How to prepare Modak using Modak Mould?

How to prepare modak  using modak mould?

Modak is a sweet dish which originated in the Indian state of Maharashtra and it is considered to be the favorite dish of Lord Ganesha. It is customary to offer twenty one or hundred and eight modaks to Lord Ganesha. You can make fried or steamed modak. Coconut - jaggery mixture is the main sweet ingredient which enhances the taste. One can also add dry fruits. Modak mould  available at steel utensil showroom in India. It's easily available in Chennai (Santhosh Super Store, Anna Nagar, Saravana Stores,T Nagar, Ratna Store,  Pondy Bazaar & Purasaivakom ..). Price Rs 15 - 25 for each modak mould.

Makes: 11- 12

Preparation Time: 30 – 45 minutes

Steaming Time: 15 minutes

For the  Coconut Filling (always make coconut filling first):

Ingredients

 7 - 8 tablespoon grated coconut

7 – 8  tablespoon melted and sieved jaggery

1 teaspoon ghee

1 pinch cardamom powder

1 tablespoons chopped dry fruits (optional)

Method

In a frying pan, heat ghee. Add melted jaggery and fry for 5 minutes on a low heat till fragrant.

Add grated coconut and mix it well. Do not cover with lid. Stir continuously and fry for 10 - 12 minutes on a low heat till the coconut - jaggery mixture dries up. Add cardamom powder and keep aside.  Finally mix with chopped dry fruits (optional).Sweet filling should be dry in consistency without water content.

Microwave method:

In a microwave safe bowl, mix grated coconut and jaggery and microwave high on 750 w for 2 minutes (maximum 3 minutes).Then it will be a thick mixture without water and almost dry in texture. Remove from microwave and finally mix with cardamom powder and chopped dry fruits (optional). Modak filling is ready now.

For the outer covering (with rice flour paste):

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz  silky raw rice (ponni rice)

2 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon oil

Extra 3 teaspoon oil

Method

Wash and soak rice in 2 cups in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain out rice and reserve water. In a mixer bowl, make a smooth of soaked raw rice with ½ cup water (just to cover rice). Transfer this paste into another bowl and mix it with remaining water (in which the rice is soaked), salt and oil. Consistency of the raw rice batter  should be thin in consistency.

Transfer this mixture to a wide non stick pan and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 - 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens / leaves from the sides of the pan / difficult to stir and form a soft ball. At this point switch off the heat. Keep aside to cool for 10 - 12 minutes.  Then knead well with 1 teaspoon oil and make a soft dough without any lumps. This rice flour dough is very soft and it’s very easy to make Maharashtrian style modak and South Indian KozhukkattaI. Cover dough with a clean wet towel. Then it won't be dry and easy to make different shapes too.

2^nd recipe (with rice flour):

Makes: 11 - 12

For the Outer Covering:

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice flour and water (1: 1 ratio, 1 cup rice flour: 1 cup water)

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz  Nirapara Appam flour (rice flour) / Nutriyes brand also popular in Chennai or any very good quality rice flour. It is very difficult to prepare outer covering with normal rice flour. Always there is a confusion with the ratio of rice flour and water. I found that Appam flour is very useful to prepare Modak too !!

Ingredients

1 cup water (200 ml / 8 oz)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ghee

Extra 1 tablespoon oil

Method

Sieve Rice flour.

In a bowl, boil water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ghee. When the water starts boiling , remove the lid, reduce heat to minimum. Pour rice flour evenly with one hand and simultaneously stir with a spatula with the other hand (like Upma / Uppumaav preparation). Mixing of rice flour in boiling water is very important while making dough. It should be mixed evenly - else it may form lumps - which totally spoils the dish. Switch off the heat. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and cover with a tight lid. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

Transfer this rice flour mixture to another wide bowl, mix  it with 2 teaspoon oil and  knead again into a   an extra soft dough. Now the dough is very elastic in structure. One can fold / bind it to any form.Cover rice dough with a wet towel.

These recipe steps are adapted from Foodmatra.com

Grease modak mould  (inside portion) with little oil / ghee. Close modak mould.

Take a lemon size portion of the dough from the rice  dough mixture and make it almost pear shape. Insert dough into the modak mould. Rotate clock wise. Then it's easy to insert into the modak mould.

Make a cavity in the centre  of the dough with your thumb  finger.  Press the dough evenly with your thumb finger on the sides of the mould, making a large cavity in the centre.

Gently fill 2 – 3 teaspoon coconut mixture or any other filling (depending upon the size of the cavity) and fill up the cavity completely.

Take  small lemon size rice dough and seal the opening of the mould (seal the modak from the bottom), making it flat and even on the base with the help of a teaspoon.

Open the mould and remove modak carefully. Repeat this process for remaining modaks.

Final stage:

In a flat bowl (or in a steamer bowl) grease 1 teaspoon oil. Arrange modak carefully and steam in a steamer / rice cooker / pedavan / pressure cooker ( without weight ) for 15 minutes on medium heat or until done and soft. Serve warm with ghee.