Modak is a popular Indian sweet dish that is typically made during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. Modak is a sweet dish, it should be consumed in moderate quantity. However it has some health benefits too as it has ingredients like rice flour which is gluten-free and rich in carbohydrates and cocoa powder which is rich in antioxidants and magnesium. Coconut provides healthy fats and fiber. Jaggery is an unrefined natural sweetener that contains minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.Here is a simple recipe for making steamed modak:
Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup grated jaggery
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
A pinch of salt
Ghee or oil, for greasing
Instructions:
In a pan, mix the rice flour and water together and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a dough.
Remove from heat and add the jaggery, coconut, cardamom powder, and salt. Mix well.
Grease your hands with ghee or oil and divide the dough into small balls.
Flatten each ball and place a small amount of filling in the center. Bring the edges together to form a shape of modak.
Steam the modaks in a steamer or idli cooker for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Once done, remove from steamer and serve it warm or at room temperature.
Note: you can also make fried modak by deep frying the modak dough in oil.