dry fruits modak recipe, modak recipes | ganesh chaturthi recipes

prepping dry fruits and preparing the rice dough:
1. Keep all the ingredients ready for the dry fruit modak. Chop all the dry fruits and keep aside.
2. In a pan or vessel add 1.5 cups of water. Place it on a stove top on medium to high flame. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Allow the water to come to a rolling boil.
4. Reduce the flame and then add the rice flour gradually.
5. Quickly stir and mix the flour with water.
6. Mix very well and switch off the gas.
7. Cover the mixture with a lid and keep for 4 to 5 mins.
8. Then transfer the mixture to a thali or plate.
9. Allow the dough to slightly cool down. Knead the dough while its still warm but take care not to burn your fingers.
10. The dough should be soft and smooth.
11. Cover the dough with a damp muslin or cotton cloth. Now allow the dough to rest for 10 to 12 mins.
preparing dry fruits stuffing:
1. Meanwhile prepare the stuffing for the modaks. Heat a shallow frying pan and add 1 tablespoon of ghee.
2. Add all the chopped almonds
pistachios
cashews
dates
chironji and raisins.
3. Keep stirring on low flame.
4. After 1 to 2 mins the dry fruits will be fragrant and partly roasted. Remove them and place aside.
5. In the same pan add 1 teaspoon ghee. Add poppy seeds and saute them till they crackle.
6. Then remove the poppy seeds and place aside with the roasted dry fruits.
7. Then add grated or chopped mawa.
8. When the mawa begins to melt
then add 1/4 cup sugar.
9. Mix very well. Keep stirring the mixture.
10. The mixture will start bubbling. Then add 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut.
11. Stir again on low flame for a minute.
12. Add the roasted dry fruits and poppy seeds.
13. Keep stirring and mixing for a minute more on low heat.
14. Switch off the gas.
15. Transfer the mixture in another dish.
16. If you are using turmeric leaves then slice them. Place the leaves on individual moulds. Otherwise just grease the moulds or steamer pan with oil or ghee.
assembling & shaping modaks:
1. Grease the modal moulds with little ghee or oil.
2. Make small balls from the dough. They should be smooth and have no cracks.
3. Close or lock the mould gently. Put a small ball in the mould. Press the dough along the surface of the mould
so that a cavity or space is made.
4. Add the dry fruit mixture. Then cover with small piece of dough on top. Press to even it.
5. Now open or unlock the mould.
6. Gently remove the modak from the mould. Alternatively you could flatten the ball. Then place the modak filling in the center. Make small pleats bring all the edges together and join.
7. Keep the modak over the turmeric leaves or on greased idli moulds or steamer pan.
8. Either you could use a steamer pan or you could steam the modaks in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 mins on low flame without the whistle and vent. If using a steamer pan then add 2 and 1/2 cup of water to the steamer. Let the water come to a boil.
9. Now place the moulds into the steamer pan. Cover the pan with a lid and steam for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame.
10. Once the modaks are steamed remove and keep aside.
11. The dry fruits modaks are ready to be offered to lord ganesha.