This kaju modak is super easy to make, beginner-friendly, and perfect for Ganesh Chaturthi bhog. It’s made with 4 ingredients (plus, water) and it’s nothing but a modified version of kaju katli turned into the modak shape.
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❤️About This Recipe
This kaju modak is quick to make. Total 20 Minutes required (10 mins of cooking time + 10 mins of shaping time).
No need for any expertise in shaping modak because this recipe calls for a modak mould.
Don’t have modak mould? No worries, shape into peda or small ladoo.
This tastes just like kaju katli with a super soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind texture.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the ingredients required to make kaju modak recipe.
- Cashews: Make sure nuts are at room temperature. If you’re storing them in the fridge or freezer then keep them out on the couter for a few hours.
- Milk powder: This is full-fat milk powder that is available in Indian grocery stores easily. The ones you find in American grocery store is non-fat and that doesn’t work in this kaju modak recipe.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Take cashew nuts in a food processor jar.
2) Pulse it until you get an almost fine powder. Do not run the food processor continuously otherwise oil starts to ooze out from the nuts and the mixture becomes wet and pasty. We are looking for a dry powder form.
3) Add milk powder.
4) Pulse it again one or two times to mix. Keep it aside.
5) Take water and sugar in a large pan.
6) Turn the heat to medium and stir until sugar is melted.
7) Let the syrup simmer until it reaches one string consistency (ek taar chasni).
8) If you’re checking with a candy thermometer then it should reach 220 F (104 C). As soon as it reaches the temp, turn off the stove.
You can check the thread consistency using the old-fashioned method. Take a drop or two of syrup on a plate, let it cool down to touch, take that drop between your thumb and forefinger, rub a couple of times and as your separate both you’ll notice a single thread is forming and it stays like that for some time. If the thread breaks quickly then cook syrup a little longer and check again.
9) Add prepared cashew powder.
10) And mix immediately, cook with stirring constantly until thickens (around 2 minutes only).
11) Add ghee.
12) Mix and cook until it leaves the sides on the pan. At this point, the mixture is still looking runny and pasty. That is perfectly fine, it will set once it cools down.
13) Remove it to a parchment paper lined plate and let it cool down to touch.
Shaping Modak:
- Grease your palms and modak mould with ghee. Take around 2 tablespoons of the portion (or depending on the size of your modak mould) and make a smooth ball.
- Place on the mould.
- Close it tightly, smooth out the bottom surface and remove the excess dough from the sides.
- Carefully open the mould.
- Gently remove the kaju modak and place it on a plate.
- Repeat the same until done.
💭Expert Tips
- Use the pulse button to grind the cashew nuts. If over-grinded then oil starts to ooze out from nuts and becomes slightly wet, and moist. Here we want the powdered cashews. Use the food processor for this purpose.
- Do not worry about the fine powder. Slightly coarse like semolina is perfectly fine.
- Sugar syrup must have one thread consistency otherwise kaju modak won’t set and the mixture will stay sticky and loose.
- Add flavorings in your kaju modak like cardamom powder, rose water or crushed dried rose petals, etc.
Check Out Other Modak Recipes
Did you try this kaju modak recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Kaju Modak
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cashew nuts
- ½ cup Milk powder full-fat
- ¾ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
Instructions
- Take cashew nuts in a food processor jar. Pulse it until you get an almost fine powder. Do not run the food processor continuously otherwise oil starts to ooze out from the nuts and the mixture becomes wet and pasty. We are looking for a dry powder form.
- Add milk powder and pulse it again one or two times to mix. Keep it aside.
- Take water and sugar in a large pan. Turn the heat to medium and stir until sugar is melted.
- Let the syrup simmer until it reaches one string consistency (ek taar chasni).Using thermometer: it should reach 220 F (104 C). As soon as it reaches the temp, turn off the stove.Checking old-fashion way: Take a drop or two of syrup on a plate, let it cool down to touch, take that drop between your thumb and forefinger, rub a couple of times and as your separate both you’ll notice a single thread is forming and it stays like that for some time. If the thread breaks quickly then cook syrup a little longer and check again.
- Add prepared cashew powder and mix immediately, cook with stirring constantly until thickens (around 2 minutes only).
- Add ghee, mix and cook until it leaves the sides on the pan. At this point, the mixture is still looking runny and pasty. That is perfectly fine, it will set once it cools down.
- Remove it to a parchment paper lined plate and let it cool down to touch.
- Grease your palms and modak mould with ghee. Take a portion of the mixture, make a smooth oval shape and start shaping in your modak mould. Repeat the same until done.
Notes
- Do not worry about the fine powder. Slightly coarse like semolina is perfectly fine.
- Sugar syrup must have one thread consistency otherwise kaju modak won’t set and the mixture will stay sticky and loose.
- Add flavorings in kaju modak mixture like cardamom powder, rose water or crushed dried rose petals, etc.
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