Ukdiche Modak - Authentic Steamed Modak Recipe with Tips and Tricks
Ukdiche Modak is a traditional Maharashtrian steamed dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery, offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh festival. This recipe brings you soft, fragrant modals made with rice flour dough. This is my take on the authentic version I grew up enjoying in Mumbai.
Servings: 12 Modaks
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.