Ganesh Chaturthi Sweets by Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences.

Modak, is popular recipe from Maharashtra, it’s coated with rice flour and stuffed with filling of fresh grated coconut, nuts & jaggery. The modak is a symbol of spiritual knowledge and is known to be the favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha. It is basically steamed and served with pure ghee. But I have tweaked the traditional recipe by smoking it in a tandoor which gives it a smoky flavor.

The importance of bringing about modaks in its different forms is to make them trendy and tempting. Across the years, the festival itself is much looked forward to and as the festival gains popularity and people get more creative, so does the cuisine. With different preparation of modaks now available, it becomes really beneficial for diabetic people who crave for sweets especially as organic jaggery is used in the same.

DISH 1 – ZAFFRAN DRIZZLED TURMERIC LEAF WRAPPED SMOKE MODAK SERVED WITH CRANBERRY MILK SOIL

Making Time – 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

· ½ cup rice flour

· 1 ¼ cup fresh grated coconut

· 10 grams jaggery

· 2 grams Fennel seeds

· 10 grams khoya (mawa)

· ½ tablespoon almond

· 1 tablespoon pistachio

· 1 tablespoon Chironji

· Pinch of Saffron

· 1 quantity silver leaf

· 1 quantity Turmeric leaf

· 1 Tulsi leaf

· Salt to taste

For the relish

· 1 tablespoon fresh cranberry

· 1 tablespoon desi ghee

· ¼ nutmeg

· Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil a cup of water in a pot, add cup of rice flour and cook it for 5 minutes.

2. Remove the dough of rice flour and rub it with your palm using gloves.

3. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

4. Stuff this mixture inside the rice flour dough.

5. Heat Ghee in a pan and shallow fry the mixture of stuffing on low heat from all the sides till it is slightly browned.

6. Remove the mixture from the pan and place it on an absorbent paper to drain.

7. Roll the rice dough into small roundels.

8. Take the small roundels, steam it and then cook it in a tandoor.

9. To serve, arrange the stuffed smoky tandoor cooked modak in a serving plate on cranberry relish.

10. Drizzled the saffron on top of the modaks.

11. Garnish with silver leaf, tulsi leaf and pistachio dust.

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