Ukadiche means steamed. The dough is cooked twice — once as ukad, once in the steamer — so the skin is tender, not pasty. In Pune and Mumbai the first modak of the season goes to Ganpati; the rest disappear before visarjan. If the dough cracks, it is too dry: wet your palms and knead again. The filling should taste of coconut more than sugar.
Ingredients
- rice flour2 cups
- water2 cups
- ghee2 tbsp, plus more to grease
- fresh coconut, grated2 cups
- jaggery1 cup, grated
- cardamom1 tsp, ground
- poppy seeds1 tsp, optional
- salta pinch
Method
- 1
Cook coconut and jaggery in a pan on medium until the mix darkens and holds together, 8 minutes. Stir in cardamom and poppy. Cool.
- 2
Boil water with a pinch of salt and a spoon of ghee. Lower the heat, add rice flour in one go, and stir hard until it is a soft dough. Cover 5 minutes.
- 3
Knead the hot dough with wet hands until smooth. Keep it covered so it does not dry.
- 4
Take a lime-sized ball, flatten into a cup, fill with a teaspoon of coconut mix, pinch the top into a fluted peak. Grease a steamer plate.
- 5
Steam 12 minutes until the skins look translucent. Brush with ghee. Offer first, then eat warm.
