Ukadiche modak - (steamed modak)

UkadichModak or Steamed Modak is a sweet dumplings. 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 or maida flour. The dumpling can be fried or steamed. The steamed version, called ukdiche modak, is eaten hot with ghee. 

Modaks made with rice flour shell are preferred for this purpose, however, wheat shell version are also used but now day so many versions has come like Wheat or Maida flour, Motichoor modak and Chocolate modak etc.

Modak is believed to be favorite food of Ganesh ji, without this Ganesh Chaturthi the puja is not complete.

Making modak is very simple but little tricky you should know the right technique and you rock with amazing out come. 

Modak is very simile to Bengali's Pitha, it has many version and this is the one version. So i grew up to see my mom making pitha during Sankanti and i am quite comfortable with its
technique. 

Here i used Nolen gurd (Date Jaggery). Any Bong family weather you get or not normal jaggery but definitely you will get Nolen gur.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes   |   Cooking Time: 20 minutes   |   Serves: 32 cookies

Ingredients: 

 For filling- 

1. Coconut- 2 whole [grated]
2. Date jaggery- Nolen Gur - One big bowl
3. Desi ghee - 1 ts

For outer shell-

1. Rice flour -  1 1/2 cup
2. Salt - 1 ts
3. Desi Ghee - 2 tbs
4. Saffron (Kaser) - for decoration (optional) pinch
5. Milk - 1 ts

   

Direction to make: 

We will start with making the sweet filling for modak. Collect all the ingredients before start making filling. Grate the coconut and break the jaggery in to small pieces.

Heat the pan add 1 ts of dasi ghee then add fresh grated coconut and jaggery.

Mix both well and cooking on a low flame, jaggery will start melting first. Keep stir otherwise it will burn from bottom. I used non sticky pan to avoid burning.

Cook till the moisture from jaggery become dry. Never over cook the jaggery otherwise it will become hard. To check weather it cooked or not, make your hand moist with water and try to make round like laddo, without crack if it become one round now its done completely.

Now Keep the filling aside for cooling and prepare rice flour for shell.

Take the pan and boil the water with salt and Ghee. Add the rice flour in a steady stream. Stir continuously to prevent lumps from forming.  

Cover the pan n keep it for 10 min to cooking the rice flour. In between open the cover and sprinkle water, cover with the lid again. 

Remove the dough onto a plate, add some water to the palms with some oil and knead the dough till smooth. Dough would be very hot so be careful, try to moist your palm again and again with water. It will control the temperature and prevent burning of hot dough.

Dont not knead all the dough at a time, try to use in 2 or 3 times. Reason if dough out for long will become cold and hard, difficult to handle. Divide the dough into small equal portions.

Grease your palms again, and spread one portion of the dough into a round disc, thinning the edges with your finger tips. Stuff one portion of the coconut mixture, gather the dough together in tiny pleats and press lightly to form a cone at the top. 

Grease the perforate of the steamer and place the modaks on it with the lid. Steam them for ten to twelve minutes. Remove the cover of the cooker after and get the same cool. Serve the Modak in a decorative plate by adding Ghee on the top of it.

This is optional: Soak the saffron (kesar) in milk for 10-15 min. When it become deep yellow, put one drop on Modak. It will add aroma to it.

Step by step direction

Collect all the ingredients before start making filling.

Coconut and Jaggery

Grate the coconut and break the jaggery in to small pieces.

 

 

Heat the pan add 1 ts of dasi ghee then add fresh grated coconut and jaggery.

Cook till the moisture from jaggery become dry. Never over cook the jaggery otherwise it will become hard. To check weather it cooked or not, make your hand moist with water and try to make round like laddo without crack if it become one round now its done completely.

Now Keep the filling aside for cooling and prepare rice flour for shell.

 

Rice Flour and Desi Ghee

Take the pan and boil the water with salt and Ghee.

Let the water boil.

  

Add the rice flour in a steady stream. Stir continuously to prevent lumps from forming.

Remove the dough onto a plate, add some water to the palms with some oil and knead the dough till smooth. Dough would be very hot so be careful, try to moist your palm again and again with water. It will control the temperature and prevent burning of hot dough.

Divide the dough into small equal portions. Grease your palms again, and spread one portion of the dough into a round disc, thinning the edges with your finger tips. Stuff one portion of the coconut mixture, gather the dough together in tiny pleats and press lightly to form a cone at the top. 

 

Grease the perforate of the steamer and place the modaks on it with the lid. Steam
them for ten to twelve minutes.

Remove the cover of the cooker after and get the same cool. 

Serve the Modak in a decorative plate by adding Ghee on the top of it.

In Delhi NCR difficult to get good authentic things for making. I heard about RAMA Store in Munirka. Its is a authentic south indian store, where you can get anything. Like good sambhar powder, gun powder and you just name anything, even kurry leaves also. I got this rice flour n coconut from there and i am very happy with rice flour quality.