Modak

Modak

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A sweet, steamed dumpling shaped like a shell, filled with a rich coconut jaggery mixture and flavoured with cardamom — a festive offering especially made for Ganesh Chaturthi. The rice flour dough requires quick, careful shaping while still warm, giving the modak its distinctive fluted edges. Steamed in the Cumin Co. No 10 Enamel Cast Iron Kadhai, the wide base holds the steamer plate steady while the dumplings cook through evenly.

The cookware that makes it

Festive Price
Kulhad (Rust)
Kulhad (Rust)
No. 10 Enamel Cast Iron Kadai (3L)
₹5,949 ₹9,221Save 35%
Moringa (Green)
Moringa (Green)
5.0
Baking Tray (8x8)
₹2,899 ₹3,699Save 22%
Festive Price
all
all
4.9
The Pivot: BPA-Free Spatulas - Set of 3 (Set of 3)
₹749 ₹1,099Save 32%

Time

Prep
30 min
Cook
20 min
Total
50 min

Ingredients

1 serving
  • 1.5

    cups fresh or desiccated coconut, grated
  • 1.0

    cup jaggery, grated
  • 0.25

    tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

  • A pinch of nutmeg (jaiphal) powder

  • 8 – 10 poppy seeds (khus khus), optional
  • 1.0

    cup rice flour
  • 1.0

    cup water
  • 0.5

    tsp ghee

  • A pinch of salt

Method

  1. Heat ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add grated coconut and jaggery, stirring continuously until the jaggery melts completely and the mixture thickens into a sticky, dry mass that holds together when pressed. This takes 8 – 10 minutes.

  2. Stir in cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and poppy seeds if using. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.

  3. For the dough, bring water, ghee, and salt to a boil in a small pan. Once boiling, lower the heat and add the rice flour all at once, stirring quickly to form a shaggy mass.

  4. Remove from heat, cover, and let the dough rest for 5 minutes to steam through. Once cool enough to handle, knead while still warm into a soft, smooth, crack-free dough — rice flour dough firms up quickly, so work with it while it's still warm.

  5. Grease your palms lightly with ghee. Take a small portion of dough and shape into a small ball, then flatten into a disc using your fingers, keeping the edges thinner than the centre.

  6. Place a portion of the cooled filling in the centre. Gently gather the edges upward, pleating and pinching them together to form the modak's signature fluted shape, sealing at the top into a point.

  7. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, keeping shaped modaks covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying out.

  8. Fill the Cumin Co. No 10 Enamel Cast Iron Kadhai with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil. Place a steamer stand or plate inside, ensuring it sits above the water line.

  9. Arrange the modaks on a greased plate or steamer tray, leaving space between each. Place inside the kadhai, cover with a lid, and steam for 10 – 12 minutes until the dough turns slightly glossy and translucent.

  10. Carefully remove and let cool slightly before transferring to the Cumin Co. Baking Tray for serving.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm or at room temperature, arranged neatly in the Cumin Co. Baking Tray with a light drizzle of ghee on top.

Cumin Co. Expert Tip

Shape the modaks while the dough is still warm, working quickly through the batch — rice flour dough loses pliability as it cools, and a cooled dough cracks at the pleats instead of holding the shell-like shape cleanly.

Cleaning & care guide

Allow the Cumin Co. No 10 Enamel Cast Iron Kadhai to cool before cleaning. Empty out the steaming water, then wash with Cumin Co. Gleam Cream and the Cumin Co. Cleaning Scrub to keep the enamel coating glossy.