Ganapati bappa moriya

Steamed modak

Makes : 10 modaks

Ingredients

For the cover: Fine rice flour freshly made 1 cup

1 cup water

Pinch of salt

2 tsp oil

For the filling:

1 cup coconut freshly scrapped (use only the white portion)

1 cup jaggery grated

2 tsp khuskhus (poppy seeds) roasted

Pinch of salt

Pinch of saffron strands

(optional)

Method

♦     For the stuffing. Put the coconut and jaggery in a heavy bottom pan and cook on medium flame, stirring in between. Cook till the jaggery melts and the mixture becomes homogenous.

♦    Add the roasted poppy seeds, saffron strands, salt and cook for few more minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

♦    For the cover: Place 1 cup water in a pan and boil it. Once it boils add salt and oil to it. Take pan off heat and add rice flour. Mix it. Cover and keep it for 10 minutes (minimum) so that it cooks in the steam.

♦    Remove the mixture on a flat surface and knead it with your hands till it forms a smooth pliable dough. You can apply a little oil to your hands to avoid the dough from sticking. Do not apply too much oil.

♦    Make lemon sized balls from the dough. Take one ball from the dough and keep the remaining dough ballscovered with a wet kitchen towel.

♦    Flatten the small ball shaped dough with both your hands like a poori.Do not make it too thin. You can use a roti maker to make it too. Now hold the disc in your left hand. Apply little water to your fingers if the dough is too sticky. Pinch the edge of the flattened disk at 8-10 places to make a hollow bowl. With a spoon place the coconut stuffing in the centre

♦    Bring the edge together towards the centre to cover the stuffing and make the typical modak shape. (Shape resembles that of garlic bulb from top)

Repeat this process for the remaining dough and make remaining modak.

♦    Prepare a steamer. Grease the steaming plate with oil/ghee or place a banana leaf over it. Dip each modak in water (quickly). This ensures that they do not dry out.

♦    Keep them in the steamer, taking care that they do not stick to each other. Steam for about 12-15 minutes till they start looking glossy.

♦     Serve hot drizzled with ghee.

Note: For a variation, you can also add dry fruits and nuts of choice to the stuffing. You can also flavour or colour the covering dough with saffron

Baklava inspired fried modak

Makes : 10 -12modaks

Ingredients

For the cover: ¾ -1 cup maida

1 tablespoon ghee

Pinch of salt

Oil or ghee for deep frying

For the stuffing:

¼ cup shelled walnuts

¼ cup shelled pistachios

½ teaspoon cinnamon

powder

¼ teaspoon clove powder

10-12 raisins (optional)

4-5 tablespoons powdered brown sugar

For the syrup:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon rose water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Rose petals (fresh or dried) and pistachio slivers for garnish

Method:

For the cover:

♦    Pulse together maida, salt, ghee in the bowl of a food processor till the ghee is properly incorporated into the flour.

♦    Gradually add water and make a firm, pliable dough.

♦    Cover and keep for about 25-30 mins.

♦     For the stuffing:

♦    Pulse together walnuts, pistachios, sugar, cinnamon, clover powder in the bowl of the food processor to make a coarse mixture. Do not grind it to a fine powder. Add the raisins and give it a stir.

For the syrup:

♦    Place sugar and water in a small pan and boil to make a thick syrup. Take pan off heat and add honey, rose water and lemon juice. Stir and allow it to cool.

To make the modak:

♦    Pinch off very small balls from the dough and roll it out to make a small disk (not too thin). Place some filling (about 1 teaspoon) in the centre of the disc. Pinch the edge of the disc and bring it together in the centre to make the typical modak. Seal the filling properly.

Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

♦    Heat oil or ghee in a pan and deep fry the modaks till the turn golden brown.

♦     Place on a paper towel.

♦    Before serving drizzle the syrup over modaks and garnish with rose petals and pistachio slivers.

-  Recipe by Madhuli Ajay

Blueberry Coconut Modak

For blueberry filling

200 gm frozen blueberry

500 gm sugar

150 gm fresh coconut, 25 gm jaggery

A pinch of cardamom power

1 tsp khus khus

A pinch of salt

For dough

250 gm rice flour200 ml waterA few drops of blue or violet colour

Method

For blueberry filling

Cook sugar and frozen blueberry in a heated pan, until sugar is dissolve and and the mixture has thickened.

For dough

Take rice flour in a bowl.Boil water and slowly add it to the bowl of rice flour.Mix roughly with a wooden spoon.Cover and keep the bowl aside until the dough cools down to a stage when you can comfortably handle it.Add the colour and knead to form a soft pliable dough. Cover it.

-  Recipe by Mayuri Joshi