Ganesh Chaturthi is around the corner and one of the beloved sweet dishes offered to Lord Ganesh on the occasion is modak. The cone-shaped (triangular) sweet dumpling can be prepared with flour stuffed with a coconut mix of jaggery/sugar, which is a staple offering to Lord Ganesha. Nonetheless, given the food innovations of today, let’s take a look at the different types of modak you could prepare and share with your loved ones.
But before we start with the recipes, here's a fun fact. Have you ever wondered how the word Modak came to being? It's a concoction of two syllables ‘mod’ and ‘k’. While the word ‘mod’ means happiness, the dish which makes people happy is called ‘Modak’.
There are numerous types of modaks that you can try this Ganesh Chaturthi. From steamed modak, to fried modak, baked modak and healthy modak. Read on to find out how to prepare different kinds of modak.
Ukadiche modak (steamed modak):
The classic and most popular variety of modak is the steamed one, which are made with a rice flour shell filled with coconut and jaggery mixture, sometimes gulkand (a sweet preserve of rose petals) is stuffed in a rice flour pastry sheet. This is more popular in Konkan region of Maharashtra.
Fried modak: This crispy version of modak is made from whole wheat flour, they are either deep fried or shallow fried with sweet coconut sugar stuffing. It's one of the most common types of modak.
Rava (semolina) modak: These are fried modak and its pastry sheet is made of rava, which is then stuffed with anything from coconut to jaggery, poppy seeds or chopped dry fruits.
Baked modak: It's a healthy version of the traditional fried modak.
Khajur (dates) modak: These are sugar free modaks, stuffed with dates along with different types of nuts, dry fruits and coconut making it one of the healthiest modak varieties. It's a no cook recipe, just blend and stuff the pastry sheet.
Potato modak: In case you’re feeling adventurous and want to try out something other than coconut stuffing, then potato modak is a nice alternative. It's made of boiled potatoes, sugar and dry fruits. It's easy to cook, just mash boiled potatoes and mold it into the shape of a modak.
Chana dal modak/Kolukatti: The chana dal (split chickpea) modak, known as Kolukatti are popular in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They are either steamed when the rice flour is used for the outer casing or deep fried if made with flour.
Chocolate caramel modak: These models are for chocolate lovers as the filling and the other shell both are made of chocolate. The stuffing includes coconut, khava, choco chips and they are dipped in hot chocolate sauce.
Til or sesame seeds modak: This is another variety of modak that doesn’t use coconut for stuffing. It's made during Maghi Chaturthi, Chaturthi that falls in January/ February in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. In this recipe, roasted sesame seeds are added to caramelised jaggery or both sesame seeds and jaggery are crushed together into a fine powder and molded into the shape of a modak.
Ragi Modak: As it's the international year of millets, these modak are a great way of embracing millets this festive season. The outer cover of the modak is made of ragi flour with jaggery and coconut stuffing making it super healthy, rich in nutrients.
Khoya/Mawa Modak: The most versatile type of modak is also one of the easiest modak to prepare. These are made in two ways: either by adding the filling to whole wheat flour or mixing khoya, sugar and molding it into the shape of a modak.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
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