Ukadiche Modak recipe - Handmade Rice flour dumplings with coconut jaggery filling - Ganesh Chaturti Naivedya

Ukadiche Modak recipe - Ukadiche Modak is an essential Naivedya or Prasad which is prepared to offer Lord Ganesh during Ganesh Chaturthi festival or Sankashti Chaturthi day. Today I am sharing with you all a traditional, authentic Ukadiche modak of Maharashtra. Modak is steamed rice flour dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery mixture. It has an inviting flavour and sweet taste. This lovely modak is so soft and delicious too, try this modak and taste it. It is one of my favorite sweets and I like the preparation. It is a very simple dessert that you can make it easily and it doesn't need any practice. Modak moulds both in steel and plastic is available in the utensil's shop, and I'll post modak using mould recipe in due course. 

Ukadiche Modak Recipe

Prep time : 30 mins
Cook time : 30 mins
Total time : 1 hr
Recipe type : Sweet-Naivedya
Cuisine : Maharashtrian
Yield :  5 Modaks
Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients 
For the dough 

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2   tsp ghee
• a pinch of salt

For the filling 

• 1 cup grated fresh coconut
• 1/2 cup jaggery powder
• 2 - 3 cardamoms, powdered
• 3 -4  cashew nuts, chopped  and toasted (optional)

Method

1. Combine together the coconut, Jaggery, and cashew nuts. Heat this coconut mixture in a pan over a medium flame, stirring continuously till the jaggery melts.
2. Stir it for 2 minutes and remove from the flame. Do not cook it too long. It becomes sticky. Allow it to cool and add the cardamom powder. Mix well.
3. Boil 1 cup of water in a vessel.  Add ghee, salt and the rice flour, stir continuously and mix well.
4. Cook it over a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame, cover with lid and keep it aside.
5. When it cools, grease the palm of your hand and knead the steamed rice flour into a smooth dough. Sprinkle some water if required. Cover the dough with a moist cloth. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.
6. Divide the dough into  5 equal portions  and shape them into balls.
7. Grease the palms of your hands and press the round ball with your fingers to make a small bowl as shown in the picture below.
8. Divide the coconut jaggery mixture / hoorna into 5 equal portions and place 1 portion of the hoorna in the center of the dough bowl. Fold and press the edges of  the dough bowl as shown in the picture below.
9. Join the folded edges together to form the dough bowl into a modak shape as shown in the picture below. Pinch off  any  extra dough on the top.
10. Heat sufficient water in a steamer or modak patra. Spread a thin cloth on the steamer plate and place the modaks on this plate.
11. Cover with a lid and steam the modaks over a medium flame for about 15 minutes.
12. Open the lid and place the steamed modaks on a flat plate.

Ukadiche Modak - step by step pictures
For the filling 
1.  Combine together the coconut, Jaggery, and cashew nuts. Heat this coconut mixture in a pan over a medium flame, stirring continuously till the jaggery melts. 

2.  Stir it for 2 minutes and remove from the flame. Do not cook it too long. It becomes sticky. Allow it to cool and add the cardamom powder. Mix well.

For the dough 
1.  Boil 1 cup of water in a vessel.  Add ghee, salt and the rice flour, stir continuously and mix well. 

2.  Cook it over a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame, cover with lid and keep it aside. 

3.  When it cools, grease the palm of your hand and knead the steamed rice flour into a smooth dough. Sprinkle some water if required. Cover the dough with a moist cloth. Keep it aside for 15 minutes.

Making the modaks 

1.  Divide the dough into  5 equal portions  and shape them into balls.

2.  Grease the palms of your hands and press the round ball with your fingers to make a small bowl as shown in the picture below.

3.  Divide the coconut jaggery mixture / hoorna into 5 equal portions and place 1 portion of the hoorna in the center of the dough bowl. Fold and press the edges of  the dough bowl as shown in the picture below.

4.  Join the folded edges together to form the dough bowl into a modak shape as shown in the picture below. Pinch off  any  extra dough on the top.

Steaming the modaks
1.  Heat sufficient water in a steamer or modak patra. Spread a thin cloth on the steamer plate and place the modaks on this plate. Cover with a lid and steam the modaks over a medium flame for about 15 minutes.

2.  Open the lid and place the steamed modaks on a flat plate.