Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Kickstart The Festive Season On A Delicious Note With These 5 Easy Modak Recipes

Want to give this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations a personal and innovative touch? You can easily do that by channelling your inner chef and making these easy, yet delicious modak recipes. It’s a delicious way to kick off the festive season. By Bayar Jain

Innovative and easy modak recipes

Face it. Ganesh Chaturthi, while religious, is a great excuse to dance on the streets, meet friends, participate in the infectious visarjans, and binge on modaks. And, this year, the celebrations will be in full swing which makes it the perfect occasion to get innovative in the kitchen. Here are a few variations of the bhog for you to try crafting this festive season.

Note: To shape the modaks, you can use your hands or purchase a modak making mould easily available in shops or online.

1. Vegan Marzipan Modaks

While most Indian sweets are a vegan’s nightmare, this one ditches the milky elements without compromising on taste.

 

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Ingredients

• 1½ cup almonds
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• Rosewater
• Natural colours (Optional)

Preparation

• Soak the almonds in water for a few hours to facilitate easy removal of the almond’s skin.

Method

• Grind the soaked almonds (without skin) in a food processor till a crumb-like texture is formed.
• Next, add powdered sugar and rose water. Mix till the mixture starts to clump together.
• Transfer to a bowl, and form a ball. If you wish, add natural colours based on the provider’s instructions.
• Shape the mixture and serve.

2. Mango Modaks

Fusing the King of Fruits with Ganpati’s favourite dessert is like a match made in heaven. Tropical goodness in every bite!

 

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Ingredients

• 2 mangoes
• 1 cup khoya
• ¼ cup of sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Preparation

• Peel and chop the mango in rough pieces and blend it well to create a pulp.

Method

• Add crumbled khoya to a pan on low flame and stir till it melts.
• Next, add sugar.
• Once the sugar dissolves, add the mango puree. Keep stirring till the mixture starts to thicken.
• Add saffron and cardamom. Stir well till the mixture starts to resist the edges of the pan.
• Transfer to a bowl and let it cool.
• Next, shape the mixture and serve.

3. Sugar-free Modaks

Devoid of sugar or jaggery, this variation is a blessing in disguise for diabetic patients or health-conscious folks.

 

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Ingredients

For the stuffing

• 2 teaspoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons chopped cashews
• 2 tablespoons chopped almonds
• 2 tablespoons chopped raisins
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• ½ cup finely chopped dates
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup full-cream milk powder
• ¼ grated coconut
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

For the dough

• 1¼ cup of water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ghee
• 1 cup of rice flour

Method

• Bring water, salt and ¼ teaspoon ghee to boil in a wok.
• Lower the flame and add rice flour. Mix well.
• Turn off the stove and let it sit for five minutes.
• Next, transfer the mixture to a bowl and knead it to form a soft dough while the flour is still hot.
• Shape the modak with the stuffing inside the sweet.
• Next, place it in a steamer for 10 minutes, or till a shiny texture is formed.

4. Oats and Jaggery modak

A nutritious alternative that can substitute for breakfast or mid-day munchies.

 

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A post shared by Seed Delight by Vividha Rohera (@seeddelight) on Aug 18, 2020 at 11:31pm PDT

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1 tablespoon ghee
• ½ cup jaggery
• ¼ cup almonds
• ¼ cup cashew
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder

Preparation

• Lightly roast the oats and grind them to form a powder.

Method

• Add almonds and cashew in a grinder to form a fine powder.
• Next, add raisins to make the powder a sticky paste. Set aside.
• In a wok, add ghee and oats. Let it cook till it turns light brown.
• Next, add jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix well.
• Transfer it to a bowl and add the dry fruit paste. Mix well.
• Next, shape the mixture and serve.

5. Five-ingredient Chocolate modak

Two sinful treats fused together, this easy-to-make variation is the ideal gift for chocoholics during the festive season.

 

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A post shared by @truly_chocolicious on Aug 14, 2020 at 10:35pm PDT

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup milk
• ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ cup chocolate chips (you can substitute this with chopped cooking chocolate)
• 1½ cup digestive biscuit crumbs
• ¼ finely chopped pistachios

Method

• Add milk, condensed milk and chocolate chips in a pan on medium-low heat. Keep stirring till it melts.
• Next, add the biscuit crumbs and mix.
• Add pistachios, and mix till a dough starts to form.
• Transfer to a bowl.
• Shape the mixture and serve.

Feature Image Credit: Shutterstock; Main Image Credit: Prchi Palwe/Unsplash

Related: Welcome Lord Ganesha Into Your Homes On A Sweet Note With These Handcrafted Modaks

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