The festivities in India officially start with Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Ganeshotsav or Ganpati. It is dedicated to Lord Ganpati and is one of the most prominent festivals in India. Ganesh Chaturthi is observed every year on the fourth day of the waxing moon period, also known as Shukla Chaturthi in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. This year the day will be celebrated September 2, 2019. Majorly celebrated in the state of Maharashtra, the festival lasts for about 11 days and is also celebrated across the rest of India. One of the most important and awaited aspects of the whole celebration is modak. This traditional Maharashtrian sweet is said to be the favourite of Lord Ganesha. Modaks are steamed sweet dumplings served with ghee on top as bhog or naivedyam during Ganesh Chaturthi.Tips to Make the Recipe of Lord Ganpati's Favourite Modak Healthier This Ganeshotsav. 

While there are many types of modaks, the most special one is known to be Ukadiche Modak which are made for the first day of the festival. Ukadiche is Marathi for "steamed" and modak is the steamed sweet. The stuffing in the centre is essentially made from coconut, jaggery, cashews, raisins and poppy seeds and other nuts. The outer layer is made from rice flour dough and can be designed via stencil or moulds. However, the traditional way of shaping it with your hands is preferred Ganesh Chaturthi 2019 Modak Recipes: How to Make Malai Modak in Five Minutes, This Ganeshotsav (Watch Video).

Ukadiche Modak Recipe Ingredients

For the dough

  • 2 cup of rice flour

  • 2 tsp ghee

  • A pinch of salt

  • Water to knead

For the Filling

  • 1 and a half cup of crushed jaggery

  • 1 and a half cup freshly grated coconut

  • 1 tsp cardamom powder

  • 1 tbsp poppy seeds

  • 3 tbsp almonds, cashew, raisins and other nuts of your choice chopped

  • Ghee for kneading, greasing and garnishing

How To Knead The Dough For Ukadiche Modak:

  • Heat water in a pan and add salt and ghee to it while it boils.

  • Switch of the head and slowly add the rice flour to the pan, making sure that there are no lumps formed.

  • Mix well and keep aside.

  • Use your hands to knead it in five minutes and keep aside again.

How To Make The Filling For Ukadiche Modak:

  • Add crushed jaggery to a pan and let it melt.

  • Add coconut while you keep stirring with a spatula.

  • After cook for about three minutes and add cardamom powder, poppy seeds, chopped nuts, and mix well. Let it cool.

How To Make Ukadiche Modak:

  • Take small balls of dough and flatten it.

  • Add a little bit of the filling in between and pleat the dough from the other sides.

  • Bring the pleats together for it to look like pleated cone top.

  • Or forget everything and use a mould! Easy-peasy.

How To Make Ukadiche Modak[Watch Video]:

If you really want to make great modaks, try not to cook the stuffing for too long to prevent the coconut from getting chewy. Also, make sure that the outer shell is neither too thick nor too thin, for a perfectly even texture.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2019 03:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).