Before jumping into what this momo-shape dish is and how it’s made, let’s find out where it comes from and what is this hype of modak laddu all about. Well, you have to be living under a rock if you haven’t heard about this really cool deity called Ganesha. In case you haven’t, it’s not ‘Mr’, it’s Lord Ganesha. So, Mr. ugh Lord Ganesha is a Hindu god of success, knowledge, and wealth, and is believed to remove the obstacles in one’s life which makes him very important and is offered prayers before the beginning of any important tasks(even before the beginning of offering prayers, yeah). He is believed to be very mischievous and fond of modaks hence one of his hundred and eight names – Modakpriya (Sanskrit for the lover of modak).
Lord Ganesha did not just savor all the modaks by himself; there were events when his sena(army) of musaks (mice) were also invited to the party. Modaks are widely offered in Ganesha puja and are seen all over the country when there is a celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. moreover, a mouse stealing a modak from offerings is considered Shubh. So, ratatouille?!
Modak or Indian Dumplings for all your SOBOs are made from Gud (jaggery) and coconut, yes, it is a sweet dish. They are prepared in two ways: steamed and fried. They have different tastes in contrast to each other. The good news is if you are on a healthy diet, Vaw-Lah, there isn’t a better dessert you can find than steamed modaks in India, and please do not confuse me for steamed momo. They are worlds apart, also Momo is not a desert. Fried modak is used more widely as it refer to a common taste and are mouth-watering.
Although traditionally, ganpati modak mithai is made from coconut and jaggery, with the advent of modernism and everything, even the modaks have evolved. Modaks can now be found in different varieties. An “influencer” modak can outweigh any of us as they could range from hundreds of kilograms to thousands of kilograms. Now, where can you find a great range of modaks? Or even better, how could you make them yourself? Here are a few tips and a recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar. I have tried them and believe me once you learn how to make modaks you can’t go back.
MODAK RECIPES
Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 20-25 minutes Serving 4
FOR UKADICHE MODAK NEAR ME
Ingredients
For Stuffing 1 tbsp Ghee, घी
½ tbsp Poppy seeds, खसखस
5-6 Cashew nuts, chopped , काजू
5-6 Almonds, chopped , बादाम
3 cups Coconut, grated , नारियल
A pinch Salt, नमक 1½ cups Jaggery, गुड
¼ tsp Nutmeg powder , जायफल का पाउडर
1 tsp Cardamom powder , इलायची पाउडर
For Dough
1½ cup Water , पानी
½ cup Milk , दूध
A pinch Salt , नमक
1 tbsp Ghee घी
1 heaped tbsp Sago flour , साबूदाने का आटा
2 cups Fine Rice flour , चावल का आटा
1 tbsp Ghee, घी
Other Ingredients A pinch Saffron, soaked in milk , दूध में भीगा हुआ केसर
Silver warq , चांदी का वर्ख
FOR CHOCOLATE MODAK Sweet
¼ cup Cocoa powder , कोको पाउडर
1 cup Powdered Biscuit , पाउडर किया हुआ बिस्किट
4 tbsp Condensed milk , कंडेंस मिल्क
2 tbsp Chocolate syrup , चॉकलेट सिरप
½ tsp Cardamom powder , इलायची पाउडर
Ghee for greasing , घी
Process:
For Stuffing
In a pan, heat some ghee and add poppy seeds, cashew nuts, and almonds and roast them lightly, then add grated coconut and roast it lightly for 4-5 minutes.
Now add jaggery, mix well till the jaggery melts completely, and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes or until a little dry.
Then add cardamom powder, and nutmeg powder and mix well. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool.
For Dough
In a pan, heat some water, and milk.
Add salt and ghee and Then add the sago flour, and rice flour and mix everything well.
Now cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Then remove and knead it.
Add some ghee and knead it again in a proper soft dough.
For Making Ukadiche Modak Mithai
Take out lemon-sized balls of dough, apply some rice flour, and roll it into a small roti with a rolling pin.
Fill the small roti with the coconut filling leaving some space for folding it.
Pinch the outer covering with your fingers into small pleats and then fold them up. Join them and cover the filling completely.
Make all the modaks like this and keep them aside.
Fill a steamer with water and bring it to a boil, then place the prepared modak on the plate and add some saffron soaked in milk on each one and now keep it in the steamer and cover it with the lid.
Let the modaks steam for 10-12 mins and they are ready. You can also serve them with ghee.
For Chocolate Modak Mithai In Best Price
In a bowl add cocoa powder, powdered biscuits, condensed milk, and chocolate syrup, and mix everything properly. Now apply ghee to the modak mould and fill it with the chocolate mixture properly, then slowly remove by opening the mold. Repeat this with the rest of the mix
You can find an utterly delicious variety of modak sweets here in Surat at Vijay Dairy. With the range of modak that are available here, you would never need another modak place. They have kopra, Kesari, and chocolate momos. They also take custom orders as per your needs.