Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: 3 Modak Recipes To Celebrate The Festival
Image Credit: Kaju Gulkand Modak

Finally, after a long wait, the time has come to welcome Ganpati Bappa to our homes. Ganesh Chaturthi is a grand festival in India that is widely celebrated all over the country. Along with pandals, rituals, decorations, and prayers, Lord Ganesha is also offered his favourite delicacies for bhog. Some popular dishes prepared on Ganesh Chaturthi are puran poli, payasam, shrikhand, motichoor laddoo, satori, and Bappa’s favourite modak. 

Modak is the most important part of this celebration. In the southern states, this sweet treat has its own version called kozhukattai. According to Hindu mythology, Modak is the favourite mithai of Lord Ganesha, which is why he was also given the title Modapriya, meaning someone who loves to eat modak.Traditionally, it is made with rice flour, jaggery, and coconut, but you can find many unique and creative varieties of this sweet.

If you are also looking for some interesting modak varieties for this festival, here are three recipes for you:

Jack Fruit Gulkand Pornam Modak


By Chef Mahesh Ramasamy, Executive Chef of Angsana Oasis Spa & Resort

Ingredients:  

  • 250 g of rice flour
  • salt to taste
  • oil to grease
  • 100 ml of water

For stuffing:  

  • 200 g jackfruit
  • 1/4 tsp rose gulkand
  • 1/2 tsp of black sesame seed
  • 1/2 tsp of white sesame seed
  • 3/4 tsp of palm sugar
  • 1/4 tsp of green cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp grated coconut
  • 1 tsp ghee
  • Water for soaking sesame seed

Method  

  • Soak both sesame seeds in water and drain until dry. Meanwhile, mix the rice flour, salt, and water to make a nice cough. Cover it with a white cloth and keep it aside.
  • Chop the jackfruit and mix it with gulkand. Boil the palm sugar in water and make a thick syrup.
  • Toss the sesame in ghee and make a powder of it. Mix all the ingredients with palm syrup until consistency comes together as a ball. 
  • Make small balls and roll them with a pin. Take a spoon full of stuffing and make a ball of it. Keep it in the centre and make a shape of it according to your choice.  
  • Steam in an idli steamer, arranging jackfruit leaves as the base. Enjoy the modak when it’s hot, with some ghee on it.  

Chocolate Hazelnut Modak


By Chef Raj Kumar Nandy, Executive Chef, Hotel Royal Orchid, Bangalore

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup of rice flour
  • 1-1.5 cup water
  • salt a pinch
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 cup Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread
  • ½ cup roasted hazelnuts
  • ½ cup amaretti cookies crushed
  • a few drops of hazelnut liqueur

Method: 

  • Begin by preparing the rice flour dough. Mix rice flour, hot water, ghee, and a pinch of salt to form a smooth, pliable dough. Knead until soft and set aside.
  • For the Chocolate Hazelnut Filling: In a bowl, mix the Nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread with the finely chopped roasted hazelnuts until combined. 
  • Shape the rice flour dough into small cups. Fill each with a generous portion of the chocolate-hazelnut filling. Seal each modak, ensuring no filling leaks out. 
  • Steam the modaks for 10–15 minutes, or until the outer covering becomes glossy. Once cooked, allow the modaks to cool slightly. 
  • For an Italian touch, roll or sprinkle each modak with crushed amaretti cookies. For an elevated experience, drizzle or mix in a few drops of hazelnut liqueur before serving.

Kaju Gulkand Modak

Chef Gaurav Ramakrishnan, Head Chef, Hyatt Centric MG Road, Bangalore

Ingredients

  • 500 g cashew nuts
  • 400 g of sugar
  • 125 g pista flakes
  • 200 g of gulkand
  • 25 g of dehydrated rose petals
  • 150 g dark chocolate
  • gold varak for garnishing

Method: 

  • Soak cashew nuts for 1 hour. Remove the water and make a paste of it. Put this paste in a pan, add sugar, and let it settle for 15 minutes.  
  • Then switch on the gas and keep stirring it over a low flame for 45 minutes. And now your dough will be ready. 
  • For stuffing, add gulkand to pista flakes and make small balls. Stuff these balls in the cashew nut dough that you prepared. 
  • Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. The shaped modak can be dipped half vertically in the chocolate and set aside to cool.
  • The other half can be stuck with rose petals with the help of a mould. Add rose petals to the Modak mould and then the stuffed balls, so that the rose petals stick to the modak. 
  • For garnishing, add gold varak to it. Now rose-petal gulkand modak is ready to serve.