Modak - Sweet Rice Dumpling
Modak is a delicious sweet steamed rice dumpling filled with coconut and nuts. It is also vegan and gluten free. This is a very popular sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi festival which is a celebration in western and south India.
Ingredients
For Dough
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1 cup water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon oil
For Filling
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded coconut; I am using frozen shredded coconut this works well, available in Indian grocery stores
- 3 tablespoons almonds coarsely ground
- 3 tablespoons jaggery finely chopped, gur (unrefined cane sugar) available in Indian grocery stores
- 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Use a small frying pan, over low heat, and dry roast almonds for about one minute. Add oil, coconut and jaggery cook stirring continually until jaggery has melted and mixture becomes like soft dough, this should take about three to four minutes. Set aside.
- Boil the water in a pan with salt and oil, after water comes to boil lower the heat to low and add the rice flour, mix it well. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes or until it is warm.
- Take the rice flour mixture in a bowl, lightly oil your palm and knead the dough to make soft pliable dough. Dived the dough into 10 equal parts, and make them into smooth balls.
- Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges to about three-inch in diameter, leaving the center a little thicker than the edges.
- Place one teaspoon of the filling in the center. Sealed the filling shaping it into dome shape. Proceed to make all modaks same way.
- Steam the modaks in covered pan over medium heat about 10 minutes; finished modak will have a little shiney glazed.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I tried to make health and delicious modak using wheat floor, desiccated coconut and nuts.
Please have a look – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUMBuIXqR6g
Hello Manjula,
what kind of rice flour do you use? I tried with sticky-rice-flour but it doesn’t work it was to sticky an wet, even when i added more rice flour.
Nice greetings from Munich 😉
Ben, Good question, I just buy the rice flour from Indian grocery store never checked what kind of rice they are using and it is not written on the bag.
Am Malaysian n not so familiar with all those wonderfull north indian sweets n dishes. I do love cooking for Krishna n matajis recipes are so delicious n the type that my Laddu Krishna wd enjoy. Thank you for coming up with awesome recipes n above that willingness to share with the world. Thank you.
Such an easy method you can’t go wrong.! Umaraghu
Hello. Can modaks be frozen?
Mrinal, I have never tried
We used to make different method. Thank you for your way of making modak. I am going to try this .
Thank you.
Dear Manjula,
i have tried to make modak, but i doesn´t was able to knead a dough. It was really sticky. What can be the reason for this?
Reni, add little more hot water
Hi Manila
Can you use any other flour besides rice flour.
Very simple & clear recipes…