Ukadiche modak recipe (Steamed modak)

Ukadiche modak recipe or steamed modak recipe – Traditional modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.

The main three ingredients are rice flour, jaggery and coconut. These three ingredients are said to be local ingredients of Maharashtra.

It has sweet stuffing in the center. It is made from coconut and jaggery. Also cashews, raisins and poppy seeds are added to it. The outer layer is made from rice flour.

Modak is Lord Ganesha’s most favorite food. That’s why it is offered to him as prasad or naivedya during the Ganesh chaturthi festival. After the modak, ladoos are his second most favorite sweet. Apart from sweets, savories like poori bhaji, varan bhaat, rishipanchami bhaji, rice poori are also offered as prasad.

Ukadiche is the Marathi word, meaning ‘steamed’. Hence is called steamed modak recipe.

Shaping part is time consuming and messy task. Here I have shared two ways of shaping the modak. One is using the moulds and second is by hand. If you are a beginner, then I would say please buy and use the moulds. It makes it much more easy and no fear of breaking the outer shell. Also if you are short on time, use moulds. It doesn’t require that much time compared to the shaping by hand.

Pleating and shaping them by hand needs practice, patience and expertise. I am neither expert nor patient, so I have used the moulds. But to show you I have shaped few modaks by hand. They are not perfect, but also not bad.

If you do not care for the look, or pretty looking pleats. Just make the round disc, put the stuffing in the center and just pinch the edges together to seal it. Then steam it. You are done.

Check out here the list of 10 different modak recipes 

How to make Ukadiche modak recipe (Step by step photos):

or Jump to Recipe

1) First make the sweet stuffing. Take grated coconut in a pan. Turn the heat on medium.

2) Add jaggery.

3) Mix well. as it gets heat up, jaggery will start to melt.

4) Keep stirring and cooking for couple of minutes.

5) Then add poppy seeds, cardamom powder, cashews and raisins.

6) Mix well and keep cooking till all the moisture is evaporated. The mixture should be dry. It took me 4-5 minutes. Time may vary. If you are making bigger batch then it will take more time. Keep aside and let it cool.

7) Now make the dough for outer layer. Take water in a saucepan, add pinch of salt. Turn the heat on medium-low. Let it come to a boil.

8) As it starts boiling, add ghee. Mix.

9) Immediately add rice flour.

10) Quickly stir it using spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure there are no lumps.

11) Cover with lid.

12) Cook for 2-3 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between.

13) Remove it to a plate. Let it cool to touch.

14) Once it is warm or cool enough to handle. Start kneading the dough. If it feels hot, apply some water on your palm and continue kneading.

15) make the smooth and lump free dough.

16) Make smooth balls out of it. With this quantity I got 15 balls.

Making ukadiche modak using mould:

17) Grease the inside of the mould using ghee. Add one ball into the mould.

18) Press it tightly and make the hollow center. Use your finger to shape it.

19) Now add the stuffing. Lightly press it.

20) Now take little dough and seal the open part.

21) Now open the mould.

22) Gently remove it and place on the plate. Keep it covered while you make the rest of the them.

Shape ukadiche modak by hand:

23) Grease your hand with oil or ghee or just wet with water. take one ball on your palm.

24) Now using your other hand, slightly press it make the small disc.

25) Now using two hands (thumbs and fingers), gently press it and keep shaping it.

26) Make about 3-4 inch diameter circle.

27) In center, add 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing.

28) Now using your thumb and first finger, start pinching the little edges and make the pleats.

29) More near the pleats, more beautiful it will look. This comes from the practice. I made only 5 pleats.

30) Now carefully pinch it together and seal it.

31) Place on the plate and continue making rest of them. Keep them covered while you shape the rest.

32) Here I have shaped only 3 of them using hand, rest using mould. By shaping them with hand, it takes some time and expertise.

33) Now to steam the modaks, prepare the steamer and let the water come to a boil. meanwhile, Brush all the modak using water. Or alternately you can dip them in a glass of water.

34) Prepare the steamer thali. Arrange the parchment paper or muslin cloth or banana leaf on the steamer thali. I have used the parchment paper. Arrange them on the thali.

35) steam them for 13-15 minutes on medium heat.

36) Let it cool to touch. Meantime they will firm up. Now remove them and place them on the plate.

These are ready to offer to the Lord ganesha.

Serving suggestion: It is offered to lord ganesha during the ganesh chaturthi festival. Then it is served to devotees. Traditionally, once modak are steamed, ghee/tup is drizzled on top and then offered to god.
Notes:

• Don’t cook the stuffing for longer time, otherwise coconut will get chewy.
• Make the outer shell of medium thickness. If it is too thick then it takes more time to cook. Also it doesn’t taste good as the proportion of outer part vs center filling is not right.
• If the outer shell is too thin then It may break while making the pleats. Also it may break and stuffing will ooze out while the steaming process.

Print Pin

Ukadiche modak recipe (Steamed modak recipe)

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings 15 no.

Author Kanan

Ingredients

For stuffing:

• 1 cup Coconut (Fresh or frozen), grated
• ½ cup Jaggery (Gur) powdered or grated
• ½ teaspoon Green cardamom seeds powder
• 1 tablespoon Poppy seeds (khuskhus)
• 5-6 Cashew nuts chopped
• 1 tablespoon Raisins

For outer covering:

• 1 ¼ cups Water
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 cup Rice flour

Instructions

Making the sweet stuffing.

• Take grated coconut in a pan. Turn the heat on medium.
• Add jaggery. Mix well. as it gets heat up, jaggery will start to melt.
• Keep stirring and cooking for couple of minutes.
• Then add poppy seeds, cardamom powder, cashews and raisins.
• Mix well and keep cooking till all the moisture is evaporated. The mixture should be dry. It took me 4-5 minutes.
• Time may vary. If you are making bigger batch then it will take more time.
• Keep aside and let it cool.

Making the dough:

• Take water in a saucepan, add pinch of salt. Turn the heat on medium-low.
• Let it come to a boil.
• As it starts boiling, add ghee. Mix.
• Immediately add rice flour. Quickly stir it using spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Cover with lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between.
• Remove it to a plate. Let it cool to touch.
• Once it is warm or cool enough to handle. Start kneading the dough.
• If it feels hot, apply some water on your palm and continue kneading.
• make the smooth and lump free dough.
• Make smooth balls out of it. With this quantity I got 15 balls.

Making modak using mould:

• Grease the inside of the mould using ghee. Add one ball into the mould.
• Press it tightly and make the hollow center. Use your finger to shape it.
• Now add the stuffing. Lightly press it.
• Now take little dough and seal the open part.
• Now open the mould. Gently remove it and place on the plate.
• Keep it covered while you shape the rest.

Shaping by hand:

• Grease your hand with oil or ghee or just wet with water. take one ball on your palm.
• Now using your other hand, slightly press it make the small disc.
• Now using two hands (thumbs and fingers), gently press it and keep shaping it.
• Make about 3-4 inch diameter circle. In center, add 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing.
• Now using your thumb and first finger, start pinching the little edges and make the pleats.
• More near the pleats, more beautiful it will look. This comes from the practice.
• Now carefully pinch it together and seal it.
• Place on the plate and continue making rest of them. Keep them covered.

Steaming ukadiche modak:

• prepare the steamer and let the water come to a boil.
• meanwhile, Brush all the modak using water. Or alternately you can dip them in a glass of water.
• Prepare the steamer thali. Arrange the parchment paper or muslin cloth or banana leaf on the steamer thali. Arrange modak on the thali.
• steam them for 13-15 minutes on medium heat.
• Let it cool to touch.
• Now remove them and place them on the plate.

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

Tried this recipe?Please comment below and give ★ ratings