‘Modak’ fication

With Ganpati statues and pandals depicting modern scenes like the Metro Rail and Disneyland..how could modaks be left behind? The Lord’s favourite sweet has kept up with the times and now caters to all tastes from the dark chocolate lover to the calorie conscious.  DNA spoke to a few chefs who have successfully experimented with this traditional delicacy.

Double Decker Modak
By Sanjeev Kapoor Ingredients

•  11/2 cups Basmati rice flour
• 1 teaspoon oil
•   Few strands of saffron
•    A pinch of salt
•  For stuffing
•  11/2 cups grated fresh coconut
• 1/2cup grated jaggery
•  1/2 cup chopped seedless dates
• 1 tablespoon roasted poppy seeds
•  A pinch of green cardamom powder
• Jasmine sauce
• 20 fresh jasmine flowers
• 1/2cup sugar sauce

Method:
Heat 11/4 cups of water with salt and 1 teaspoon oil in a deep non stick pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the rice flour in a steady flow, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Cover the pan with a deep lid and pour some water into the lid. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle some cold water on the rice flour and cover again with the lid with water in it; cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat this process twice more. Take the pan off the heat and keep it covered for 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large plate (parat), grease the palms of your hands with oil and knead the dough till completely smooth and pliable. Dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons of water and add to the dough. The dough should not stick to your palms. Rest the dough covered with a damp cloth.

To make the stuffing, combine the coconut and jaggery in a non stick pan and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or till light golden brown. Make sure that you do not overcook the mixture. Add the dates, roasted poppy seeds, cardamom powder, and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Divide the coconut mixture into equal portions. Divide the dough into equal portions and shape them into balls. Grease the palms of your hands and spread each ball to form a 3 inch bowl and the base should be as thin as possible. Do not press the edges of the bowls to reduce the thickness. Place a portion of the stuffing in the centre; pleat the edges of the dough and gather them together to form a bundle. Pinch to seal the edges at the top. Now the extra dough remaining on top of it repeat the same method as done for the base modak very carefully. Pinch to seal the edges at the top. Heat sufficient water in a steamer. Place the modak on a perforated plate in the steamer and steam for 10-12 minutes.

To make the jasmine sauce, remove the jasmine petals and wash them thoroughly. Boil ½ cup water and add sugar to it. Let it boil. Cool the sugar syrup and add the jasmine petals to it. Let it stand for ½ an hour. Strain the sauce. Serve hot modak with the jasmine sauce

Baked Modak
By Vishnu Digamber Manohar

Ingredients:

•  (Outer covering)
• 2 cups maida
•   1/2tsp baking powder 
•  2tbsp ghee 
•  A pinch of salt
•  1/2cup milk powder
• (For filling)
• 1/2cup dry fruits
• 2tbsp mixed fruit jam

Method: For outer covering mix all the ingredients well in a plate adding little milk knead the mixture in soft dough. Make lemon size balls and keep aside. For filling make a coarse powder of dry fruits in a blender and than mix it in jam. Now roll out the balls of dough and place the fillings in the center, delicately make folds and shape it into Modak. Place them on the greased try and bake it in oven at 2200 degrees for 15-20 min. Serve crispy hot Modak.

Green Peas Cashwenut Modak
Deepa Suhas Awchat, Diva Maharashtracha

Ingredients:

•  Boiled green peas 1 cup
• 20 soaked cashew nuts 
•    1 finely chopped onion
•    1 finely chopped tomato
• tsp garam masala powder
•     1/2 tsp cumin powder
•  1/4cup grated coconut 
•   2 tbsp coriander leaves
•  1/2 tsp sugar
•  Salt to taste
•  2 tbsp pure ghee
• (Outer cover)
• 1 cup rice flour
•   11/4 cup water
• Salt to taste
•    1 tbsp pure ghee

Method: Heat ghee in a pan and add chopped onion and saute till it changes colour. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft. Add green peas and saute for two minutes. Add cummin powder, garam masala powder, cashew nuts, grated coconut, sugar, salt to taste and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir and cook for 2 minutes till it mixes well. Add coriander leaves. Remove it from the flame and keep aside.

(For modak)
Boil water and add salt and ghee to it. Add rice flour and keep stirring it till water evaporates. Keep aside to cool for 5 min. Knead dough till it becomes soft without any lumps. Make marble size balls of it and keep aside. Take banana leaf and apply a drop of oil to it. Pat each dough ball into a round. Place cooked green peas and cashewnut filling at the centre of it, and draw the ends together in the form of pleats to give a conical shape at the top. Join all the pleats. Steam for 15 minutes and serve hot.