Every year, a few weeks before Ganesh Chaturthi, my grandmother would start practicing her modak pleats, insisting hers had gotten rusty since the last festival. I used to sit beside her on the kitchen floor, stealing spoonfuls of the coconut-jaggery filling before it even made it into the dough. To this day, the smell of coconut simmering with jaggery instantly transports me back to her kitchen.

What is Modak?

Modak is a sweet steamed dumpling made from a soft rice flour dough, stuffed with a filling of fresh grated coconut and jaggery, and delicately shaped into a pleated, teardrop-shaped parcel. It has a soft, slightly chewy outer shell and a warm, caramel-sweet filling inside.

Where Modak Comes From

Modak is most closely associated with Maharashtra, where it is considered Lord Ganesha’s favorite sweet and is prepared in almost every household during Ganesh Chaturthi. The festival, which falls in late August or September, sees families gather to make dozens of modaks as an offering to the deity before the sweets are shared among family and friends. Variations of this stuffed dumpling appear across India under different names, but the steamed ukadiche modak remains the most traditional version.

Health Benefits of Coconut

• Fresh coconut is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which the body can use quickly for energy
• It contains fiber, manganese and copper, supporting digestion and bone health
• Jaggery, used in place of refined sugar, retains small amounts of iron and minerals and is easier on digestion for most people
• Rice flour makes the dumplings naturally gluten-free

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp ghee, plus extra for greasing
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• 3/4 cup grated jaggery
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp chopped nuts (cashews or almonds), optional
• 1 tsp poppy seeds, optional

Instructions:

Step 1: Make the filling

In a pan, combine grated coconut and jaggery. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously, until the jaggery melts and the mixture thickens and turns slightly glossy, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in cardamom powder and nuts, then set aside to cool.

Step 2: Prepare the rice flour dough

Bring water, ghee and salt to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Turn off the heat, add the rice flour all at once, and stir quickly with a spoon until it comes together. Cover and let it rest for 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Knead the dough

Once cool enough to handle, knead the dough with lightly greased hands until smooth and pliable, with no cracks.

Step 4: Shape the modaks

Take a small ball of dough and flatten it into a disc using your fingers, keeping the edges thin. Place a spoonful of the coconut-jaggery filling in the center, then gently bring the edges together, pleating as you go, and pinch the top to seal into a teardrop shape.

Step 5: Steam the modaks

Arrange the shaped modaks on a greased steamer plate and steam for 10-12 minutes, until the outer shell turns slightly glossy and translucent.

Tips:

Keep a damp cloth over the dough while you shape the modaks, as rice flour dough dries out and cracks quickly. If pleating feels tricky, don’t worry – a simple silicone modak mold gives you neat, festival-ready shapes in seconds. Serve warm with a spoon of ghee drizzled on top.

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