Monday, September 1, 2014

Ganesh Chaturthi Special : Modak (Indian Sweet) Recipe (Mehezabin and Shraddha)

Ingredients
For the stuffing
  • 1 bowl grated coconut
  • 1/2 bowl sugar
  • 1/2 bowl jaggery
  • Dry fruits (almonds,raisins, pistachio, cashews) as per your choice
  • 2 to 3 tsp pure ghee
  • A pinch of kesar, cardamom and nutmeg powder
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds (khas khas)
  • 2 tsp mawa (optional)
For the cover
  • 2 bowls rice flour
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp of oil or ghee
  • Hot water as per requirement
Method
For the stuffing
  • Heat ghee in a pan. Add poppy seeds and saute for a minute.
  • Add grated coconut, sugar, jaggery (broken into small pieces or grated), cardamom and nutmeg powder and all dry fruits. Mix thoroughly.
  • Cook till all moisture from the sugar and jaggery begins to dry.
  • It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for the mixture to dry on low flame.
  • Do not overcook as it will harden up and lose its taste.
  • Stir every 2 to 3 minutes till it turns golden yellow.
  • You can add more ghee if the stuffing becomes too dry.
For the cover
  • Boil water.
  • Add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of ghee to the flour and mix it thoroughly.
  • Add 1 tsp of ghee in the boiling water.
  • Add the dough to the boiling water. Lower heat. Mix well.
  • Cover the vessel keep it for 5 minutes on low flame to let the rice cook.
  • Knead the dough into a smooth paste without lumps.
  • You need to knead it while it is still hot. You may apply some oil or ghee on your palms.
  • If you feel the dough looks dry and hard, add some hot water and continue to knead till the dough turns smooth. 
Making the Modaks
  • Apply pinch of oil/ghee on your palms and make small balls of the dough.
  • Flatten it to give it the shape of a katori or cone.
  • Press the edges of the katori-shaped dough with slight pressure at every 1 inch distance.
  • The edges of the katori will now look like the petals of the flower.
  • Put some stuffing in the katori and close the ends to give them a shape like fresh figs or momos.
  • Take a leaf of banana or a soft cloth like muslin, and apply bit oil/ghee on it and place it in the steamer pan.
  • Place all the modaks on the leaf or cloth and close the lid.
  • Steam it for 5 to 6 minutes and turn off the flame.
  • Your delicious modaks are ready to be served.
Tip: Do not over steam the modaks, else they will become hard.
For Fried Modaks
  • Instead of steaming the stuffed modaks, heat oil in the frying pan and deep fry the modaks on low or medium flame till they turn golden brown from all sides.


    

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