Modak Steamed Rice Dumpling

Method

1. 1

   Make the sweet coconut filling first: Place a pan on low heat. Add 1 tsp ghee. Add 1 cup grated jaggery. Stir continuously on low heat for 2 minutes as the jaggery melts. Add 1.5 cups fresh grated coconut. Stir continuously for 5 to 7 minutes on low heat until the mixture becomes thick and comes away from the pan sides when you tilt the pan. It should hold its shape when you lift a spoonful. Add 1 tbsp poppy seeds and 1/2 tsp cardamom powder. Mix well. Remove from heat. Cool completely. Divide into 10 equal portions and roll smooth.

2. 2

   Prepare the rice flour dough: Bring 1.5 cups water to a full rolling boil in a wide pot. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp ghee to the boiling water.

3. 3

   Add rice flour to boiling water: Reduce heat to the absolute minimum. Pour 1.5 cups rice flour into the boiling water all at once. Immediately and vigorously stir with a wooden spoon — keep stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until a smooth dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the pot. It will look like a thick paste initially but will come together. Remove from heat.

4. 4

   Knead the dough while warm: Cover and let the dough cool for exactly 5 minutes — it should still be warm when you knead, not cold. Transfer to a flat surface. Rub a little ghee on your hands. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and no cracks appear at the edges when you bend it. The dough is ready when it feels like very soft putty. If it cracks, add 1 tsp warm water and knead more.

5. 5

   Prepare the steamer: Fill the bottom of a steamer pot with water and bring to a boil. Grease the steamer tray plates with a few drops of ghee. Keep the steam going throughout the shaping process.

6. 6

   Divide the dough: Divide into 10 equal portions. Keep the portions you are not working with covered under a damp cloth to prevent them drying out.

7. 7

   Shape the modak shell: Take one dough portion. Press it between your palms into a small disc. Then using your thumb and forefinger on the outside and your finger from the inside, thin out the edges by gently pinching and rotating — like shaping a small bowl. The edges should be thinner than the centre. Aim for a disc about 7 cm wide.

8. 8

   Stuff and seal: Place one portion of the coconut filling in the centre of the disc. Bring the edges up around the filling, making small pleats — pinch a fold, then pinch the next fold alongside it, continuing around the circumference, making 5 to 7 pleats total. Bring all the pleats together at the top and pinch firmly to seal into a pointed top. The modak should look like a small bonbon or a closed rose bud with pleats around the sides.

9. 9

   Steam the modak: Place the shaped modak on the greased steamer tray leaving space between each — they should not touch. Steam with the lid on for 12 minutes on medium heat.

10. 10

    Serve with ghee: Remove from the steamer. While still hot, drizzle a few drops of ghee over each modak. Rest for 5 minutes before serving — they are delicate when very hot. Serve warm with a small bowl of extra ghee for dipping.

11. 11

    Note: Modak is the sacred sweet of Lord Ganesha and is made by every household in Maharashtra during the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival in August or September. This steamed version is called ukdiche modak and is the authentic traditional form — the fried version is a later adaptation. Every family takes pride in the number of pleats on their modak — traditionally 21 pleats is considered auspicious.