Byte Into Delicious And Nutritious Modaks

Explore The Ayurvedic Health Benefits And Recipe Of Modaks

What is Ganesh Chaturthi without the dhol, reverberating echoes of Ganpati Bappa Moriya, cheer and festivities? Colours, music, food and sweets all add to the celebrations and one thing that draws special mention is modak. This sweet dumpling is integral to Ganesh Chaturthi. Relished by the Lord and his devotees alike, modaks are served to Modaka Priya Gajanana every year on this occasion. Apart from adding zest to the festival, modak has several health benefits. Modak is also referred to as modakam, kozhukattai, kadubu. The dumplings comprise coconut and jaggery filling in a rice flour based wrap. Modakam can be steamed or fried.
Want to try a hand at the modaks? Here is a simple modak recipe for you.

Modak Recipe

Ingredients:

Outer covering

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1-1.5 cups water
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp ghee

 

 

• For the Filling
  • 1 cup grated coconut
  • 1-1.5 cups jaggery (depending on required sweetness)
  • Pinch of nutmeg powder
  • 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder
  • 1-2 tbsp ghee

   

How To Prepare Modak

For the filling

• Heat a pan and add ghee to it
• Add jaggery and coconut to the pan and keep turning it till they blend and thicken
• Add the cardamom powder and the nutmeg powder to the mixture.
• Cook on slow flame for 4 – 5 mins and then keep it aside to cool

For the covering

• Add salt to sieved rice flour
• Boil water and add it to the rice flour so that it gets the consistency required to form the dough
• Make small dough balls while the mixture is still hot
• Roll the dough flat in such a way that it does not break
• Make pleats on the outer rim
• Place 1-1.5 tbsp of the filling in the centre
• Pull the edges of the dough to seal the filling and shape it in the form of modak. Alternatively you can use the modak moulds.

These preparations can be steamed (ukadiche modak) or fried.

While coconut and jaggery are staple ingredients, you can add dry fruits, poppy seeds, chocolate and others for a sweet twist.

Health Benefits of Modak

As you savour the hot modaks, it is worth exploring their health benefits.

Need a reason for guiltless gorging of the modaks? Here are some of them.

Alleviates constipation

The presence of jaggery and ghee in the modak recipe helps to enhance the health benefits of the modak. Both of them stimulate the bowel movement, thereby providing relief from constipation.

Boosts Immunity

Jaggery is rich in iron and folate which helps you to maintain normal levels of red blood cells. Being rich in several vitamins and minerals it boosts immunity. Lauric acid is the main saturated fat in coconuts. It is known to destroy pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi, thereby adding to the immunity boosting power of modak.

Alleviates Arthritis

Ghee and the oil present in coconut help to lubricate joints, reduce inflammation and alleviate arthritis.

Protects the heart

The medium chain triglycerides present in the coconut and ghee are known to increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or good cholesterol and they have a protective effect on the heart.

If you add dates, nuts or poppy seeds, the health benefits of modaks increase considerably. Nuts are rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which is known to have great health benefits including reduction of inflammation and risk of heart disease. Dates are known to contain disease fighting antioxidants. Poppy seeds are rich in calcium and help to improve bone density. These nutritious balls with all its goodness add to the auspiciousness of the festival Ganesha Chaturthi. They can be, nevertheless relished any time of the year.

Enjoy preparing the modaks and do share their photos with us. If you have a modak recipe with an interesting healthy twist share it on content.sstp@srisritattva.com. The best entries will be promoted. You can also reach out to us for any queries on how Ayurveda can enhance your health quotient at +918061540300 or bit.ly/SSTPBooking.

 

*****