Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: 4 yummy modak recipes which you can make in a jiffy

Ganesh Chaturthi aka Vinayak Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha and the same is one of the popular festivals in India. For the unversed, the 11-day festival will start off from September 2 this year. As the festival is just around the corner, devotees have started the preparations including the making of yummy delicacies in full swing.

On the occasion, many Indians prepare yummy delicacy called modaks which are Lord Ganesha's favourite sweet. Ukadiche or steamed modaks are the authentic ones, but over the years, people have tried and come up with variations which are equally delectable. Today, we have rounded off some of the unique and classic modak recipes.

Ukadiche Modak (Steamed Modak)

Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 tbsp Water
¾ Cup Gud/Jaggery, grated
1 Cup Fresh Coconut, grated
1 tsp Cardamom powder
2 tbsp Ghee
2 tbsp Cashew nuts, chopped 

For the Dough:
1 Cup Water
1 tsp Ghee
Salt, a pinch
1 Cup Rice Flour

Method:
Heat a pan on medium flame. Add water and jaggery, let it melt completely. Add coconut and cook for 10-15 minutes while stirring constantly. Add cardamom powder, ghee and cashew nuts and cook for a few minutes. Keep the mixture a little bit moist. Remove from heat and keep aside. For the dough, heat one cup water. Add salt and ghee to the water. When the water comes to boil, add rice flour and with a spoon mix fastly in one direction. The mixture will be lumpy. Cover and let it steam for 1 minute. Switch off the flame. Remove the mixture and start kneading when it is hot, don’t let it cool down. Knead well ensuring there are no lumps. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Stuff the prepared ball into the modak mould, make a cavity in the center and stuff it with the prepared filling. Take a small part of the prepared dough and seal the modak. De-mould the prepared modak, repeat process for all the dough balls. Lay a banana leaf on the steamer plate and place the prepared modaks on it.
Steam for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot. 

Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar

Mung daal Modak

Ingredients:

For the filling :
1/4 the cup mung dal soaked and ground. 
1/2 cup Coconut
1/2 cup Jaggery, powdered 
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder 
2 tbs ghee 

For the dough:
1/2 cup Raw rice flour (modak flour) 
2 tsp oil 
Hot water 
Salt to taste 

Method: 

For outer layer dough: place the modak flour in a bowl. Add salt, 1tsp oil and hot boiling water little by little. Keep aside closed with a lid. Once the dough is good to handle, add remaining oil and knead the dough smoothly. Divide into equal sized balls and keep aside. The filling: Heat ghee in a pan. Add the daal paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add the coconut and jaggery and sauté till the paste form one mass. Add cardamom powder and keep aside. Stuff with the stuffing and cover it from all sides. Gather on top. Seal properly and shape into modaks. Steam for 5-8 minutes or until the outer cover gets shiny.

Recipe by Chef Ananya Banerjee

Beetroot Modak:

Ingredients:

Beetroot -250 gm
Mawa - 50 gm
Condensed milk -50 gm
Pistachios -15 gm
Almond -15 gm
Milk -350 ml
Sugar -80 gm
Cardamom -pinch 
Ghee-60 gm 

Method:

Take Beetroot and wash peel, grate it finely. Take a non-stick pan and add cardamom, ghee and Beetroot grated. Sauté It for 10 min add milk and make flame slow. Later, add Mawa, condensed milk and chopped dry fruit. Make a mixture dry like Halwa texture. Grease a modak tray and set into it and let it cool.

Recipe by Omkar Gothankar

Rose Gulkand Modak

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:
¼ Cup Gulkand
2 tbsp Mixed Nuts, chopped 
1 tbsp Desiccated Coconut

For Outer Covering:
2 Cups Mawa/Khoya, crumbled 
¾ Cup Powdered Sugar 
2 tbsp Rose Syrup 

Method:
For stuffing, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside. For outer covering, heat a heavy bottom pan on low flame. Add mawa and keep stirring for a minute, mawa will start melting. When it melts add sugar and stir further for a minute. When the mixture starts leaving fat, add rose syrup and cook till mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan. Turn off the flame and transfer the mixture to a plate. Allow it cool. When the mixture is still warm, gently knead into dough. Divide the dough into equal portions and make smooth balls. Grease the modak mould with ghee and stuff a mawa ball in it. Press the ball so as to cover the sides of the mould and make a cavity in the centre. Fill in the stuffing and with a small portion of dough, cover the base of the modak. Gently unmould the modaks and repeat with others. 

Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar