Ukdiche Modak – Authentic Steamed Modak Recipe with Tips and Tricks
If you’ve ever celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, you’ll know that no offering to Lord Ganesha feels complete without a plate of steaming hot Ukdiche Modak. This delicacy is more than just a sweet. It’s a symbol of devotion, tradition, and comfort food rolled into one.
A Sweet Childhood Memory
Growing up in a Gujarati household in Mumbai, ukdiche modak wasn’t something we made at home. But every year during Ganesh festival, our Maharashtrian neighbors would share them with us, fresh from their kitchens. It became one of the things I looked forward to the most during the festival.
The best part was that no two plates of modaks were ever the same. Some neighbors would make the traditional steamed modaks with rice flour, others would prepare them with wheat flour, and sometimes we’d even get malai modaks (aka Kesar Peda) that were rich, creamy, and melt in your mouth delicious. For the ten days of the festival, our home was always filled with these sweet offerings, and we would savor them daily.
After years of enjoying modaks made by my neighbors in Mumbai, and later missing them after moving to United States, I finally started making them myself. This recipe is my version of the classic ukdiche modak – simple, approachable, and close to the flavors I remember from childhood. If you’ve never made them before, don’t worry. With the right tips and a little patience, you’ll have a plate of soft, fragrant modaks ready to enjoy or offer as naivedya during Ganesh Chaturthi.
What is Ukdiche Modak?
The word ‘Ukdiche’ means ‘steamed’ in Marathi, and modak refers to the dumpling-shaped sweet treat. These dumplings are made with a rice flour shell filled with a sweet filling of jaggery, grated coconut, and cardamom, often enriched with ghee and poppy seeds.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Ukdiche Modak
- Rice flour matters: Use fine rice flour or specially milled modak flour for best texture. Coarse flour will crack.
- Kneading is key: Knead the dough while it’s warm. If it cracks, add a few drops of warm water and knead again.
- Moisture check: Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying while shaping.
- Filing consistency: Do not overcook the jaggery-coconut mixture. It should be moist, not dry or the modal will taste chewy.
- Shaping help: Use a mould for perfect, uniform modaks.
- Serving suggestions: Brush the steamed modaks with a little ghee before serving to enhance the flavor.
Ukdiche Modak – Authentic Steamed Modak Recipe with Tips and Tricks
Ingredients
For the filling (aka Saran)
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut (or frozen, thawed)
- ¾ cup grated jaggery (adjust for sweetness)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ tsp white poppy seeds
For the outer dough (ukad)
- 1 cup rice flour (fine, preferably modal flour available in Indian Store)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup milk
- Few strands of saffron
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Prepare the filling
- In a pan add jaggery, and ghee. Stir on low heat until the jaggery is melts. Add coconut and mix well until it blends with coconut.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is slightly sticky but not runny.
- Add cardamom powder, saffron strands, and white poppy seeds. Mix well and set aside to cool.
Make the rice flour dough
- In a pan, boil water, and milk with ghee and salt.
- Lower the heat and add rice flour gradually while stirring continuously to avoid lumps.
- Cover and steam for 5 mins on low flame.
- Transfer to a plate and knead (while still warm) into a smooth, pliable dough. use wet hands or a little ghee to prevent sticking.
Shape the modaks using a mould.
- Lightly brush the inside of the mould with ghee so the dough doesn't stick.
- Take a small ball of dough, press and spread it evenly inside the mould to form a thin layer. Keep the center slightly thicker so it doesn't tear.
- Place 1-2 teaspoons of the coconut-jaggery filling inside.
- Take a small piece of dough, flatten it, and place it over the filling to cover and seal the base. Press gently so it holds together.
- open the mould carefully and ease the modak out. Repeat the process for rest of the dough.