Modak is a sweet dumplings made from rice flour offered as prasad to Hindu God Ganesha during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. It is also called Ukadiche modak in Maharashtra which means 'Steamed modak'. In this post, let's see how to make this easily at home especially with step by step images and video for beginners. In addition, I have shared two ways to prepare the dough, so you can adapt whichever is easy for you.
Very popularly prepared during the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi and offered as prasad.
I have already shared many other modak recipes in my website and also, do check out my Ganesh Chaturthi recipes collection post.
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🥟 About Modak
To begin with what it is, Modak is a sweet dumpling snack and there is a broad variety of dishes. Specifically, it has an outer covering which is usually made out of rice base in most cases.
This outer skin is furthermore wrapped around a filling sweet in most cases. There are also savory versions, but in Northern part of India it is majorly sweet filling.
Ukadiche modak in Marathi means steamed modak in English, so apparently, there is fried modak version too.
In south India, we call it kozhukattai (Tamil) as well as kozhukatta (Malayalam). In other words, in south India we too prepare a version similar during the festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi.
How to make Ukadiche modak
Prepare dough:
Firstly, prepare the dough with high quality rice flour (for softest results) and boiling water with little salt. Keep it covered while we make the stuffing.
Make stuffing:
Secondly, prepare the sweet filling by cooking jaggery and fresh grated coconut. In addition for flavor, add cardamom and ghee.
Shaping Ukadiche modak:
After you prepare dough and stuffing, once warm enough to handle the dough, divided into equal portions.
Then, grease your hands and make bowl shape and stuff with the prepared filling.
After that, seal the modak from top, to make it look like a fluted dumpling (pleated).
To illustrate how the shaping can be made in many decorative ways, below are few examples in creative ways:
- Mothagam (Simple & basic shape)
- Urad dal kozhukattai (Half moon shape with decorative edges)
- Peanut kozhukattai (Wrapped and steamed in banana leaf, Kueh inspired)
- Sweet potato modak (Mooncake inspired with mould)
Modak recipe without rice flour:
- Healthy modak recipe - (healthier versions comparatively) wheat rava kozhukattai, Khajur modak, millet pidi kozhukattai, Upma kozhukattai with milets.
- Mawa modak
If you are a beginner:
Of course it is not easy for beginners! So, you can either make a rough bowl shape and just make it smooth stuffed balls.
Or adapt a easier way such as using a mould. Mould makes the process of shaping hassle free as well as look pretty and uniform size. You can buy modak mould online shops or vessels shop.
Ganesh Chaturthi festival
This year, Ganesh Chaturthi festival 2022 is on 31st August, Wednesday. I have detailed post on how to celebrate the festival, do check it out.
🍚 Ingredients
Modak recipe ingredients
Ingredients are pretty simple for the Ukadiche modak recipe.
- Rice flour (good quality processed flour works best) or Idiyappam flour
- Raw rice or Basmati rice for method 2 (If you do not have good quality rice flour)
- Fresh grated coconut
- Jaggery - Recommend organic jaggery powder if you get it as it is less processed in chemicals.
- Cardamom
- Ghee (optional)
- Saffron (Optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
📖 Instructions
Modak dough preparation
Method 1
In this method, I have used store bought idiyappam flour as always I have been using for almost 17+ years now 😊
1. In heavy bottom vessel, bring 1 cup water to boil firstly. After that, add required salt, sesame oil to the boiling water.
2. Then lower the flame and add ½ cup rice flour to it mixing briskly.
3. It will get cooked and for a dough quickly. So keep mixing so that all the flour is incorporated.
4. Dough is formed, furthermore mix in mashing way to incorporate all uncooked white flour while the dough is hot.
5. This is how it should be, no dry white spots of flour.
6. Keep covered until warm enough to handle.
7. Once warm enough to handle, knead again to smooth it completely.
Method 2
Way 3
Thank you Shital Kanitkar for sharing this technique.
1. Take basmati rice in a bowl firstly.
2. Wash & soak 3 to 7 hours.
3. Once done, drain water completely and place in a mixie.
4. Grind silky smooth like milk. No texture should be felt.
5. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add rest of the water (½ cup), salt, sesame oil and mix.
6. Boil water in a saucepan.
7. Lower the flame. Keep the mixing bowl over it. Water should not touch the bowl. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
8. Scrap from bottom of the bowl. Hold the bowl with tongs.
Once dough is formed, take off the heat.
9. Mix in mashing way using the spatula itself.
Keep covered and set aside for 5 minutes.
10. Keep covered and set aside for 5 minutes.
After that, once warm enough to handle, knead to a smooth dough.
12. Dough ready!
Sweet stuffing for modak
1. Take jaggery in a pan and heat it with ¼ cup water in medium flame.
2. No need for syrup consistency, just dissolve it.
Once the jaggery melts, filter it.
3. After that, wash the pan and return the syrup to it with grated coconut, cardamom.
4. Cook furthermore in medium heat until the liquid is absorbed. Do not overcook or do it in high flame. It should slightly look moist with syrup so that later as it cools down, it will be right texture.
5. Add a teaspoon of ghee lastly and set aside to cool down. You can make equal sized balls for easily filling the modak.
6. Do not over cook. Switch off when there is still some moisture.
🥟 How to shape ukadiche modak
1. Grease you hands with sesame oil firstly. After that, take a ball of dough from the above prepared rice mixture and knead again to smooth it. Dip your hands in water if it is too dry or stiff.
2. Then, start thinning the edges resembling a flying saucer.
3. With your thumb above and other fingers below for support, press in the middle portion furthermore to shape as bowl. Make sure to even out the thickness.
4. You will get a bowl like this.
5. Keep around 1 or 2 teaspoon of stuffing inside. Then make pleats in the outer side. These ridges gives a beautiful unique look to the modak.
6. Use your thumb and middle finger to make pleats.
7. After that converge these pleats on top and shape the modak.
8. Then seal on top making tip pointed. Repeat to finish all similar way. Keep the finished modak covered.
9. Grease the steamer insert/ plate. Then arrange modaks over it. You can place a saffron strand (as such or soaked in milk/ water) on each modak for flavor, decoration.
10. Meanwhile, bring water to boil in a steamer. Keep the modak inside.
11. Steam for 7-10 minutes. You will notice a slight color change and shiny outer layer once it is done.
12. Finally, take out and repeat in batches to finish. Ukadiche modak is ready!
Both ways, the ukadiche modak stays soft if you use good quality flour and rice. Offer God, distribute and enjoy yourself! Ganpati Bappa Morya 🙏🏻
👩🏼🍳 Substitutions
- Idiyappam flour - Use homemade rice flour (slightly roast without changing color) or any good quality fine processed flour. Puttu flour or Thai rice flours (not glutinous ones, regular rice flours) works too if you can reach.
- Basmati rice - use sona masuri or ponni raw rice.
- Jaggery - Palm sugar, brown sugar can be replaced. But use just ½ cup for 1 cup coconut.
⏲ Equipment
Use a mighty strong tongs to hold the bowl in method 2 while double boiler method.
Also make sure to use a sauce pan with water that does not touch the bowl above.
Steamer - You can use idli pot with greased idli plate or a steamer you have. I used my clip on pressure cooker with glass lid and IKEA steamer insert basket.
Don't have steamer? Just take a large kadai and fill it with ¼th water. Place a bowl inside in the middle to use like trivet, or place a trivet.
Over that, place a greased plate (perforated if you have one) with modak arranged in it. Cover with a lid and steam cook.
⏱ Storage
Modak stays good for 12 hours in room temperature. You can refrigerate and re steam to heat and consume for 3 days.
📝 Top tip
- Keep the dough always covered, irrespective of method you follow.
- Also, after rolling into balls and shaping into modak, keep covered. You can use a lid or well wrung wet clean kitchen towel for covering.
- Use tongs to avoid steam ending up in your hands.
- Do the dough preparation in low flame in both methods.
- Place the modak inside steamer only after water boils in the steamer.
Recipe card
Modak recipe | Ukadiche modak
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
- Tongs
- Steaming basket
Ingredients
Method 1
- 1 cup Idiyappam flour Or good quality processed rice flour
- 2 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- Salt as needed
Method 2
- 1 cup Basmati rice or raw rice
- 1 cup Water Ice cold
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- Salt as needed
For stuffing
- 1 cup Grated coconut
- ¾ cup Jaggery roughly crushed
- 1 Cardamom powdered
- 1 tsp ghee
Others
- 1 pinch Saffron optional
Instructions
Method 1
- In this method, I have used store bought idiyappam flour as always I have been using for almost 17+ years now
- In heavy bottom vessel, bring 1 cup water to boil firstly. After that, add required salt, sesame oil to the boiling water.
- Then lower the flame and add ½ cup rice flour to it mixing briskly.
- It will get cooked and for a dough quickly. So keep mixing so that all the flour is incorporated.
- Dough is formed, furthermore mix in mashing way to incorporate all uncooked white flour while the dough is hot.
- This is how it should be, no dry white spots of flour.
- Keep covered until warm enough to handle.
- Once warm enough to handle, knead again to smooth it completely.
Method 2
- Thank you Shital Kanitkar for sharing this technique.
- Take basmati rice in a bowl firstly.
- Wash & soak 3 to 7 hours.
- Once done, drain water completely and place in a mixie.
- Grind silky smooth like milk. No texture should be felt.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add rest of the water (½ cup), salt, sesame oil and mix.
- Boil water in a saucepan.
- Lower the flame. Keep the mixing bowl over it. Water should not touch the bowl. Stir continuously to avoid lumps.
- Scrap from bottom of the bowl. Hold the bowl with tongs. Once dough is formed, take off the heat.
- Mix in mashing way using the spatula itself. Keep covered and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Keep covered and set aside for 5 minutes. After that, once warm enough to handle, knead to a smooth dough.
- Dough ready!
Sweet stuffing for modak
- Take jaggery in a pan and heat it with ¼ cup water in medium flame.
- Once the jaggery melts, filter it.
- After that, wash the pan and return the syrup to it with grated coconut, cardamom.
- Cook furthermore in medium heat until the liquid is absorbed. Do not overcook or do it in high flame. It should slightly look moist with syrup so that later as it cools down, it will be right texture.
- Add a teaspoon of ghee lastly and set aside to cool down. You can make equal sized balls for easily filling the modak.
How to shape ukadiche modak
- Grease you hands with sesame oil firstly. Then, take a ball of dough from the above prepared rice mixture and knead again to smooth it. Dip your hands in water if it is too dry or stiff.
- Start thinning the edges resembling a flying saucer.
- With your thumb above and other fingers below for support, press in the middle portion for bowl shape. Make sure to even out the thickness.
- Place the stuffing in middle.
- Make pleats in the outer side. These ridges gives a beautiful unique look to the modak.
- Then converge these pleats on top and shape the modak.
- Repeat to finish all similar way. Keep the finished modak covered.
Steam modak
- Meanwhile bring water to boil in a steamer. Grease the steamer insert/ plate. Arrange modaks over it.
- You can place a saffron strand (as such or soaked in milk/ water) on each modak for flavor, decoration. Steam for 7-10 minutes.
- You will notice a slight color change and shiny outer layer once it is done. Take out and repeat in batches to finish. Ukadiche modak is ready!
Video
Notes
- Keep the dough always covered, irrespective of method you follow.
- Also, after rolling into balls and shaping into modak, keep covered.
- You can use a lid or well wrung wet clean kitchen towel for covering.
- Use tongs to avoid steam ending up in your hands.
- Do the dough preparation in low flame in both methods.
- Place the modak inside steamer only after water boils in the steamer.
❓ FAQ
Keep the modak dough covered all times. Make sure to cook the dough well atleast 90 percent while making dough process.
After shaping do not let it sit for long time. Keep covered and steams as soon as possible. Keep the modak inside only after water boils in the steamer.
Use only good quality rice flour. Processed and finest in texture works best as it gets cooked easily while making dough itself.
Make sure to cook the rice dough well while making the dough. Adding a teaspoon of ghee or sesame oil while preparing the dough gives soft, moist results.
Take out the modak as soon as it's done and keep it covered to avoid dry texture.
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