This Ganesh Chaturthi, let’s make your loved ones’ health a priority while serving Lord Ganesha his favourite food. Yes, we are referring to Dried Fruit Modak, which is made with a mixture of dry fruits, desiccated coconut, and ghee and is incredibly tasty and healthful. This auspicious celebration, which commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha, has long placed a premium on modaks. Prepare this modak as a sacrifice to the Lord and ask for his blessings for prosperity. Serve this delectable treat as prasad to all your loved ones and transport them to a realm of wonderful flavours.
Here’s the recipe for Dry Fruit Modak.
Ingredients
For the outer covering:
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1½ cups of water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the dry-fruit stuffing:
- 1 to 2 tbsp ghee or any oil
- 100 gram khoya
- 1 tsp khus khus (optional)
- ¼ cup almonds or 16 medium sized almonds (chopped finely)
- 2 tbsps cashews (chopped finely)
- 1½ tbsps pistachios (chopped finely)
- 1 tbsp chironji
- 4 to 5 dates (chopped finely)
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
- ¼ cup fresh grated coconut
- ¼ cup sugar
Other ingredients:
- 2½ cups water for steam cooking modak in a steamer pan
- 1 turmeric leaf (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoon ghee or oil, for greasing the steamer pan or idli moulds, if not using turmeric leaf
Method:
- Keep all the ingredients ready for the dry fruit modak.
- Chop all the dry fruits, nuts and keep aside
- In a pan or vessel add 1.5 cups of water.
- Place it on a stovetop on medium to high flame.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Let the water come to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat and then add the rice flour gradually.
- Quickly stir and mix the rice flour with water.
- Mix very well and switch off the heat.
- Cover the mixture with a lid and keep aside for 4 to 5 mins.
- Then transfer the mixture to a thali or plate.
- Allow the dough to slightly cool down.
- Knead the dough while it’s still warm but take care not to burn your fingers.
- The dough should be soft and smooth.
- Cover the dough with a damp muslin or cotton cloth.
- Now, allow the dough to rest for 10 to 12 mins.
For the dry-fruit stuffing:
- Prepare the stuffing for the modaks.
- Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of ghee
- Add all the chopped almonds, pistachios, cashews, dates, chironji, and raisins
- Keep stirring on low heat.
- After 1 to 2 mins the dry fruits will be fragrant and partly roasted.
- Remove them on a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan add 1 teaspoon ghee.
- Add poppy seeds and saute them till they crackle on low heat.
- Then remove the poppy seeds and also the ghee.
- Place aside with the roasted dry fruits and nuts.
- Then add grated or chopped mawa.
- When the mawa begins to melt, then add ¼ cup sugar.
- Mix very well. Keep stirring the mixture.
- The mixture will start bubbling.
- Then add ¼ cup fresh grated coconut.
- Stir again on low heat for a minute.
- Add the roasted dry fruits and poppy seeds.
- Keep stirring and mixing for a minute more on low heat.
- Switch off the flame.
- Transfer the mixture to another plate.
- If you are using turmeric leaves then cut them.
- Place the leaves on individual idli moulds or line them on a baking pan or steaming pan. Or else, simply grease the moulds or steamer pan with oil or ghee.
For assembling and shaping:
- Grease the modal moulds with little ghee or oil.
- Make small balls from the dough.
- They should be smooth and have no cracks.
- Close or lock the mould gently. Put a small ball in the mould.
- Press the dough along the surface of the mould, so that a cavity or space is made
- Add the dry fruit mixture.
- Then cover with a small piece of dough on top. Press to even it.
- Now open or unlock the mould.
- Gently remove the modak from the mould.
- Alternatively you could flatten the ball. Then place the modak filling in the centre. Make small pleats, bring all the edges together and join.
- Keep the modak over the turmeric leaves or on greased idli moulds or steamer pan
- Either you could use a steamer pan or you could steam the modaks in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 mins on low heat without the whistle and vent.
- If using a steamer pan then add 2 and ½ cup of water to the pan. Let the water come to a boil.
- Now carefully place the moulds into the steamer pan taking care of the water. does not touch the idli moulds or baking pan on which the modaks are kept.
- Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low heat.
- Once the modaks are steamed gently remove and keep aside.
- You can sprinkle some ghee or saffron infused milk on the modaks prior to offering it to Ganesha.
