Ukadiche modak recipe (Steamed modak)

Traditional ukadiche modak recipe with step by step photos – a classic Maharashtrian recipe perfect as Ganesh Chaturthi Prasad for offering to the Lord Ganesha.

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

What is Ukadiche Modak?

Ukadiche is the Marathi word, meaning ‘steamed’. Hence it is called steamed modak recipe. 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 dough. The outer layer is pleated and shaped. This task is time consuming.

Two ways to shape modak

• One is using the modak moulds – Perfect for beginners. It makes the shaping part much easier and no fear of breaking the outer shell. Also, it gets done really quickly, so if short on time go for this method.
• Second is the classic, traditional method using our own hands – Pleating and shaping them by hand needs practice, patience, and expertise. I am neither an expert nor a patient, so I have used the moulds. But to show you I have shaped a 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. Or make a half-moon shape like karanji. Then steam it and you are done.

The 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.

Check out the 10 different varieties of modak recipes.

How to make stuffing for ukadiche modak?

1. Take grated coconut and jaggery in a pan. Turn the heat on medium.
   
2. As the jaggery melts, the mixture starts to come together. Keep stirring and cooking for a couple of minutes.
   
3. Then add poppy seeds, cardamom powder, cashews, and raisins.
   
4. 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 a bigger batch then it will take more time. Keep aside and let it cool down.
   

How to make dough for outer covering?

1. Bring water to a boil on medium-low heat. As it starts boiling add ghee.
   
2. Immediately add rice flour.
   
3. Quickly stir it using a spatula or wooden spoon. Make sure there are no lumps.
   
4. Cover it with lid and Cook for 2-3 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between.
   
5. Remove it to a plate. Let it cool to touch.
   
6. 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.
   
7. Make the smooth and lump free dough.
   

How to shape ukadiche modak using moulds?

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

How to shape modak by hand?

1. Grease your hand with ghee or just wet with water. take one ball on your palm.
   
2. Now using your other hand, slightly press it to make the small disc.
   
3. Now using two hands (thumbs and fingers), gently press it and keep shaping it.
   
4. Make about 3-4 inch diameter circle.
   
5. In the center, add 2-3 teaspoons of stuffing. Now using your thumb and first finger, start pinching the little edges and make the pleats.
   
6. More near the pleats, more beautiful it will look. This comes from the practice. I made only 5 pleats.
   
7. Now carefully pinch it together and seal it.
   
8. Place on the plate and continue making rest of them. Keep them covered while you shape the rest.
   

How to steam ukadiche modak?

1. Prepare the steamer and let the water come to a boil. 
2. Meanwhile, Brush all the modak using water. Or alternately you can dip them in a glass of water.
   
3. 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.
   
4. steam them for 13-15 minutes on medium heat.
   
5. Let it cool to touch. Meantime they will firm up. Now remove them and place them on the plate. Drizzle ghee over it.
   

These are ready to offer to the Lord Ganesha.

Tips to make perfect soft modak:

• Don’t cook the stuffing for a 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 steaming.

Check out other modak recipes for Ganesh chaturthi
Chocolate modak  // Fried modak //  Rava modak // Mawa modak  // Modak peda

Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don’t forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!

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Ukadiche modak recipe (Steamed Modak)

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Traditional ukadiche modak recipe with step by step photos – a classic Maharashtrian recipe perfect as Ganesh Chaturthi Prasad for offering to the Lord Ganesha.

Servings 15 no.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

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 a 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 a bigger batch then it will take more time.
• Keep aside and let it cool.

Making the dough:

• Take water in a saucepan, add a 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 a 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 to 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 the 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. Drizzle ghee over it.

Notes

• There is special rice flour is available for making modak. It was not available in the USA, so I have used regular rice flour and it worked perfectly fine.
• Do not make the outer cover too thick otherwise, it takes longer to steam.
• Do not make the outer cover too thin otherwise, it will break while shaping and steaming.

Nutrition

Serving: 1modak | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 2.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 5.5g

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Maharashtrian

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Kanan

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