Ukdiche modak is a traditional Maharashtrian dish typically made in Konkan (western coast of Maharashtra, India), where rice and coconuts are grown in abundance. Ukdiche modak are steamed rice dumplings stuffed with a sweet coconut mixture laced with cardamom. These delicious, melt-in-mouth modaks are also the favorite food of Lord Ganesha and his birthday is celebrated by offering him the modaks.
Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganapati festival usually falls in August or September and is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Maharashtra. People are in a very festive mood – they decorate their houses to welcome Lord Ganesha and prepare a vegetarian feast as an offering to the Lord. Modaks are the centerpiece of the feast.
Generations after generations, the art of making modaks is transferred from mothers to daughters. What could be a better way to preserve traditions? Before moving to the United States, Sujata was determined to learn all the traditional dishes from her mom/Aai and now Natasha is keen on learning the same from Sujata.
We are not going to lie but making modaks is not an easy feat. It takes practice as well as patience. It also reminds you that cooking is an art. Any well-shaped modak looks like a beautiful sculpture. The first few attempts will look messy and can be frustrating, but perseverance is the key. Messy or an art piece, the great thing about modaks is that they still taste amazing.
We cannot emphasize enough to knead the dough well and use fresh and good-quality rice flour. During Sujata’s grandmother’s days, women ground their rice at home on the grinding stone, aka jata. However, you will find good quality rice flour in any Indian grocery store or a regular supermarket’s gluten-free section. If you prefer, you can also use modak molds.
Our recipe is unique because Sujata’s mother has been experimenting with different techniques to keep the steamed modaks soft after cooking. Follow all the tips in the recipe to make a perfect modak.
Making pleats is another crucial step. People have different styles of making pleats. We use three fingers to make a pleat. When you pinch the dough to make a pleat, use very little pressure as the dough is already soft. Using more pressure will tear apart the dough. In our family, we compete to see who can make the most pleats in each modak. Creating 21 pleats is the goal as 21 is Lord Ganesha’s favorite number. Anywhere from 9 to 14 pleats make a great modak.
When you take a bite into the soft steamed rice cover soaked in ghee, your taste buds anticipate the sweetness of coconut inside the cover. And when all the flavors come together, you are guaranteed to be in heaven.
If you make these Ukdiche Modak (Steamed Sweet Coconut Dumplings), drop a comment and/or give it a rating! We’d love to hear how it turns out. Also, if you make this recipe, make sure to tag us on Instagram!
Ukdiche Modak (Steamed Sweet Coconut Dumplings)
Ingredients
Stuffing or Puran
- 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 cup jaggery grated
- 4 cups freshly grated coconut
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Cover or Ukad
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp oil (we used olive oil but you can use any)
- 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup rice flour
- 3 tbsp ghee while serving
Instructions
Stuffing or Puran
- Melt the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add the jaggery and let it melt on low heat. Then add the grated coconut and salt and mix it well for about two minutes or until the mixture is combined well. Turn the heat off and add the cardamom powder. Let it cool. Your stuffing is ready. Overcooking the mixture will harden the jaggery.
Cover or Ukad
- In a medium-size pan, add all the ingredients except the rice flour. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the rice flour to the boiling mixture all at once and reduce the heat to low. Stir the mixture once, cover it and turn the heat off. After two minutes, remove the steamed rice flour in a mixing bowl. You may knead the steamed mixture either in a food processor or by hand. When you knead the dough, moisten your hands with water rather than ghee. The dough should be smooth and soft without any cracks. If the dough feels dry, add a little water. Keep the dough aside and covered with a wet towel. It is crucial to keep the dough moist until you finish making all the modaks. You also need to cover the prepared modaks with a wet towel until they are ready to be steamed. Well kneaded and moist ukad or cover is the key to moist and soft modaks. So knead well and keep it moist.
- Once you are ready with the ukad and puran, you are ready to make the modaks. If you have a special pan for modak, as we have, you are all set. If not, take a deep pot with two to three inches of water in it. A pasta pot with a steamer pan in it works well too. Place the cheesecloth in a steamer pan. You need to steam the modaks for eight minutes on high heat. We usually steam 8-9 modaks at a time.
- Divide the modak dough into small balls of about 1 ½ inch in diameter. All the balls should be smooth with absolutely no cracks. Cover all the balls with a moist towel. Now roll one ball at a time on a flat surface to about 3 ½ inches in diameter with a rolling pin. Use a little ghee if needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling surface. The rolled dough should be slightly thicker at the center than on the edges. It prevents the modak from cracking while steaming.
- Take the rolled dough in your palm, add 1 to 1 ½ tsp of puran to the center of the dough. Now start adding pleats to the edges by using the first three fingers of your hand. Do it slowly until you get the hang of it. Gently bring all the pleats together using your palm and fingers at the same time.
- Finally, with the tip of your fingers, close the pleats by forming a small tip. Make eight or nine modaks, depending on the size of your steamer. When you have made five modaks, start the heat to start boiling the water. Before adding the modaks to the steamer, dip each modak in cold water. This step prevents them from sticking to the pan. Cover the pan and steam the modaks for eight minutes on high heat. Turn the heat off, remove the pan cover and gently remove one modak at a time on a serving plate. Traditionally, modaks are served on a banana leaf before offering them to Lord Ganesha.
- Modaks are always great when eaten fresh with ghee. You can freeze the puran or stuffing for about a month. However, the ukad should always be fresh. Enjoy!
