Modakam ( steam-cooked rice dumplings)

Sweet and Spicy Modakams

The modakas (Kozhakatta -sweet as well as spicy) are prepared and placed in front of Ganesh idols/photo in the house. Modak is a ritual sweet dish, specially prepared on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. Today I made sweet as well as spicy modakam for Lord Ganesh. I think the shape of the modakam looks different like a cone and I made shapes which looks like a ball. The sweet Modakam is made of coconut and jaggery (brown sugar) but I tried the filling with chana dal and jaggery. Here goes the recipe!!!

Sweet Filling

• Sauté 1 cup of rice flour in a pan without oil for few minutes.
  
• Allow the flour to cool down. Add warm water with salt to the rice flour and make into mini balls.
  

For the Filling

• Pressure cook 1cup of chana dal with ½ cup of water. Switch off after 2 whistles. Drain the chana dal and use the water for making the rice dough.
  
• I used chana dal water to make the rice dough. Grind the chana dal and 1 cup jaggery in a mixie/blender to a smooth paste with few cardamoms.

Chana dal, Rice dough, and Jaggery

Chana dal and Jaggery grinded into a paste

To make sweet dumplings

• With help of your hand press the mini rice balls into flat surface like puris.
  
• In the center of the rice dough add a tsp of chana dal filling and bring the rice dough together and make a ball.
  
• Roll it nicely and make nice shapes of balls with help of your palm. You might need oil—so have little oil while making these balls.
  
• Steam cook the sweet dumplings. I used idly moulds to steam cook the modakams.
  

Spicy Modakams

• Heat the pan with oil; add mustard, urad dal, chana dal, few broken red chilies, and curry leaves.
  
• Add half cup of water, salt, and allow it to boil. Add 1 cup of rice flour and make to a thick paste. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
  
• Make them into mini balls (if it is dry, add some warm water to it to make balls) with help of your hand, and steam cook the spicy modakam’s.
  

It also serves as a good snack for the evening Tea or Coffee.