Modak

Ingredients

For Dough

1/2 cup rice flour
1 cup water
Pinch of salt
1 tsp oil

For Filling

1/3 cup shredded coconut try to find fresh frozen coconut as freshly shredded works better
3 Tbsp almonds coarsely ground
3 Tbsp jaggery finely chopped, (try health food shops if you have trouble finding this)
1/8 tsp cardamom powder
1 Tbsp oil

Method

Use a small frying pan, over low heat, and dry roast almonds for about one minute. Add oil, coconut and jaggery cook stirring continually until jaggery has melted and mixture becomes like soft dough, this should take about three to four minutes. Set aside.

Boil the water in a pan with salt and oil, after water comes to boil lower the heat to low and add the rice flour, mix it well. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes or until it is warm.

Take the rice flour mixture in a bowl, lightly oil your palm and knead the dough to make soft pliable dough. Dived the dough into 10 equal parts, and make them into smooth balls.

Take one part of the dough and with your fingers flatten the edges to about three-inch in diameter, leaving the center a little thicker than the edges.

Place one teaspoon of the filling in the center. Sealed the filling shaping it into dome shape. Proceed to make all modaks same way.

Steam the modaks in covered pan over medium heat about 10 minutes; finished modak will have a little glaze.

Serve warm.

Credits: Manjula Jain

Photo Credits: Dassana Amit