How To Make Healthy Modak | Slurrp Presents Sweet Tooth

Modak is a popular Indian sweet dish which is known for its religious significance in many Indian states and cultures. This dessert is associated with both Hindu and Buddhist cultures, as it is made as Prasada to offer Lord Ganesha and it is also considered as one of the most favourite dishes of Lord Buddha. Historians claim that it was invented as a sweet dumpling by Zhang Zhongjing, a Chinese medicine practitioner. 

But then its roots spread and reached Maharashtra, an Indian state and today, that region is one of the biggest consumers of Modaks. The reasons behind why it became the first choice of Maharashtrian devotees of Lord Ganesha includes its sweet filling, which consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery. Sometimes, khoya or chocolate and dry fruits are also added to the filling. Its outer shell is very soft, which is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with maida flour. 

Apart from this, it also has many variations which include Steamed Modak or Ukadiche Modak, Fried Modak and Mawa Modak. Where the steamed one is especially prepared during the Ganesh Festival and cooked in a steamer, fried one is made by deep frying modaks in oil instead of being steamed. The Mawa modak is based on khoya (milk solids) and a variety of flavors can be obtained by adding different dry fruits and ingredients such as pistachio, cardamom, chocolate, and almond.