I love sweet modak, specially ones made by Amma. It just makes me drool. Its very simple dish to make once you know how to make it. Amma used to make it with hand. In this modern world there are molds that can be used to make the modak.
Ingredients:
For Stuffing (Poornam):
Grated Coconut fresh or frozen - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cardamon powder - 1tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
For Covering:
Rice powder - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/4 cup
Salt as per taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Idli stand or any other vessel to steam.
Method:
To make Poornam (Stuffing):
Take a pan and add jaggery and some water. Heat on medium flame until the jaggery melts. Add grated coconut and keep stirring until it becomes thick and the water dries. Add ghee and cardamon powder. Keep stirring till the mixture is dry. Turn off the gas and let the mixture cool.
To make outside covering
Take a pan and 2 tsp oil, water and rice powder. Keep stirring until it leaves the spatula and comes clean when touched with hand. Turn off the gas and let the mix cool.
To make the modak:
Make small balls out of the poornam mix. Grease a idli stand just 1 plate (Grease the 2nd plate on the stand so it can be little higher than water level). Grease your hand with little oil, make a round ball with the covering mix. Use your fingers to shape it like a small flat circle. Take 1 poornam ball and stuff it in the flat circle and now slowly close it towards the center folding it in the shape of modak. Alternatively you can grease the modak mold and stuff the poornam. Keep the modak in the idli plate. Keep the modak at some distance from other. Now steam for 10 mins on high flame. Turn off the gas and remove the modak. It is ready to be enjoyed.
