Mom's Recipies

Modaks have a special importance in the worship of the Lord Ganesha. Modak is believed to be the favorite food of Lord Ganesha. During the Ganesh Chaturthi puja twenty-one modaks are offered as offering to the deity.In India many kinds of modaks are made steamed modaks, fried modaks, wheat flour modaks, mava modaks, chocolate modaks etc with different different fillings. Normally we will make modak with coconut jaggery filling or chana dal jaggery filling. But Today I am posting modak with different filling ,Sesame seeds and Jaggery Filling.It tastes delicious and yummy...TRY it out :)

Cooking Time : 30 mins
Makes -21 modaks

 Ingredients :-

For The Filling
1 cup white Sesame seeds / Til
1 cup grated Jaggery

For The Covering
2cups rice flour (chawal ka atta)
2 cups water
2-3  tbsps ghee
a pinch of salt

Method :-

For Sesame Stuffing

• Dry roast sesame seeds over medium flame for 4-5  mins until they smell nice.
• Grind sesame seeds to a powder in the mixie or blender and add grated jaggery to it and run it again to get a uniform mixture.You can make ladoos and keep it.
• Store it in air tight container.Make this on the previous day itself to ease up the process on the festival day.

For Outer Covering:


1) Sieve the Rice flour before making a dough.
2) Boil 2 cups of water in a deep non-stick pan with pinch of salt and 1 tsp of ghee or oil.
3) Take the rice flour in a deep bowl and pour the boiled water gradually and mix it well.
4) Mix well using a spoon in the beginning and then knead into a soft and smooth dough. The dough should be soft and greasy.



 Tips:-

•  If you find that the dough is too dry and not sticky, then add the additional boiled water , drop by drop, until it comes together and pilable.

•   If you find the dough is too sticky and not pliable, you can use additional few sprinkling of rice flour until it is pilable.

5) Cover with a lid and keep aside for 10 minutes.


Making Modaks  :-

1)  First wet hands with water as well as some oil /ghee and knead  the dough into soft dough.



2) Grease a modak mould using very little ghee and close it.


3) Take a portion of the dough, press it into the cavity of the modak mould till it is evenly lined on all the sides.


4) Fill the dough cavity with a portion of the Seasame seeds and Jaggery Filling.


5) Take a smaller portion of the dough and spread it evenly at the base of the modak mould so as to seal the filling.



6) Demould the modak from the modak mould.

7) Repeat steps 2 to 7 to make the remaining  modaks.

Steamer

8 ) Now steam modaks  in a pressure cooker without the whistle on or in a Idli Steamer or special modak steamer.
9) Just use a strainer with flat base which fits on your cooker and keep a fine cloth  or banana leaf to place the modaks. Leave enough space around each modak.
10) Steam on a medium flame for 15-20  minutes.



11) Once the ukadiche modaks are steamed, drizzle a few teaspoons of ghee on the modaks.
The ukadiche modaks are ready to be offered to Lord Ganesha.

1)  Make small balls from the dough. Take one ball and cover other with the lid otherwise the dough will become dry
2) Try to make  small bowl like shape with the dough.
3) The sides of the bowl should be very thin and then make as many pleats as you can.
4) Place some stuffing into it and start gathering the pleats together in the center. It will look like whole garlic bulb.
5) Now steam modaks in a pressure cooker without the whistle on or in a Idli streamer or special modak steamer.
6) Just use a strainer with flat base which fits in your cooker and keep a fine cloth or banana leaf to place the modaks.
7) Steam on a medium flame for 15 – 20 mins .
8) Once the ukadiche modaks are steamed, drizzle a few teaspoons of ghee on the modaks. 



The ukadiche modaks are ready to be offered to lord Ganesha.