can even combine crushed roasted peanuts instead of coconut to make the filling.