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Delicate, steamed rice flour dumplings filled with a sweet, aromatic mixture of fresh coconut and jaggery. This beloved Maharashtrian sweet is a festive essential, especially for Ganesh Chaturthi, and melts in your mouth with every bite.
Prepare the Sweet Filling (Saran)
Make the Rice Flour Dough (Ukad)
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Delicate, steamed rice flour dumplings filled with a sweet, aromatic mixture of fresh coconut and jaggery. This beloved Maharashtrian sweet is a festive essential, especially for Ganesh Chaturthi, and melts in your mouth with every bite.
This maharashtrian recipe takes 55 minutes to prepare and yields 12 servings. At 154.25 calories per serving with 1.44g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for dessert or snack.
Shape the Modaks
Steam the Modaks
Serve
Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped nuts like almonds, cashews, or pistachios to the coconut-jaggery filling for extra crunch and richness.
Add a few strands of saffron, soaked in a teaspoon of warm milk, to the water while preparing the dough for a beautiful color and aroma.
You can use an equal amount of finely chopped dates or a mix of dates and figs instead of jaggery for a naturally sweetened filling.
The fresh coconut in the filling is a good source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are healthy fats that can provide a quick source of energy.
Made entirely from rice flour, Ukadiche Modak is a naturally gluten-free dessert, making it a suitable option for individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
Jaggery is an unrefined sugar that retains more minerals like iron and magnesium compared to white sugar. It provides a rustic sweetness and is considered a healthier alternative in traditional Indian cooking.
One Ukadiche Modak contains approximately 135-145 calories, primarily from the coconut, jaggery, and rice flour.
Ukadiche Modak is a traditional sweet and should be enjoyed in moderation. It is healthier than many deep-fried or refined sugar-based sweets. Jaggery provides some minerals, coconut offers healthy fats, and the steaming method is better than frying. It is also naturally gluten-free.
The covering can become hard for a few reasons: the dough was not kneaded well enough while hot, the water-to-flour ratio was incorrect, or the modaks were over-steamed. Ensure you knead the dough until it's very smooth and steam for just 10-12 minutes.
You can prepare the coconut-jaggery filling (saran) a day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, the rice flour dough (ukad) must be made fresh and used immediately for the best results.
Cracking usually indicates that the dough is too dry. This can happen if the flour-to-water ratio is off or if the dough wasn't kneaded enough. Try adding a few drops of hot water and knead again until it's smooth and pliable. Also, keep the unused dough covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.