Modak Recipe with step by step pictures and video is posted for easy understanding and reference. It is a sweet dumpling offered for Lord Ganesh on Ganesh Chaturthi festival as it is considered to be his favourite. 
Modak is Lord Ganesha’s favorite sweet and is one of the popular Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe that everyone tries especially in Indian homes.
About Modak Recipe
It is made by steaming rice flour dough stuffed with a filling of jaggery & coconut. It is shaped with a mould or with hand. Firstly we make the filling, secondly the rice flour dough, thirdly they are shaped and finally steamed.Our modak is unique to festivals and also has many varieties – sweet, savour, spicy, plain, fried. A collection of these variations are posted for Ganesh Chaturthi!
- Dough : The main important step in getting the modak perfectly is to get the rice flour dough in the correct texture. If the dough is dry it will start to break while shaping. If the dough is loose it will not hold it shape at all. The proportion of rice flour is to water is very important and also the method. If you cook for more time, the modak will become hard after steaming. I have given seperate post for the dough with tips and tricks.
- Sweet filling: Jaggery syrup along with coconut should be cooked right.If you cook more the stuffing will become hard and more like a candy. If it is loose wand watery then the stuffing will ooze out while shaping.So make sure to make the inner stuffing just right so that its juicy at the same time thick enough to stay intact.
- Shaping : Once you get the dough right shaping is very easy. Make sure to make a slightly thin outer covering not too thin as it may tear easily.
Modak Ingredients
- Rice flour : Traditionally homemade rice flour are used to make Modak. See Rice Flour recipe for making Rice flour. Instant readymade flours are easily available these days in stores so you can use them too. But make sure to roast well and sieve it once to ensure no speck is there then proceed.
- Coconut : Fresh grated coconut is recommended for this recipe. We can use desiccated coconut as well when fresh coconut is not available. Coconut powder or milk in place of grated coconut is not recommended even though we can use as it may not taste perfect!
Modak Recipes
Modak is made using rice flour for outer covering shell and for the inner filling traditionally freshly grated coconut and jaggery are used. But now there are many variations and alternates to the traditional modak recipe and here are some. I have given modak recipes with mould and without the mold.
The South Indian version of modak is called Kozhukattai or Modakam which is very popular in Southern States especially in Tamil Nadu.
Types of Modak
There are 2 diffferent types of modak:
- Steamed : a healthy version of modak which tastes delicious with different sweet fillings inside. The steamed version popularly called as ukadiche modak. You can steam it in Instant pot also.
- Fried Modak : It is nothing but a fried version of modak. It is simpler and easier compared to the steamed version.
Moulds for Modak
Many shops begin to sell modak moulds few weeks before Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Nowadays it is readily available online too. But you can make modak with or without mould. I have shared both the recipes in the recipe card.
I have 2 types of mould one is aluminium and other is plastic. Both are easy to shape.
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Modak Recipe
Ingredients
For outer modak covering:
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/2 tsp ghee
- salt to taste
- water as needed
For inner sweet filling for modak
- 1 cup coconut grated
- 1/2 cup jaggery crushed
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 tsp ghee
Instructions
Modak sweet filling
- Heat ghee in a pan.
- Add coconut and jaggery to it. Make sure to add good quality jaggery free from impurities.
- Mix well and keep cooking until jaggery starts to dissolve.It will be slightly goey at this stage.
- Cook until its thick still juicy. Do not overcook as it might turn hard and chewy.
- Add ghee, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to it.
- Mix well tand switch off. Let it cool down a bit.
Modak dough
- To a mixing bowl add rice flour.
- Add salt and ghee to it.
- Mix this well first.
- Boil water.
- Add water little by little.
- Keep mixing using a spatula.
- Keep adding and mixing.
- Keep stirring adding water little by little.
- Gather to form a mass.
- Once it gathers to form a dough close and keep aside for 5 mins.
- Once it is warm enough to handle with hand, open give a quick mix.
- Mix well with fingers to form a soft dough.
- Keep covered until use to avoid drying up.Modak dough ready.
Making modak without mould
- Pinch a lemon sized dough flatten it slightly then make it thin on all sides. Add the coconut jaggery filling on it.
- Pull the edges and bring it to the center and seal it.
- Shape it like a modak.Remove extra portion of the dough on top if any.
Making modak with mould
- Get all your ingredients ready.
- Grease your mould with oil or ghee.
- Fill it with a pinch of small lemon sized dough.
- Using your finger make space for the filling as shown.
- Make sure the sides of the modak are slightly thin.
- Add coconut jaggery filling inside the space,may be a spoonfull.
- Seal using the side dough first.
- Now pinch a smalk portion of dough flatten it and seal the base like shown below.
- Gently open.
- Modak is shaped and ready.Repeat and finish.
- Add enough water say 2 cups to the steamer pot.Let it start to boil.Grease the steamer plate. Arrange the modaks on it.
- Cover with lid.
- Steam cook in low medium flame for 5-8 mins or until the outer covering turns shiny.If the modaks are big in size it may take upto 10 mins.Do not overcook as the modaks will turn hard.
- Steaming hot modak's are ready.
Video
Notes
- Making modak is an art. Just like how we draw in our drawing class at school, we will have our own versions of drawing which we admire & feel appreciative of even though it may not match that of the model exactly. I bet we will get this feeling with Modak as well.
- Use quantity, time and method just as prescribed to get the perfect tasty Modaks.
And don’t worry even if it gets screwed up midway. Yes - Refer my FAQs to make it back alright.
How to make Modak (step by step method)
Modak sweet filling
1.Heat ghee in a pan.
2.Add coconut and jaggery to it. Make sure to add good quality jaggery free from impurities.
3.Mix well and keep cooking until jaggery starts to dissolve.It will be slightly goey at this stage.
4.Cook until its thick still juicy. Do not overcook as it might turn hard and chewy.
5.Add ghee, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder to it.
6.Mix well tand switch off. Let it cool down a bit.
Modak dough
7.To a mixing bowl add rice flour.
8.Add salt and ghee to it.
9.Mix this well first.
10.Boil water.
11.Add water little by little.
12.Keep mixing using a spatula. 
13.Keep adding and mixing.
14.Keep stirring adding water little by little.
15.Gather to form a mass.
16.Once it gathers to form a dough close and keep aside for 5 mins.
17.Once it is warm enough to handle with hand, open give a quick mix.
18.Mix well with fingers to form a soft dough.
19.Keep covered until use to avoid drying up.Modak dough ready.
Making modak without mould
20.Pinch a lemon sized dough flatten it slightly then make it thin on all sides. Add the coconut jaggery filling on it.
21.Pull the edges and bring it to the center and seal it.
22.Shape it like a modak.Remove extra portion of the dough on top if any.
Making modak with mould
20.Get all your ingredients ready. 
21.Grease your mould with oil or ghee.
22.Fill it with a pinch of small lemon sized dough.
23.Using your finger make space for the filling as shown.
24.Make sure the sides of the modak are slightly thin.
25.Add coconut jaggery filling inside the space,may be a spoonfull.
26.Seal using the side dough first.
27.Now pinch a smalk portion of dough flatten it and seal the base like shown below.
28.Gently open.
29.Modak is shaped and ready.Repeat and finish.
30.Add enough water say 2 cups to the steamer pot.Let it start to boil.Grease the steamer plate. Arrange the modaks on it.
31.Cover with lid.
21.Steam cook in low medium flame for 5-8 mins or until the outer covering turns shiny.If the modaks are big in size it may take upto 10 mins.Do not overcook as the modaks will turn hard.
22.Steaming hot modak’s are ready.
Tasty soft modak’s are ready to offer to Lord Ganesha and relish.
Serving Suggestions
Make it as a brunch – after pooja – with no breakfast or lunch menu additionally. Just modak and you. Consume on the same day of making as the recipes contain coconut. Refrigeration is not needed. However if we are gonna reserve some of it for friends / relatives for the next day, we can refrigerate and then steam it lightly / heat with microwave before serving.
Expert Tips
- Make thin outer layer so that the modak is soft and gets cooked easily.
- If you add water to jaggery then while making stuffing it will be watery and will take time to get thick.
- The coconut pooranam should be thick in consistency else you will have a tough time wrapping them inside .
Making modak is an art. Just like how we draw in our drawing class at school, we will have our own versions of drawing which we admire & feel appreciative of even though it may not match that of the model exactly. I bet we will get this feeling with Modak as well. Use quantity, time and method just as prescribed to get the perfect tasty Modaks.
And don’t worry even if it gets screwed up midway. Yes – Refer my FAQs to make it back alright.
FAQs
1.What is modak?
Modak is a sweet dumpling dish popular in India offered as prasad or neiveidyam for Lord Ganesha. According to hindu belief it is Lord Ganesha’s favorite dish.Lord Ganesha loves modak so Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete without it.
2.How to make modak?
First the outer shell covering is made using rice flour and water. Then the sweet stuffing is made using jaggery and coconut. Traditionally jaggery and coconut is used but there are a lot of variations these days to the traditional stuffing. Now shape the dough , add the stuffing inside pull the edges and bring together to form modak shape.
Basically the outer covering should not be too thick as the sweet portion will become less while consuming and gives more of flour taste than Modak taste. Also it will increase the cooking time and may lead to undercooked outer covering.
3. What should I do when my dough becomes dry?
Sprinkle little hot water, knead it once again and make the dough soft and moist. Do not use dry / hard dough as it will crack the modak or pop out the filling while steaming and also gives hard texture.
4. I have excess rice flour dough and less filling?
Hope you had not missed any of the quantity prescribed in the recipe or you would have made very thick outer shell / dough which would have lead you to this problem. If you do not have time to make more filling, just make the dough in small balls and steam it with the other ones. Though it will lack sweetness, it will be still good if you like it plain. Refer to Ammini Kozhukattai for making it little spicy!
5. I do not have mould what should I do?
Well, unless you are particular about the shape, we can make it with hand. I have given method to make modak with and without mould, hope you find it useful.
6. Is Kozhukkattai and Modak the same?
Yes – more or less. Kozhukattai is the South Indian version of Modak. Variations in name come from the different region – modak (मोदक) in Marathi, Konkani and Gujarati; modhaka in Kannada; modhakam or kozhakkattai in Tamil and Malayalam; and kudumu or “madhaka” in Telugu.
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