Indian Modak with Sweet Coconut Filling
Modak are sacred sweet dumplings from Maharashtra in India, traditionally offered to the Hindu deity Ganesha during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and made with a soft rice flour shell filled with a fragrant mixture of freshly grated coconut and jaggery. They can be steamed for a soft delicate texture or deep-fried for a crispy golden shell.
Sacred Indian sweet dumplings with a rice flour shell filled with coconut and jaggery, steamed to perfection.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Instructions
Cook the Filling
Combine grated coconut and jaggery in a pan over medium heat and stir continuously until the jaggery melts and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cardamom and cashews. Allow to cool completely before using.
Make the Rice Dough
Boil one and a half cups of water with ghee and a pinch of salt. Add the rice flour all at once, remove from heat, and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Knead while warm using damp hands until completely smooth and pliable.
Shape the Modak
Divide the dough into 12 equal balls and keep covered. Flatten each ball into a small thin cup shape using your fingers, then fill with a tablespoon of coconut filling and bring the edges up to form a pointed tip, pressing together to create the traditional ridged modak shape.
Steam Until Glossy
Grease a steamer plate with ghee and arrange modak upright without touching. Steam over boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes until the rice flour shell turns glossy and translucent. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before handling as they are fragile when hot.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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