Date Palm Jaggery & Saffron Modak !

Coconut Modak is a made especially during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It’s made from coconut, jaggery, and rice flour. I made it with Date palm Jaggery (Khejur Gurr) and added saffron for beautiful yellow color!

Ingredients:

• For the Filling (Coconut-Jaggery Mixture)

  • 1 cup grated fresh coconut or Packed frozen coconut

  • 1/2 cup jaggery (grated or molasses)

  • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

  • 1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

  • A few saffron strands

  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (toasted )

  • 1 tsp poppy seed (toasted )

  
  

• For the Modak Dough:

  • 1 cup rice flour

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 tsp ghee

  • A pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preparing the Filling:

1. Heat a pan and add 1 tsp of ghee.

2. Add grated coconut and jaggery to the pan, stirring continuously on low heat.

3. Cook until the jaggery melts and blends well with the coconut (about 10 minutes).

4. Add cardamom powder, toasted sesame seed, toasted poppy seeds and saffron strands and mix well.

5. Once the mixture thickens and becomes slightly sticky, turn off the heat.

6. Let it cool completely.

Preparing the Dough:

1. Boil 1 cup of water in a pan with a pinch of salt, saffron strands and 1 tsp ghee.

2. Gradually add the rice flour, stirring continuously to avoid lumps.

3. Lower the heat and cook for a couple of minutes until the dough comes together.

4. Cover the pan and let the dough cool down slightly until it is warm enough to handle.

5. Knead the dough well to make it smooth. If it’s too dry, add few drops of water and knead it.

3. Shaping the Modak:

I am using a mold to shape the modak.

1. Grease inside of the modak mold lightly with ghee.

2. Take a small portion of the rice dough and press it into both sides of the mold, ensuring the dough is evenly spread without any gaps.

3. Create a small hollow in the center of the mold by pressing with finger to make space for the filling.

4. Add a spoonful of the coconut-jaggery mixture into the hollow.

5. Take another small piece of dough and cover the bottom part of the mold to seal it.

6. Press the mold tightly to ensure it forms the modak shape.

7. Gently open the mold and carefully remove the shaped modak.

   
   

   If you donot have mold, you can shape them with palm.

   
   

8. Grease your palms with ghee and take a small ball of dough (about the size of a lime).

9. Flatten it into a disc and make a small cup by pressing the edges with your fingers.

10. Place a spoonful of the coconut-jaggery mixture in the center.

11. Carefully gather the edges of the dough and bring them together to form a peak at the top, shaping the modak.

Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling.

Steaming the Modaks:

1. Grease a steamer plate with ghee or use a parchment paper to line the plate.

2. Place the modaks in the steamer and steam them for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

3. Once done, remove them from the steamer.

4. Add little ghee on top each modak and sprinkle few saffron threads on the tip.

Delicious saffron coconut modaks are ready to offer Ganesh ji!