Ukdiche Modak

Ukdiche Modak is a special sweet dish of Maharashtra. This sweet dish is favourite of Lord Ganpati. In Maharashtra, the Ganesh Festival is celebrated in big way and we prepare Ukdiche modak during this period. During pooja we keep only 21 modaks in front of Ganpati as a naivadya/prasada/offering. Also we prepare modak every month on  Ganesh Chathuthi or Angarki chathurthi for the Lord Ganpati.

Preparation Time –  1 Hour 30 Mins

Cook Time – 30 mins

Total Time – 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 3 bowl grated coconut
• 2 bowl grated jaggery
• 2 bowl rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon green cardamom powder
• 2 teaspoon ghee
• Water as required
• Salt to taste

Serves:  7 persons (2/3 for each person)

Directions / Procedure :

The following procedure consists of four processes which includes preparing the stuffing for modak, preparing dough, process of making modaks and steaming the modaks.

A. Process to make puran (stuffing) for modaks

1. Heat kadai or non-stick deep pan on low flame and add 2 teaspoon ghee and grated coconut and saute for one minutes then add grated jaggary. Stir the above mixture very well. Cook the above mixture on low flame.

2. Now jaggery starts melting. Here in between stirring is must because base of the mixture immediately turns brown. Add cardamom powder and mix it very well. Cook this mixture till the jaggery begins to dry and mixture become thick.

3. Here your modak stuffing is ready, keep this mixture aside for cooling.

B. Process to prepare dough (outer cover of modak)

1. In a deep pan add 1 or 1/2 bowl water, 1 teaspoon ghee and 1 teaspoon salt and stir the mixture well and keep it on high flame gas, water starts boiling.

2. Reduce the gas flame low, add rice flour in hot water pan, stir the mixture immediately. Stir the mixture of water and rice flour very well. Turn off the flame and cover the dough with lid for 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes take the above dough in big deep plate, knead the dough carefully. means gather the rice flour mixture together and start to knead the dough very well.

4. Check the softness of dough, if dough is very hard and dry then add little amount hot water, again knead the dough properly.

5. Now your soft dough is ready for making the modak. It looks like very soft white dough.

C. Process to make the modaks

1. Take the lemon size dough and apply some oil to hand finger and using hand finger, roll the dough in round shape and make a thin dough disc.
2. Fill the puran i.e coconut mixture in centre of the disc of dough.

3. Using hand finger, pinch the outer side of the disc of dough little bit and make pleat. Like this, roll the disc in round shape, make pleats at nearby distance like ½ inch.

4. Carefully roll the filled dough disc round on hand and softly bring all the edges i.e. pleat together and then joined, make the top shape pointed and remove the extra portion of dough if any.

5. Make all remaining modaks like this way and here your making process of modak is completed. Now next step is to steam the modak.

D. Process to steam the modaks

1. Keep the steamer pan / big vessel on low flame gas and add 2 small glass of water in the steamer / vessel. If water starts boiling, keep the flame low.
2. Slightly apply /rub the ghee on steamer patra plate or colander and keep all modak on steamer patra plate / colander.
3. Now place the steamer patra plate / colander over the steamer / vessel and cover the steamer patra plate /colander with lid.
4. Steam the modaks for at least 20 minutes on medium flame gas.
5. After 20 minutes turn off the flame and cool down the Steamer / vessel for 5- 7 minutes.
6. Take out the modaks from colander and place them in a plate.

Here your Ukdiche Modak are ready now for naivaidya/prasad

Tips / suggestions:

• Use sugar instead of grated jaggery as per your choice.
• If you find the modak making difficult, you can use modak moulds.
• Instead of slightly applying the ghee on steamer patra plate or colander keep the modak on banana leaves/ turmeric leaves and keep these leaves
  on the steamer plate.

Photos for reference: