Modak

This article is about the food. For the town in India, see Modak, Rajasthan.

Modak

Type	Dumpling
Course	dessert
Place of origin	India
Region or state	Maharashtra-India, Japan
Main ingredients	Rice flour, or wheat and maida flour, coconut, jaggery
Variations	Kangidan (歓喜団)
Cookbook: Modak   Media: Modak

Modak (Marathi: मोदक ) (Japanese: 歓喜団) is an Indian sweet popular in many parts of India. The sweet filling on the inside of a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khava or maida flour.

Modak can be fried or steamed. The steamed version (called ukdiche modak) is often eaten hot with ghee.

Name variations

Modak offered to Lord Ganesh

It is called modak (मोदक) in Marathi, Konkani and in Gujarati languages, modhaka in Kannada, modhakam or kozhakkattai in Tamil and kudumu in Telugu.

Religious significance

Modak is considered to be the favourite sweet of the Hindu deity, Ganesha. It begets him the moniker modakapriya (one who likes modak) in Sanskrit.

During Ganesh Chaturthi, the puja usually concludes with an offering of 21 modaks to Ganesha as prasadam. Modaks made with rice flour shells are often preferred for this purpose, although wheat shell versions are also used. Local businesses outside Ganesh Temples across India usually sell pre-packed/readymade versions of Modaks.

In Japan, a sweet similar to modak and known locally as Kangidan (歓喜団), is offered to god Kangiten, the Japanese version of Ganesha. Kangidans are made from curds, honey, and red bean paste. They are wrapped in kneaded dough made from parched flour and shaped like a bun before they are deep fried.

Varieties of modak

Classic Modak

Ukadiche Modak: These modaks are made of Coconuts and Sugar/Jaggery. This variation is especially prepared during the time of Ganesh Festival. They are hand made and cooked in a steamer. They are perishable and need to be consumed immediately.

Fried Modak: This modak is deep fried in oil instead of steaming. Frying makes the modak last longer and have different taste.

Modern Modak

Innovative recipes for modaks have also been created. These include banana nachni modak, motichoor modak and chocolate modak.

• Mava Modak: Made with mava or milk solids.
• Kesari Modak: The dough used for the dumpling is flavored with Kesar (Saffron).
• Moong Dal Modak: The stuffing is made from cooked moong daal, grated coconut and jaggery.
• Dark Chocolate Modak: These are made by adding Chocolate flavor
• Dry Fruit Modak: Dry fruits and nuts are mixed together and molded into the shape of a traditional modak.
• Coconut Rose Modak: The additional flavor of rose can be tasted in this modak.
• Paneer Modak: Paneer used as one of the main ingredients to give the modak a different taste
• Motichoor Modak: Made by mixing motichoor with flavoured sugar syrup and molding the mixture into the shape of the traditional modak
• Baklava Modak: Steamed rice flour modak, stuffed with a baklava filling mixture of nuts, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
• Gulkand and Mawa Modak: The dumplings are stuffed with gulkand and mava (khoa), steamed, and served with rabdi, turning the modak into a dessert

Gallery

• 
  Modak offered in a Ganesh Puja
• 
  Modak close up
• 
• 
  Inner side with vertical cut
• 
  Inner side with vertical cut
• 
• 
  Modak for offering in Khajrana Ganesh Temple

See also

• List of dumplings
• List of Indian sweets and desserts
• Maharashtrian cuisine
• Ganesh
• Ganesh Chaturthi
• Mantou
• Mandu
• Manti

External links

• Kozhukattai in Tamil literature