Ukadiche modak — the classic steamed modak offered to Ganpati — is a rice-flour dumpling filled with fresh coconut and jaggery, steamed until translucent, and finished with a spoon of ghee. The ghee isn't optional garnish: it's brushed into the dough for pliability and drizzled over the finished modak for aroma and softness. Traditional bilona-method ghee, made the slow hand-churned way, is what most home cooks in Maharashtra reach for on this particular day.
Every Ganesh Chaturthi kitchen in Maharashtra runs through some version of this recipe, usually more than once over the festival's ten days. Here's the traditional method, with the details that actually decide whether your modak turn out soft and glossy or dry and cracked.
What you'll need (makes about 15 modak)
For the filling (saran):
- 2 cups fresh grated coconut
- 1 cup jaggery, grated or finely chopped
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- A pinch of nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tbsp A2 Gir Cow Desi Ghee
For the dough (ukad):
- 1½ cups rice flour (fine, preferably modak/idiyappam-grade)
- 1½ cups water
- ½ tsp A2 ghee
- A pinch of salt
How it's made
1. Cook the filling first. In a heavy pan, melt the jaggery over low heat until it loosens, then add the grated coconut. Cook on low, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan — this usually takes 8–10 minutes. Add cardamom and nutmeg, then stir in 1 tbsp ghee at the end. This is what keeps the filling glossy and stops it from turning grainy as it cools. Set aside to cool completely before filling — warm saran makes the dough tear.
2. Make the dough. Bring the water to a rolling boil with the salt and ½ tsp ghee. Lower the heat, add the rice flour in one go, and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until it comes together into a single mass. Cover and let it rest off the heat for 3–4 minutes so the flour steams through fully — this step is what makes or breaks the texture.
3. Knead while it's still hot. Grease your palms generously with ghee (this is non-negotiable — rice flour dough dries out and cracks without it) and knead the dough while it's still warm enough to handle. Knead until it's smooth and pliable, with no visible cracks at the edges. If it's cracking, your dough is either too dry (add a few drops of hot water) or has cooled too much before kneading.
4. Shape the modak. Take a small ball of dough, flatten it into a disc in your greased palm, and shape it into a cup. Fill with 1–1.5 tbsp of the coconut-jaggery mixture, then gather and pleat the edges upward, pinching them together at the top into the traditional pointed shape.
5. Steam. Arrange the modak on a greased steamer plate, leaving space between each one. Steam over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, until the covering turns glossy and slightly translucent. Don't over-steam — the dough turns rubbery past that point.
6. Finish with ghee. Serve warm, with a small spoon of ghee drizzled over each modak just before offering or eating. This last touch is traditional, not decorative — it softens the covering further and is how most households finish the dish.
Where ghee actually matters in this recipe
Ghee shows up in this recipe three separate times, and each one does a different job:
| Step | What the ghee does |
|---|---|
| Cooking the filling | Keeps the coconut-jaggery mixture glossy and prevents it from drying out as it cools |
| Kneading the dough | Prevents cracking and makes the hot rice-flour dough workable by hand |
| Finishing | Adds aroma and softens the steamed covering right before serving |
Because the dough is worked by hand while still hot, and the ghee goes in largely unheated at the finishing stage, the quality and flavour of the ghee itself comes through directly in the final dish — there's nowhere for a flat-tasting or overly processed ghee to hide. This is one of the few festival recipes where using a genuinely traditional, hand-churned ghee is noticeable rather than a marginal upgrade.
Common mistakes that ruin the texture
- Dough gone cold before kneading — rice-flour dough must be kneaded hot. Once it cools, it turns crumbly no matter how much you work it.
- Skipping the rest step — the 3–4 minute covered rest after adding the flour lets it steam through; skip it and the dough stays undercooked and won't shape cleanly.
- Dry hands while shaping — ungreased palms will tear the dough as you pleat it. Keep a small bowl of ghee at your workstation, not just for the filling.
- Over-steaming — check at 10 minutes; the covering should look glossy and slightly see-through, not stiff.
FAQs
Can I make modak with regular ghee instead of A2 ghee?
Yes — the recipe works with any good-quality ghee. Bilona-method A2 ghee is a traditional preference in many Maharashtrian households for this particular festival, but the technique and proportions above don't change with the type of ghee used.
Why does my modak dough crack while shaping?
Almost always one of two reasons: the dough cooled down before kneading, or your palms weren't greased enough while shaping. Rice-flour dough needs to be worked hot and with generous ghee on your hands.
Can I make the filling and dough a day ahead?
The coconut-jaggery filling keeps well in the fridge for a day or two — bring it to room temperature before using. The dough is best made fresh right before shaping, since it firms up and becomes hard to work with once it cools completely.
What's the difference between ukadiche modak and fried modak?
Ukadiche modak (this recipe) uses a rice-flour dough that's steamed. Fried modak uses a wheat-flour or maida-based dough that's deep-fried instead, giving a crisper, longer-keeping result. Both use a similar coconut-jaggery filling.
How long do steamed modak stay fresh?
Best eaten the same day, ideally within a few hours of steaming, since the rice-flour covering firms up and dries out as it sits. They can be refrigerated for a day and gently re-steamed to soften before serving.
Can I use jaggery powder instead of grated jaggery?
Yes, jaggery powder works and melts a little faster. Adjust quantity to taste, since sweetness and moisture content can vary between jaggery types.
Ready to make yours with the real thing? Order A2 Gir Cow Desi Ghee, hand-churned at our own Nagpur facility. Cooking a full festival spread? Our Family Combo Packs bundle cooking oil with ghee so you're not placing separate orders this week. Curious how we press and churn everything? Visit Our Nagpur Oil Mill.
Written by Dushyant Waghmare, Founder — Parampara Naturals,
Last updated: 31 Aug 2026