Delicate steamed rice flour dumplings with sweet coconut-jaggery filling — the sacred sweet of Ganesh Chaturthi that is Lord Ganesha's favourite offering.
Ingredients
For outer layer:
2 cups rice flour
Hot water — approximately 2/3 cup
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
For filling:
1.5 cups freshly grated coconut
3/4 cup jaggery — grated
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus) — dry-roasted
A pinch of nutmeg
Method
Make filling: combine grated coconut and grated jaggery in a pan.
Heat on medium-low stirring for 5 to 7 minutes until jaggery melts completely and the filling binds.
Add cardamom, poppy seeds and nutmeg. Cool completely. Divide into 16 portions.
Make dough: bring water to boil. Add oil and salt.
Pour over rice flour in a bowl. Mix immediately with a spoon then knead with wet hands into a very smooth, pliable, non-sticky dough. Rest 5 minutes covered.
Take a small ball of dough. Wet both palms.
Using your fingertips press the dough into a thin cup shape in your palm — about 7 to 8 cm wide and very thin at the edges.
Place one portion of filling in the centre. Bring the edges up and pinch together at the top to seal, creating the characteristic pleated pointed top of modak.
Steam on medium for 12 to 15 minutes until outer shell is firm and slightly translucent.