Gulab Jamun Modak

This is a fun, unusual and innovative way to make modaks and it is bound to bring a smile to anyone you serve it to.

You need

• 1 ready-mix packet for Gulab Jamun
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• Water
• Cardamom powder
• Oil for deep frying

How to make it

Make dough of the gulab jamum mix by adding milk to it and make smooth dough. The fun part of the recipe is to make this dough into modaks instead of the traditional balls. You can do this by first making it into balls and then giving a ‘peak’ to it and pinching it to give a good shape.

Deep fry the modaks in medium flame until the outer cover takes golden brown colour and the modaks are cooked from the inside too.

Make sugar syrup and add the modaks to it while the syrup is still hot. Allow the modaks to soak the syrup for sometime. Serve warm or cool.

Mawa Modak

You need

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup mawa
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 pinch cardamom
• Assorted dry fruits

How to make it

Make the outer cover similar to the one described in Ukadi che Modak. Keep aside.
Cook the mawa in a kadai. When the mix cools, add sugar, cardamom powder and assorted dry fruits.

Make cups of the cover, stuff will filling, make modaks and steam for 15 20 mins.

Besan Modak

You need

• 1 cup besan
• ½ cup ghee
• ½ cup coarse powdered sugar

How to make it

Heat the ghee in kadai and cook the besan in it until it becomes golden brown and has a batter consistency. Keep too cool.

When the mix has come to room temperature, add the coarse sugar powder to it and mix well.
Bind in the shape of Modaks.

Rawa Modak

You need

• 1 cup rawa
• 1 cup mawa
• 4-5 tbsp Ghee
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch cardamom powder
• Dry fruits of your choice
• ½ cup water

How to make it

Make the thick sugar syrup and keep aside. Cook the Mawa in a pan for 5-10 mins until the fat separates. Keep aside. Take ghee in another pan and fry the rawa in it till it is golden brown. Remove from flame. Now mix the mawa and rava. Add the sugar syrup to the mix and add cardamom powder and cut dry fruits.

When the mix cools, you can bind the mix into modaks. If your mix is too dry, you can sprinkle milk to help the modaks bind.

Til Modak

In addition to being tasty, these modaks are the traditional way to get your nutrition quotient high with iron. This doesn’t require too many ingredients neither does it take too much time

You need

• 250 gms Til (Sesame seeds)
• 300 gms Jaggery
• 2 tbsp Ghee

How to make it

Roast the til in a pan until golden brown. When it cools slightly, grind it in a mixer to make a coarse powder. Heat the ghee in a pan and cook the jaggery in it till it melts. Add the Til powder to it while stirring continuously. Remove the mix from the heat quickly and bind into modaks while still hot.

Boondi Modak

This recipe again takes the traditional to give it a new twist. We are quite sure Bappa will love this too!

You need

• Coarse Besan 300 grams
• 1/2 liter of milk
• Cardamom Powder 1 pinch
• Sugar 300 grams
• Milk 50 ml (optional)
• Water 500 ml
• 1 pinch Saffron
• Strainer to make boondi
• Oil for deep frying

How to make it

Start by making the sugar syrup. Put about a cup or a little more of water to boil and add sugar to it while stirring to make the syrup. It is optional to add 50ml milk to this mix, but if you do, add the milk and boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove the floating impurities if any from the top and strain the mix, add a pinch of cardamom powder and heat it again until the syrup thickens.

Mix the besan with milk to make a smooth batter. Heat the oil well and then use the strainer to drop the besan mix into the oil. If you do it right, small drops of the batter should fall in the oil. You’ll see the oil bubble up. Fry the boondi well until its golden brown. Keep aside.
Once all the boondi is fried, immerse it in the sugar syrup for 5 minutes. Take out and spread on a plate. Sprinkle 2-3 tsps of hot water over the boondi and cover it with a cloth. Keep aside for 10 mins.

Now, moisten your hand with water and make modaks out of the boondi.

Floating Modak

The name itself makes the dish sound interesting and there is just one thing you can say after having one, and that’s mmmmmmmh……

You need

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 cup Mawa
• 1/2 cup Sugar (syrup)
• 1 pinch cardamom
• Assorted dry fruits
• ½ liter milk, one pinch cardamom powder and 4-5 tbsp of sugar for the
  ‘Float’ mix

How to make it

Make the outer cover similar to the one described in Ukadi che Modak. Keep aside.
Cook the mawa in a kadai. When the mix cools, add sugar, cardamom powder and assorted dry fruits.

Make cups of the cover, stuff will filling, make modaks and steam for 15 20 mins

Thicken (reduce) ½ liter of milk in a thick bottom pan or sometime, add cardamom powder and 4-5 tbsp sugar. When the milk is boiling add the modaks to it and allow the modaks to soak the milk. Serve warm.

Hariyali Modak

The recipe for Hariyali Modak is a very traditional one and something that isn’t made very often these days. Its bound to surprise you with its flavour and taste.

You need

• 1 cup Hara Chana (soaked in water for 6-8 hours)
• ½ cup Mawa
• ¾ cup Sugar (syrup)
• 3-4 tbsp Ghee

How to make it

Crush the Hara Chana in a mixer to make a coarse mix. Heat ghee in a pan and fry the chana in it till it looses its un-cooked texture. Separately, heat another pan and cook the Mawa for a few minutes. Now mix the mawa and the chana and continue cooking.

Make Sugar Syrup as you would generally for gulab jamuns, but a little thicker. While it is slightly warm, add it to the mawa-chana mix on the gas and allow to cook until the mixture solidifies.

Shape into modaks while the mix is warm. Hariyali Modak is ready to be served.

Tip: The sugar syrup needs to be of a ‘Teen Taar’ consistency. A traditional way to check the consistency of the sugar syrup is to dip you index finger in it and then join your thumb and index finger and rub it together. As you slowly separate your fingers, the sticky syrup will stick between the fingers in think threads. Three thin threads or ‘teen taar’ make for a thick consistency.

Orangeeee Modak

While this recipe is among the top ones for unusual modaks, what makes it special is the electrifying Orange taste that comes out of adding real orange peels. There are many interesting ideas to serve this coconut, especially if you decorate the plate with orange pieces and the remaining peels.

You need

• 1 small white pumpkin
• Sugar
• Orange essence
• Orange colour
• Peel of one orange – finely chopped
• Lime water
• 2-3 tbsp ghee

How to make it

Peel the pumpkin, de-seed it and cut into big chunks. Soak these in lime water for 5 minutes and then rinse well with water.

Peel the pumpkin, de-seed it and cut into big chunks. Soak these in lime water for 5 minutes and then rinse well with water.

Grate the pumpkin and remove excess water. Measure the quantity of grated pumpkin using a standard cup. Heat ghee in a pan and add the grated pumpkin to it. Add sugar in equal measure to the grated pumpkin. As the mix cooks, add the finely chopped orange peel pieces, few drops of orange colour and cook well for 25-30 minutes on medium flame until the mixture begins to solidify. Once you feel the mix is fully cooked, take it off the flame and add a few drops of orange essence.

Bind into modak shape when mix is warm. Delicious Orangeeee Modaks are ready