Equipment
Steamer Basket
Modak Mold
Ingredients
▢1 cup freshly grated coconut (or thawed frozen grated coconut)
▢¾ cup jaggery grated
▢1 pinch saffron
▢⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
▢¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
▢1 cup water
▢2 tablespoons ghee divided
▢¼ teaspoon kosher salt
▢1 cup fine rice flour **
Instructions
1.In a heavy bottom pan lightly roast the coconut on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add grated jaggery, saffron, nutmeg, and cardamom and cook on low heat for another 2 minutes. Mix well and keep aside. This filling can be made a couple of days in advance and refrigerated until ready to be used.
2.In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of ghee and salt. Turn the heat to low and add the rice flour. Mix it well with a spoon. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes on low heat. Turn the heat off and take out the dough in a mixing bowl. Allow it to cool down a little.
3.Knead the rice dough using 1 teaspoon of ghee and 2 to 4 tablespoons of warm water for 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and moist. Make 13 lemon-sized balls with the dough and keep them aside.
4.Coat inside of the modak mold with a layer of ghee. Close the mold and spread the rice dough inside the mold and start shaping it around gently with your fingers. Some of the dough will also come outside of the mold which will be used to seal the modak.
5.Gently put about 2 teaspoons of stuffing inside the mold. Seal the bottom with the extra dough that is outside of the mold. Gently open the mold and put the modak in a steaming rack. Repeat and make the remaining modak.
6.Heat 1 cup of water in a steamer pot. Once all the modak are ready, put the steaming rack inside the steamer pot (I steam 7 to 8 modaks at a time) and cook covered for 10 minutes on low to medium flame. Turn the heat off, let the modak cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove them from the steaming rack onto a platter. Enjoy!
