Modak - Sweet Rice Dumpling

By: Manjula Jain

Serving : 10 modak
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Prep Time :15 minutes
Cook Time :30 minutes

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Modak - Sweet Rice Dumpling

Modak is a delicious sweet steamed rice dumpling filled with coconut and nuts. It is also vegan and gluten free. This is a very popular sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi festival which is a celebration in western and south India.

Modak – Sweet Rice Dumpling

Ingredients

For Dough

  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil

For Filling

  • 1/3 cup freshly shredded coconut; I am using frozen shredded coconut this works well, available in Indian grocery stores
  • 3 tablespoons almonds coarsely ground
  • 3 tablespoons jaggery finely chopped, gur (unrefined cane sugar) available in Indian grocery stores
  • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions

  • 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 shiney glazed.
Modak – Sweet Rice Dumpling

Modak - Sweet Rice Dumpling

Modak is a delicious sweet steamed rice dumpling filled with coconut and nuts. It is also vegan and gluten free. This is a very popular sweet for Ganesh Chaturthi festival which is a celebration in western and south India.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course vegan
Cuisine Indian
Servings 10 modak

Ingredients
  

For Dough

  • 1/2 cup rice flour
  • 1 cup water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon oil

For Filling

  • 1/3 cup freshly shredded coconut; I am using frozen shredded coconut this works well, available in Indian grocery stores
  • 3 tablespoons almonds coarsely ground
  • 3 tablespoons jaggery finely chopped, gur (unrefined cane sugar) available in Indian grocery stores
  • 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions
 

  • 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 shiney glazed.
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Comments

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    Monika Sharma
    September 16, 2021 at 8:40 am

    I tried to make health and delicious modak using wheat floor, desiccated coconut and nuts.
    Please have a look – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUMBuIXqR6g

    Ben
    January 30, 2016 at 4:44 am

    Hello Manjula,

    what kind of rice flour do you use? I tried with sticky-rice-flour but it doesn’t work it was to sticky an wet, even when i added more rice flour.

    Nice greetings from Munich 😉

      Manjula Jain
      January 30, 2016 at 10:11 pm

      Ben, Good question, I just buy the rice flour from Indian grocery store never checked what kind of rice they are using and it is not written on the bag.

    Radhika dd
    November 19, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    Am Malaysian n not so familiar with all those wonderfull north indian sweets n dishes. I do love cooking for Krishna n matajis recipes are so delicious n the type that my Laddu Krishna wd enjoy. Thank you for coming up with awesome recipes n above that willingness to share with the world. Thank you.

    Uma
    September 25, 2015 at 8:24 am

    Such an easy method you can’t go wrong.! Umaraghu

    Mrinal Madhu
    August 29, 2015 at 9:51 am

    Hello. Can modaks be frozen?

      Manjula Jain
      August 31, 2015 at 11:01 pm

      Mrinal, I have never tried

    prema
    September 23, 2014 at 12:44 am

    We used to make different method. Thank you for your way of making modak. I am going to try this .
    Thank you.

    Reni
    August 31, 2014 at 6:18 am

    Dear Manjula,

    i have tried to make modak, but i doesn´t was able to knead a dough. It was really sticky. What can be the reason for this?

      Manjula Jain
      September 2, 2014 at 10:10 pm

      Reni, add little more hot water

      Mona
      February 1, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      Hi Manila

      Can you use any other flour besides rice flour.

    Amutha kittappa
    August 27, 2014 at 12:21 pm

    Very simple & clear recipes…