Ukadiche Modak | Kozhukattai | Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe
Ukadiche Modak is a popular steamed sweet dumpling from India prepared on the occasion of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival using rice flour, coconut, and jaggery as main ingredients.
Servings: 18 modaks
Calories: 126kcal
Equipment
- Steamer or Instant pot
Ingredients
For the filling or stuffing (churna)
- 2 cups Coconut (grated)
- 1 cup Jaggery (powder or grated)
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
For the outer cover of modak
- 1 cup Rice flour
- 1 cup + ½ cup Water (approx, check steps)
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- ¼ teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Coconut jaggery filling for modak
- In a pan on medium heat, add jaggery and coconut and stir the mixture. It will become gooey or bubbly depending on the type of jaggery used.2 cups Coconut, 1 cup Jaggery
- Continue to cook till all the moisture evaporates and it starts drying out. At this point, add cardamom powder, ghee, mix, and switch off the flame. Keep this mixture aside.¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder, 1 tablespoon Ghee
Prepare the outer covering for modak.
- In a pan on medium-high heat, add 1 cup of water along with ghee and salt. Bring it to a boil. Add rice flour and mix until water is incorporated. Switch off the flame.1 tablespoon Ghee, 1 cup Rice flour, 1 cup + ½ cup Water, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Cover and keep this aside for 4 to 5 minutes. Let the mixture continue to cook in the residual heat. It may look dry or lumpy but don’t worry at this point.
- Meanwhile, in another bowl, add ½ cup of water, heat it, and keep ready.1 cup + ½ cup Water
- After five minutes, transfer the rice mixture to a bowl for easy kneading. Add the hot water in 1 tablespoon increments and keep kneading the dough till smooth, crack-free, non-sticky dough is formed. (I do not boil all 1 ½ cup water at once because the amount of water required may vary depending on the brand and texture of rice flour. So add the remaining ½ cup water in increments only as needed.) (Check video on making of modak dough for better understanding)
How to shape modak with mold?
- You can divide the dough into equal parts or just take pinch of dough and use it as required. The exact number of modaks from this recipe may vary depending on the size of molds you will use.
- Grease the modak mold and close Press the dough ball to the inner sides of the mold to make space at the center. Add the filling. Seal the modak with a small piece of dough. Nicely press and smoothen it.1 tablespoon Ghee
- Open the mold and remove the modak gently. Place it in a plate or bowl and cover so that they do not dry out as you shape and fill the remaining modaks.
How to steam modaks in the steamer?
- Bring water to a boil in your steamer. I have lined my steamer plate with banana leaves. You can use turmeric leaves or even grease the steamer plate with ghee.
- Place the shaped modak in your steamer in a single layer. I have sprinkled saffron strands on a few of them (this is optional). Cover and steam it on a medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes. Switch off the flame. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
How to steam modak in your Instant pot?
- Pour 2 to 3 cups of water in your instant pot steel insert. Place a trivet or rack. Then, bring it to a boil on saute mode.
- Set the steam mode on and keep the steam vent in venting position to release steam during the process. The timer does not work on venting mode, and instant pot will not beep here, so set an external timer for 10 to 12 minutes.
- After the cooking time is done, let this sit for 5 minutes before removing it from the IP.
Video
Notes
- I have used fresh coconut, and it gives you the best results. You can use frozen, desiccated, or shredded coconut flakes.
- Never overcook the stuffing, as you cannot enjoy overcooked jaggery.
- I have kept the recipe very simple. Add poppy seeds, chocolate, crushed nuts, saffron, nutmeg, etc., to the filling to make it more flavorful.
- Knead the dough while it is still warm.
- If you want to avoid the multiple steps on the same day, you can make the filling a day or 2 in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.
- I had more amount of coconut-jaggery filling, also called churna in konkani, than the dough. Therefore, I made churna modak for my little Ganeshas at home. They love it a lot. My husband calls these golden modaks 🙂
- See that you use fine rice flour for the best results.
How to make ukadiche modak without mould?
- Form a lemon-sized ball from the dough. Flatten it with your palm or fingers to a disc of medium thickness. (Keep the edges thin and the center thick - just like you shape momos or dumplings). Place the filling at the center.
- Now press the edges to form pleats and bring all the edges to the center to form a modak. Excess dough on top can be trimmed. If you find it difficult to work with dough during this process, you can grease your hands with ghee.
- If you find it difficult to shape it this way, you can shape them into nevri or empanadas ( kadubu, karanji, or gujiya). That is, flatten the dough ball with the help of a rolling pin. Place the filling on one half and fold over the other half. Seal with edges with fingers or a fork for a beautiful design.
Storage suggestions
Steamed modak can be stored at room temperature for a day and in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Steam them to reheat the modak before serving. Modak Molds are easily available in any grocery shop a few days before the festival begins. In the United States, these are easily available in your nearby Indian store during the festival season. Also, modak molds can be purchased online.Nutrition
Serving: 1modak | Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg