Read time: 7 min | Category: Recipes
Ukadiche modak, or steamed modak, are the offering Ganesha is said to love most, and the reason so many people dread making them is the dough. Rice flour dough is unforgiving: too dry and it cracks as you pleat, too wet and the modak collapse in the steamer. The ratio and the resting matter more than any special skill. Served hot with a pool of A2 desi cow ghee, which is traditional and not optional.
The Dough Is the Whole Battle
Use fine rice flour, ideally modak or bhajani-grade. The working ratio is 1 cup rice flour to 1 cup water, plus a teaspoon of ghee and a pinch of salt. The water must be at a rolling boil when the flour goes in. Lukewarm water will not gelatinise the starch, and the dough will crack no matter how much you knead it. Then rest it covered for 10 minutes and knead while still warm, with greased palms.
Ingredients
Makes about 14 modak
For the Filling (Saran)
- 1.5 cups fresh grated coconut
- 1 cup jaggery, grated
- 1 teaspoon Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus), optional
For the Dough (Ukad)
- 1 cup fine rice flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
How to Make Ukadiche Modak
- Make the filling. Heat ghee in a pan, add coconut and jaggery, and cook on medium for 6 to 8 minutes until the jaggery melts and the mixture thickens but is still moist. Overcook it and it turns hard and chewy. Stir in cardamom, nutmeg and poppy seeds. Cool completely.
- Make the dough. Bring water, ghee and salt to a rolling boil. Lower the heat, add the rice flour all at once, and stir fast with the back of a spoon until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
- Knead warm. Tip onto a greased plate and knead 3 to 4 minutes while still hot enough to just handle. Grease your palms. The dough should be smooth and pliable, like soft clay.
- Shape. Take a lime-sized ball, flatten into a 3 inch disc with greased fingers, thinning the edges. Pinch 8 to 10 evenly spaced pleats around the rim.
- Fill and seal. Place a spoon of filling in the centre, gather the pleats upward, and twist gently into a peak. Seal firmly.
- Steam. Line a steamer with a damp cloth or banana leaf. Steam the modak 10 to 12 minutes. They should look glossy, not chalky.
- Serve hot with a generous spoon of warm ghee poured over.
Tips
- Keep dough covered. Exposed rice dough dries within minutes. Work one ball at a time and keep the rest under a damp cloth.
- Grease everything. Palms, fingers and the modak mould if you use one.
- Do not overcook the filling. The difference between a moist filling and a dry one is about two minutes on the stove.
- Use a mould if pleating defeats you. A plastic modak mould gives clean results and nobody will judge you.
- Do not over-steam. Past 12 minutes the shells turn gummy and split.
Why Ghee Matters
Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee goes into the dough, the filling and the serving. In the dough it keeps the rice flour supple so it pleats without cracking. Its cultured, bilona-churned aroma is also the traditional pairing with coconut and jaggery, and a neutral oil here would flatten the whole dish.
Nutrition Notes
Steamed rather than fried, ukadiche modak are lighter than most festival sweets. Coconut supplies fibre and medium-chain fats, and jaggery carries trace iron and minerals that refined sugar does not (Healthline). It is still a sweet, so enjoy it in festival portions. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my modak crack while shaping?
The dough is too dry or has cooled too much. Use boiling water, rest it covered, and knead while warm with greased palms. Cracks that appear mid-pleat can be smoothed with a wet fingertip.
Why do my modak break in the steamer?
Usually a weak seal at the peak, or overfilling. Pinch the top firmly and use slightly less filling than feels right.
Can I make modak in advance?
Shape them a couple of hours ahead and keep covered with a damp cloth, then steam just before serving. Steamed modak harden as they cool.
What is the difference between ukadiche modak and fried modak?
Ukadiche modak have a steamed rice flour shell and are soft. Fried modak use a wheat flour shell and are crisp and longer-keeping.
Can I use desiccated coconut instead of fresh?
Fresh is far better. If you must use desiccated, soak it in a few tablespoons of warm milk first or the filling will be dry.
Make It with Rulife
👉 Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee: for the dough, the filling and the finishing pour
👉 Rulife A2 Gir Cow Ghee: single-origin, deeper aroma for festival cooking
