Divine Offering

Sanjay Phatak guides you through the steps to make mouth-watering modaks for Ganpati Bappa.

A modak as we know is the ultimate sweet offering for Lord Ganpati. This auspicious food
preparation is always thought to be very difficult to prepare. In fact, if practiced, it is not at all as it
looks. Here is a step-by-step method for all enthusiastic devotees who wish to offer self-made
modak to Lord Ganpati this festival! MAKES - 21.
 INGREDIENTS

 For Covering or Ukad

Rice Flour - 500 gm, Water - 75 per cent of rice flour, Ghee - 2 Tbsp, Salt - ½ Tsp.
 For stuffing or Saran
Coconut, grated - 1 Jaggery, half the quantity of the grated coconut,
Dry Fruits - 2 Tbsp, Cardamom Powder - 1 Tsp.

 PROCEDURE

 For Stuffing reaches boiling point, simmer the flame and

In a deep saucepan, mix the jaggery and
grated coconut. Put it on a low flame and
cook, till the jaggery completely melts, while
stirring it continuously.
Make sure that the mixture does not stick to
the pan and burns. Remove it from the flame.
Mix in the dry fruits and cardamom powder.
Leave it to cool.
 For Covering
Sieve the rice flour. Boil the water in a deep
saucepan or vessel. As soon as the water
put in the salt and ghee.
Now mix in the flour and stir it continuously
to cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
Place a lid on the vessel and cook further to
form a steam for about five minutes on a low
flame. Put off the flame.
The mixture is called ukad (pronounced as
oo-kad).
Take half the quantity of this on a plate. Rub
your hand with oil and use very little water
(approx one tbsp) and knead into dough.

 For Assembling
1. Take around two tbsp full of the ukad (20 gm). Make a ball and roll out using a rolling
pin to a size of four inch diameter. Make sure it is not very thin. (See picture 1)
 2. Place the rolled out dough on your palm. With the help of damp fingers pinch the edges
into a petal-like shape. (See picture 2)
3. Complete the round making similar petals. (See picture 3)

4. Fill in 1 ½ tbsp full of the filling. (See picture 4)

5. Now carefully starting from the bottom press the covering softly, simultaneously
rotating your palm clockwise with the help of fingers. (See picture 5)
 6. Moving your palm from the bottom to the top till you gather the covering together to
enclose the tip into a dome shape.
7. Remove any excess ukad from the tip and reuse it.
 For Cooking
Use a modak patra or idli steamer or
normal pressure cooker without the
whistle. Fill in water till two inch from
the bottom. Take a colander which fits.
Place a plastic sheet on the colander. Dip
only the bottom of the modak in water to
avoid sticking and place in the colander.
Place the colander in the steamer making
sure the bottom of the colander and the
water level has ample space. Cook for 10
minutes on high flame. To check whether
the modak is cooked, make an incision
with a knife. If the knife sticks, cook for
five minutes.
 IMPORTANT TIPS AND WHAT TO
AVOID
1. Use fresh rice flour which is specially
meant for preparation of modak.
2. Make sure you use 75 per cent water of the
rice flour.
3. Make sure your hands are clean to maintain
the white color of the modak.
4. Knead the dough when it is lukewarm but
should be done within 10 minutes after
cooking.
5. When you knead the dough, use very little
water and oil. If you use more the dough
will split while making the modak.
6. Make sure your hands are always greased
with water whilst making modak to prevent
sticking.