Ganesh festival is here and so are the modaks! Here are modak recipes by Maharaj Jodharam Choudhary, Corporate Chef – Khandani Rajdhani
Chana Dal Modak
Ingredients:
For Dough:
Mava – 1 cup
Salt a pinch, Hot Boiling Water as needed, Oil – 2 tsp + more for greasing mould For Filling: Jaggery / Sarkarai / Palm Sugar – 1 cup
Water – 1/2 cup,Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu – 1 cup Water – 2.5 cup,Coconut – 1 cup grated
Cardamom Powder / Yelakai podi- 1 tsp,Ghee – 1 tsp
Method:
Step 1
Take Chana dal in a pressure cooker, add in 2.5 cups of water.
Step 2
Pressure cook for 4 whistles, simmer for 5 mins.
Step 3
Turn off the heat and let the steam go all by itself.
Step 4
Open the cooker and set it aside, take jaggery and water in a saucepan, and heat till it is melted.
Step 5
Strain and set aside. Pour this back into the same Kadai.
Step 6
Add in coconut, cooked chana dal, and mix well. Keep cooking this till it is thick.
Step 7
Add in cardamom powder, ghee and mix well.
Step 8
Remove this to a bowl and allow it to cool down.
Step 9
Divide it into small balls. Now make the dough.
Step 10
Take water in a saucepan, add in salt and 1 tsp of oil.
Step 11
Once the water reaches a boil add in rice flour and mix well. It will become like a sticky dough.
Step 12
Now remove this to a bowl and let it cool for 15 mins.
Step 13
Once it is cooled, add in 1 tsp of oil and make it into a soft dough.
Step 14
Now take modak mould and grease it lightly. Take a small portion of dough and spread it evenly in mould.
Step 15
Place the filling in and cover it with more dough. Now release the mould, you will have a modak.
Ukadiche Modak
Ingredients:
Rice flour 1 1/2 cups
Salt a pinch
Oil 1 teaspoon for greasing
For stuffing:
Fresh coconut grated 1 1/2 cups
Jaggery (Gur) grated 1 cup
Poppy seeds (khuskhus/Posto) roasted 1 tablespoon
Green cardamom powder a pinch
Nutmeg powder a pinch
Method:
Step 1
Heat one and one-fourth cups of water with salt and one teaspoon oil in a deep non-stick pan.
Step 2
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the rice flour in a steady flow, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Cover the pan with a deep lid and pour some water into the lid. Cook on low heat for three minutes.
Step 3
Remove the lid, sprinkle some cold water on the rice flour and cover again with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the rice flour in a steady flow, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming water in it; cook for another three minutes. Repeat this process twice more. Take the pan off the heat and keep it covered for two minutes.
Step 4
Transfer the mixture to a large plate (parat), grease the palms of your hands with oil, and knead the dough till completely smooth and pliable. The dough should not stick to your palms. Rest the dough covered with a damp cloth.
Step 5
For the stuffing, combine the coconut and jaggery in a non-stick pan and cook on medium heat for one or two minutes till light golden brown. Make sure that you do not overcook the mixture. Add the roasted poppy seeds, cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder.
Step 6
Divide the dough into twelve equal portions and shape them into balls. Grease the palms of your hands and spread each ball to form a three-inch bowl. Press the edges of the bowls to reduce the thickness.
Step 7
Place a portion of the stuffing in the center; pleat the edges of the dough and gather them together to form a bundle. Pinch to seal the edges at the top.
Step 8
Heat sufficient water in a steamer. Place the modak on a perforated plate in the steamer and steam for ten to twelve minutes.
Step 9
Serve hot modak with pure ghee.
