During the sacred festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, it is customary to offer worship to Lord Ganesha using modaks. However, during the festive season, there are concerns about impurities and adulterated mawa in the sweets sold in the market. Instead of buying expensive and counterfeit sweets to welcome Bappa, it is recommended to prepare crispy and aromatic Mawa Modaks from regular dry grain that you have at home.
Thanks to the outer shell made of high-quality coarse dry grain and the rich filling of mawa and nuts, the taste of these modaks becomes so delightful that they will win the hearts of everyone who receives them as prasad for Bappa.
For the outer shell: 1 cup of fine dry grain, 1.5 cups of milk, 1 tablespoon of ghee, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder, 2 tablespoons of crushed sugar.
For the filling: 1/2 cup of mawa (khoya), 2 tablespoons of grated coconut, 2 tablespoons of cashew and almonds (finely chopped), 1 teaspoon of chirunji, a pinch of nutmeg and cardamom powder, 2–3 tablespoons of crushed sugar.
First, sauté the mawa in a pan over low heat for 2–3 minutes until light pink. Then add the chopped cashews, almonds, chirunji, grated coconut, nutmeg, and cardamom powder, after which turn off the gas. When the mixture cools slightly, add the crushed sugar and set aside.
In a pot, bring 1.5 cups of milk, 1 teaspoon of ghee, and 2 tablespoons of crushed sugar to a boil. Then reduce the heat and gradually, stirring constantly, add the dry grain to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until the grain has completely absorbed the milk and the mass starts to pull away from the sides of the pot. Turn off the gas and cover the dry grain with a lid for 5 minutes to steam well.
When the dry grain is slightly warm, knead it by hand for 2 minutes, lubricating your hands with a small amount of ghee, until it resembles dough. Lightly grease the modak molds with ghee. Place a small amount of the dry grain mixture on both sides of the mold and form an indentation in the center with a finger. Then, place the prepared mawa and nut filling into this central hollow, and cover it with a small amount of the dry grain mixture, sealing the mold from below. After removing the mold, you get a beautiful, clean, and delicious Suji Mawa Modak. Similarly, prepare all other modaks and offer them to Bappa.