Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (250g) Rice Flour, fine ground
  • 2 ½ cups (590ml) Water
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) Ghee (clarified butter)
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups (200g) Grated Fresh Coconut
  • 1 cup (200g) Jaggery, grated or finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) Cardamom Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25ml) Nutmeg Powder
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Ghee or unsalted butter
  • Optional: Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews)

Instructions:

  1. Melt ghee in a pan. Add coconut and jaggery. Sauté until jaggery melts and the mixture thickens. Stir in cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix well and set aside to cool slightly. Add chopped nuts if using.
  2. Bring water, ghee, and salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low and add rice flour all at once. Stir vigorously and continuously until the mixture forms a soft, non-sticky dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cover and let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Grease your hands lightly. Knead the dough briefly until smooth and pliable. Pinch off a small portion of dough. Using your fingers, shape into a small bowl or use a modak mould. Fill with the prepared coconut-jaggery filling. Seal the edges to form a modak shape.
  4. Line the steamer with grease-proof paper or banana leaves. Arrange the modaks in the steamer, leaving some space between them. Steam for 15-20 minutes, or until the dough appears translucent and shiny.
  5. Carefully remove the modaks from the steamer. Serve warm, traditionally with ghee.