Ismat Tahseen
The much-awaited festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is here and homes, offices and city streets are all bedecked to welcome Lord Ganesha. A huge part of the 10-day fervour will also see folks preparing little, round modaks – said to be the Elephant God’s favourite sweet. There’s something so delicious about tucking into a traditional ukadiche modak, a delicate, steamed dumpling with a soft filling of coconut-jaggery-nutmeg and that’s just one variety of this festive sweet. Chefs, homemakers and foodies have been creating a whole gamut of innovative, bite-sized modak flavours, including healthy varieties with grains and flax seeds that banish any calorie guilt. Here’s looking at the delectable confections that are being whipped up…
From rainbows to gulab jamun
Who doesn’t love a modak made of chocolate? Well, this time, sweet makers are upping the ante, using it in ways that surprise. Mona Adkar, Head Chef, Dough & Crème in Thane has dished up dark chocolate modaks with nougat and crisps and topped with gold leaf flakes and she shares that it’s become a best-seller! “On one level, it’s great for gifting as it looks like a dark chocolate modak, but once you bite into it, it’s also a complete burst of flavours,” she says.
Foodie and digital creator Shikha Shetty has also been on a creative high in the run-up to Ganesh Chaturthi as she reveals, “I just did a white chocolate lava modak with sweet ‘molten’ jujubes filling that comes out when you break into it. Every year, people go the same route, but as a content creator, I felt that there’s so much more to experiment with, so I had fun with the flavours.”
Hard-pressed for time? Try home chef Shreya Joshi’s Rainbow Modak, a variant of the mawa modak, that she prepares with a quick-fix recipe. She explains. “This is a simple method that uses fewer ingredients – just ghee, milk powder and milk plus sugar which is added in the modak centre. You use edible food colouring to make the rainbow design.”
Desi gets a cool twist here, too! If you’re a gulab jamun fan, hold your breath, it’s part of the modak flavour wagon, now. Shreya simplifies its making, as she says. “Just pick up any gulab jamun premix for this. Add milk and mix your dough to a sticky consistency. Rest it for 30 minutes, then knead and shape it into modaks and fry it on low-medium flame. Once done, soak the gulab jamun modak in warm sugar syrup and leave it for 30 minutes and it’s done.”
Artisanal fusions
Lending an uber chic element to the traditional sweet are artisanal modaks. Take for instance, Chef Kiran Ahir of The Art Lab Patisserie and Bakery, who has based her modak offerings on the four colours. Red: Rose Ganache and Pistachio Crunch, Green: Date Caramel Sesame Praline, White: Masala Milk Coconut Jaggery and Orange: Mango Katli and Mango Gel modaks. She says, “There’s a lot of the young generation that prefers to go for something more artisanal, something that looks classy that you could gift to someone when you visit to their house for darshan. In these modern times, with so many new trends becoming popular, there is a rising demand for these artisanal delights. They’re small, different and look elegant as well.”
Another trend that elevates the traditional sweet is the artisanal modak variety. Amal Farooque, founder and chef of Sage & Olio, explains why they’re so popular of late. “Several reasons; for one, modaks are so beautiful and Insta-worthy in today’s date, second, people have expanded their palates, they don’t want only the traditional variety and prefer to gift and celebrate new sweet offerings.” Her menu includes unique Mawa-Miso caramel, Belgian Dutch Truffle and Paan-Coconut Gulkand modaks, all made with pure sugar that she specially sources from Punjab.
‘Jam-packed’ modak classes teach new skills
New to making modaks? No worry. The trend is also seeing food lovers sign up to learn the skills and the last 10 days have seen packed classes with aspiring foodies trying their hand at making these delicious modak styles that push the creative envelope. Gunjan Vaidya Madan, who runs La Maison, a culinary academy in Mulund, affirms. “This year, the response has been great as students are keen to understand how to make new flavours. For me, I love the whole craftsmanship behind these modaks. Teaching others about it is my small attempt at keeping this culinary tradition alive.” Gunjan has created puran poli modaks, malai modaks with apricot filling, Biscoff and Ferrero Rocher-based ones including modaks with fillings of jams and compotes – from Orange Modak with Mango Jam and Paan Modak with Rose Jam, so if your friend or neighbour has been to such a class, expect a complete treat!
Want a cool, 3D modak?
(Photo courtesy Alpa Poladia of Jellylicious Art Delicacies)
If you only associated modaks with mithai, think again as it gets zany, too! Imagine a delicious, sheer wobbly jelly modak that does away entirely with any khoya filling inside. Jewellery designer Alpa Poladia of Jellylicious Art Delicacies, who prepares these, admits the idea came about after she found the usual flavours becoming a little monotonous. She came up with an avant-garde concept – 3D modaks made of jelly!
“I definitely wanted to try something offbeat and I now make jelly modaks in kiwi, pineapple, plum, red dragon fruit, guava and paan flavours. They’re pack a cool, 3D effect due to the jelly and kids especially love them,” she says. Unlike the mithai varieties, these modaks longer in the fridge as she adds, “The jelly modaks are all made from fresh fruit with no added flavours, flour or oil. They’re also gluten-free, vegan and have very little sugar, so those watching their diet can also indulge in them.”
Hampers and gift boxes go luxe
Ganesh Chaturthi embodies a time of profound joy, and a big part of that is sharing the love with friends and family by sending them a hamper filled with modaks and other delicious goodies. Several establishments and home chefs are swinging into the trend, with their beautifully packed assortments. Embracing the spirit is the luxurious Modak Gifting Hamper by Grand Hyatt Mumbai, with meticulously-crafted modaks in pretty packaging. While Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport also presents exclusive Artisanal Modak Hampers with a diverse array of the round sweet from signature classics to exotic fusions (in a 12-Modak Box to 15 and 24-Modak Box sizes), Taj Fort Aguada Resort & Spa, has unveiled spectacular modak hampers that celebrate Paschim Maharashtra and Khandeshi food heritage. The dumplings have indigenous ingredients like jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), and nutritious ragi (finger millet).
The celebratory offering at Bombay Sweet Shop also gets an extravagant tone with Bappa’s Mithai Hamper available in three options packed with modaks, laddus and Bombay Sweet Shop favourites like Choco Butterscotch Barks, Super Crunch Chikki and Bombay Bhel Chikki.
Sweet Entisi, a chocolatier, has a much-coveted, limited-edition chocolate modak bon bon box available via their Instagram page and website. The homemade flavours with a creamy chocolate ganache centre are available in just two unique varieties – Saffron Pistachio and Tender Coconut, both of which are signature flavours. It makes for an elegant gift, alright!
We also loved how Genda Phool, a gourmet Indian gifting brand, has given the modak a contemporary take in four ways – kesar with saffron ganache filling, vanilla with almond cream, chana-hazelnut as well as coconut with passion fruit, packed in bright orange and blue boxes. Says owner Shweta Agarwal, “We decided to have four varieties per box as it makes for a good mix flavour profiles and colours; one can also do a medley of this with festive laddus.”
30-MINUTE FUSION MODAKS TO TRY
Recipes by Altamsh Patel, Executive Chef, Hilton Mumbai International Airport (to make four modaks in each).
Dates and Orange Modak
Ingredients
Milk chocolate: 150gm
Dates: 50gm
Orange marmalade: 10gm
Method
- Combine dark chocolate and orange marmalade and mix well, allow chocolate to melt until the mixture is smooth in consistency.
- Melt milk chocolate using double boiler method. And keep aside.
- Stir melting milk chocolate. Remove from heat and keep mixing till smooth. Pour in melted milk chocolate into modak moulds.
- Tap lightly and scrap off the excess chocolate using scraper. Refrigerate for 1 minute.
- Pour the chocolate back into bowl from moulds. Scrap off the excess and refrigerate for a minute.
- Fill a piping bag with the prepared dates and orange marmalade- chocolate ganache and pipe into the moulds, leaving a little space. Refrigerate for 1 minute.
- Pour the melted milk chocolate in the left space in the moulds, tap lightly, scrap off the excess and refrigerate till fully set.
- Demould, brush edible gold dust on top of modak.
Pistachio and Cranberry Modak
Ingredients:
White chocolate: 150 gm
Pistachio: 50 gm
Dried cranberry: 10 gm
Method
- Add dark chocolate to the dried chopped cranberry and mix well, allow chocolate to melt until the mixture is smooth in consistency.
- Melt milk chocolate using double boiler method. And keep aside. Stir, remove from heat and keep mixing till smooth. Pour it into modak moulds.
- Tap lightly and scrap off the excess chocolate using scraper. Refrigerate for one minute.
- Pour the chocolate back into bowl from the moulds. Scrap off the excess and refrigerate for one minute.
- Fill a piping bag with the prepared pistachio and cranberry-chocolate ganache and pipe into the moulds, leaving a little space. Refrigerate for one minute.
- Pour the melted milk chocolate in the left space in the moulds, tap lightly, scrap off the excess and refrigerate till fully set.
- Demould, brush edible gold dust on top of modak.
Vanilla and Matcha Modak
Ingredients
Milk chocolate: 150gm
White chocolate: 50gm
Matcha Green Tea Extract: 10gm
Vanilla Bean Pod: 2gm
Method
- Add milk chocolate to the matcha green tea extract and vanilla beans pulp mixture and mix well, allow chocolate to melt until the mixture is smooth.
- Melt milk chocolate using double boiler method. And keep aside. Stir, remove from heat and keep mixing till smooth.
- Pour this into modak moulds. Tap lightly and scrap off the excess chocolate using scraper and refrigerate for a minute.
- Pour the chocolate back into bowl from moulds. Scrap off the excess and refrigerate for one minute.
- Fill a piping bag with the prepared matcha green tea and vanilla pod pulp-chocolate ganache and pipe into the moulds, leaving a little space. Refrigerate for 1 minute.
- Pour the melted milk chocolate in the left space in the moulds, tap lightly, scrap off the excess and refrigerate till fully set.
- Demould, brush edible gold dust on top of modak.
Mango-Chilli Modak
Ingredients
Milk chocolate: 150gm
Mango pulp: 50gm
Red chili flakes: 3gm
Edible gold dust: 2gm
Method
- Heat the mango pulp in a non- stick pan. Simmer it for some time on low heat.
- Add dark chocolate to the hot mango pulp and chili mixture and mix well, allow chocolate to melt until the mixture is smooth.
- Melt milk chocolate using double boiler method. And keep aside. Stir, remove from heat and keep mixing till smooth.
- Pour it into modak moulds. Tap lightly and scrap off the excess chocolate using scraper. Refrigerate for a minute.
- Pour the chocolate back into bowl from moulds. Scrap off the excess and refrigerate for 1 minutes.
- Fill a piping bag with the prepared mango, chilli-chocolate ganache and pipe into the moulds, leaving a little space. Refrigerate for one minute.
- Pour the melted milk chocolate in the left space in the moulds, tap lightly, scrap off the excess and refrigerate till fully set.
- De-mould, brush edible gold dust on top of the modaks and they’re done!
GIVE THEM A HEALTHY TWIST, TOO
Mixed Millet Modaks
Anagha Desai, author of Cookbook From Aajis Kitchen also has a healthy take on modaks. She says, “With millets being so popular today, I prepared mixed millet modaks. The cover is made from mixed millet flour, which contains barnyard millets and foxtail millets and more. The stuffing has coconut with dates as well as dry fruits like cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios and raisins, minus any sweetness from sugar or jaggery.” She shares how to make it:
Ingredients
Mixed millet flour: 1 cup
Water: 1cup
Salt: ½ tsp
Oil/Ghee: 1 tsp (as required)
For the stuffing
Ghee: 1tbsp
Almonds, finely chopped: ¼ cup
Pistachio: 1½ tbsp
Cashew nuts: 2 tbsp
Chironji: 1 tbsp
Raisins: 1 tbsp
Dates, seedless: 7-8, chopped
Ghee: 1 tsp
Khus-khus or poppy seeds: 1 tsp
Fresh coconut, grated: ½ cup
Method
For the stuffing
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the almonds, pistachio, cashew nuts, raisins, chironji and chopped dates.
- Once the dates soften a little, remove, cool and grind in a mixer. Slightly warm 1 tsp Ghee. Carefully roast the khus khus for 30 seconds, add grated coconut and stir till the coconut dries.
- Add the ground dry fruit mixture, stir and mix thoroughly for a minute on low heat, then cool the mixture.
Dough for cover
- Heat 1 cup water, add ¼ tsp salt and 1 tsp oil/ghee to the boiling water.
- Once the salt dissolves, add the mix millet flour, stirring continuously.
- After a minute, remove from heat and cover the pot.
- When the dough is cooled to a bearable temperature to handle, add a little water and oil and knead until it is silky smooth.
For the assembly - Take a lime-sized dough ball and flatten it with palm into a round disk or shallow bowl, keeping the edges thin.
- Place a little stuffing in the center, pleat the edges, and gather them together and join.
- As the modak is ready, keep it under a moist cloth till steamed. Steam the modak for 10-15 mins in a steamer.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee.
Nachni Modak
Chef Rahul Punjabi, Masala Library, says, “During Ganesh Chaturthi the whole process of making and sharing modaks is such a joyful tradition that brings people together. You can add a healthy note to the modak prep using ragi atta and other superfoods.” Here is his recipe to try:
Ingredients
Water: 220g
Salt: ½ tsp
Ghee: 1tsp
Nachni atta: 200g
Method
- Bring the water, salt and ghee up to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, add in the nachni atta and cook for one minute, while stirring with a wooden spatula.
- When the atta absorbs all the liquid, cover it with a lid and leave it off the heat for five minutes. This allows the atta to hydrate fully.
- Now, knead it into a ball and continue kneading for five minutes until smooth. Add a little water sparingly, if needed.For the stuffing
Fresh coconut grated: 250g
Coconut sugar: 100g
Cardamom powder: 1g
Rose petals: 1g, dried - Method
- De-seed 10 green cardamom pods and crush the seeds in a mortar and pestle.
- Toast the dried rose petals and grind it into a powder. For the stuffing, heat the coconut sugar until it melts.
- Once melted, add in the grated coconut and spices. Mix thoroughly.
