Every year, as we get ready to welcome Ganpati Bappa, our kitchen fills with the smell of coconut, jaggery, and steam. Ukadiche modak isn’t just a sweet in a Maharashtrian home during Ganesh Chaturthi — it’s the offering, the ritual, the dish that brings the whole family into the kitchen. Growing up, I’d watch the pleats appear like magic under someone else’s fingers and assume it was easy. It’s not. My first few batches were lopsided, cracked, and a little sad-looking, but a few Ganpatis later, I’ve landed on a method that works every single time — and that’s exactly what I’m walking you through here.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s the real, traditional recipe — no shortcuts, no mould required, just rice flour dough shaped by hand the way it’s been done for generations.
- The filling comes together in one pan in under 10 minutes, so you can make it ahead and let it cool while you focus on the dough.
- I’m sharing both shaping methods — pleating and pinching — so you can pick whichever feels natural in your hands.
- Every tip here (when to wet your fingers, how to keep the dough from drying out, how to stop the tops from cracking) comes from things that actually went wrong in my own kitchen first.
Ingredient Notes
Coconut: Fresh grated coconut is traditional, but frozen grated coconut, thawed, works just as well and is what I used here. Just make sure it’s fully thawed and any excess water is drained before you add it to the pan.
Jaggery: Look for a good quality block or granulated jaggery and chop it fine so it melts evenly into the coconut. The quality of the jaggery really does come through in the final flavor.
Rice flour: For the ukad, I just used the regular rice flour I picked up from my local grocery store, and it worked out perfectly fine. You’ll also come across rice flour sold specifically for idiyappam or modak-making at Indian grocery stores — it’s milled a bit finer and sometimes lightly roasted. I haven’t found it necessary myself, but if your dough keeps giving you trouble, that’s worth trying. My only real rule: grab a fresh bag, not one that’s been sitting around, since older or coarser flour is what tends to cause cracking.
Ghee: Used in both the filling and the dough. It’s what keeps the rice flour dough pliable enough to shape without cracking, so don’t skip it or substitute oil here.
Almonds: Sliced almonds toasted in ghee add a bit of crunch and richness to the filling — you can leave them out if you prefer a smoother, more traditional filling, but I love the texture they add.
Cardamom: I use store-bought ground cardamom here, and it works great — just go for a good quality one, and use it within a few months of opening, since ground spices lose their punch fast once the jar’s been sitting around.
Ukadiche Modak Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 — Make the saran (coconut-jaggery filling)
Heat 1½ teaspoons ghee in a pan over medium-low flame. Once hot, add ¼ cup sliced almonds and sauté until lightly toasted. Add ½ cup chopped jaggery, 1 cup grated coconut, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, until the jaggery melts completely and the mixture comes together. Stir in 1 teaspoon cardamom powder. The saran is ready when it looks juicy — not too dry, not too wet. Turn off the flame, transfer to a bowl, and let it cool completely.
Step 2 — Make the ukad (rice flour dough)
In a pan, bring 1 cup water, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon ghee to a boil over medium-high flame — this takes about 4–5 minutes total, start to finish, right from adding the water to it coming to a boil. Lower the flame, add the rice flour, and mix well; it will look lumpy and shaggy. Turn off the flame immediately, cover with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3 — Knead the dough
Transfer the mixture to a large stainless steel bowl or parat (it’s still hot, so use steel, not glass or plastic). Press and stretch the clumps for 3–4 minutes to smooth it out, then knead with your hands — the dough will be very sticky at first, and that’s normal. Work in 1 teaspoon of ghee as you knead, then one more teaspoon, until you have a soft, smooth dough (about 8–9 minutes of kneading in total). Shape it into a cylinder and cover with a damp cloth. Don’t add any extra water or flour along the way.
Step 4 — Shape the modaks
Set your steamer on to heat now — add water to the base and let it come to a boil, so it’s ready by the time you finish shaping. Take a small portion of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it slightly. Dust your rolling board with a little rice flour, and roll the dough out (a touch of oil on the rolling pin helps if it sticks). Add a spoonful of the cooled saran to the center.
Shape it using either the pleating method — folding the edge into pleats while the dough sits on the board, then gathering and sealing them into a peak — or the pinch method, holding the dough in your palm and pleating it there. As you gather the pleats and form the peak, pinch off and remove any excess dough so the top seals cleanly. For both, keep your fingers dry while pleating, and only lightly wet your fingers or palm when gathering the pleats together at the top. As you shape each modak, dip it briefly in water, then set it straight onto a plate under a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
Along with modaks, you can make karanji too — in many Maharashtrian homes, the two are made together during Ganpati since they share the same dough and filling but take different shapes. To make a karanji, roll out a small circle of dough, add filling to one half, then fold the other half over it into a half-moon shape. Seal the curved edge by pinching and folding it with your fingers as you go, which crimps a decorative border into it as it seals. Steam it right alongside your modaks.
Step 5 — Steam
Place a couple of saffron strands on top of each modak. Grease your steaming plate with a little oil or ghee, arrange the modaks on it, and steam over medium-low flame for 10 minutes.
Step 6 — Rest and serve
Turn off the flame and let the tray rest for 5 minutes before removing. If the modaks stick slightly, wet your hands and gently lift them out. Serve warm with a drizzle of ghee on top.
Serving Suggestions
Ukadiche modak is best enjoyed warm, straight off the steamer, with a generous drizzle of ghee. In our home, the first few always go to Ganpati Bappa as naivedya (offering) before anyone else eats — traditionally in a set of 21. After that, they’re a lovely way to end a festive meal, and they pair beautifully with a hot cup of masala chai.
Storage & Make-Ahead
The saran (filling) can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator — just bring it to room temperature before filling the modaks so it’s easier to work with. The dough is best used the same day it’s made, since rice flour dough firms up and becomes harder to shape as it sits. Once steamed, modaks are best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep in the refrigerator for a day or two — re-steam them for a few minutes to soften before serving again.
Ukadiche Modak FAQs
Yes — the saran keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just let it come to room temperature before you use it so it’s easier to shape into the modaks.
Cracking almost always means the dough dried out before or during shaping. Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth at every stage, work in batches, and as soon as each modak is shaped, dip it briefly in water and set it under a damp cloth right away rather than letting it sit out.
Yes — the filling freezes well for up to a month, and you can freeze the steamed modaks too. Just don’t thaw them first: straight from the freezer, dip the modak briefly in water, take it out right away, and steam for 8–10 minutes.
Ukadiche Modak
Equipment
- 1 Steamer
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Rolling board
- 1 Stainless steel wati or small bowl
- 1 Parat or large mixing bowl
- 1 Steaming plate
- 2 Pans
Ingredients
For the Saran (Filling)
- 1 1/2 tsp Ghee
- 1/4 cup Sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup Jaggery chopped
- 1 cup Grated coconut fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tsp Cardamom powder
For the Ukad (Dough)
- 1 cup Water
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Ghee divided
- 1 cup Rice flour
For Shaping and Finishing
- 1 tbsp Rice flour for dusting
- 1 tsp Oil for the rolling pin, if needed
- few strands Saffron
- 1 tsp Ghee for greasing the steaming plate
- 1 tbsp Ghee for drizzling, to serve
Instructions
- Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons ghee in a pan over medium-low flame. Once hot, add the sliced almonds and sauté until lightly toasted.1 1/2 tsp Ghee, 1/4 cup Sliced almonds
- Add the jaggery, grated coconut, and salt. Mix well and cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 minutes, until the jaggery melts completely and the mixture combines.1/2 cup Jaggery, 1 cup Grated coconut, 1 pinch Salt
- Stir in the cardamom powder. The saran is ready when it’s juicy — not too dry, not too wet. Turn off the flame, transfer to a bowl, and let it cool completely.1 tsp Cardamom powder
- In a pan, bring the water, salt, and 1 teaspoon of ghee to a boil over medium-high flame — this takes about 4–5 minutes total, from adding the water to it coming to a boil. Lower the flame, add the rice flour, and mix well; it will look lumpy and shaggy. Turn off the flame immediately, cover with a lid, and let it sit for 10 minutes.1 cup Water, 1/8 tsp Salt, 3 tsp Ghee, 1 cup Rice flour
- Transfer the mixture to a parat or large, wide stainless steel bowl. Using a stainless steel wati, press and stretch the clumps for about 3–4 minutes to smooth the dough out.3 tsp Ghee
- Once cool enough to touch, knead with your hands. Work in 1 teaspoon of ghee, then one more teaspoon, kneading until soft (about 8–9 minutes total). Shape into a cylinder and cover with a damp cloth. Do not add extra water or flour.3 tsp Ghee
- Set your steamer on to heat — add water to the base and let it come to a boil.
- Take a small portion of dough, roll into a ball between your palms, then flatten slightly.
- Sprinkle rice flour on your rolling board, place the dough on it, and roll it out (rub a little oil on the rolling pin if it sticks).1 tbsp Rice flour
- Add a portion of the cooled saran to the center of the rolled-out dough.1 tsp Oil
- Shape using the pleating method (fold the edge into pleats on the board, then gather and seal into a peak) or the pinch method (pleat while holding the dough in your palm). As you gather the pleats and form the peak, pinch off and remove any excess dough so the top seals cleanly. Keep fingers dry while pleating; lightly wet fingers or palm only when gathering the pleats together at the top.
- Immerse each shaped modak briefly in water, then place it immediately on a plate under a damp, wrung-out cloth.
- Place a couple of saffron strands on top of each modak. Grease the steaming plate with oil or ghee and arrange the modaks on it.few strands Saffron, 1 tsp Ghee
- Steam over medium-low flame for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the flame and let rest for 5 minutes before removing. Wet your hands to gently lift out any that stick.
- Serve warm with a drizzle of ghee.1 tbsp Ghee
Video
Notes
- Makes 7 modaks (this batch was made as 6 modaks + 1 karanji).
- Keep the dough covered with a damp cloth at all times when not actively working with it — it dries out and cracks quickly.
- Do not add extra water or flour while kneading the ukad.
- I used everyday rice flour from the grocery store here — idiyappam/modak-specific rice flour is out there too if you want to try it, but it’s not a must.
- Before steaming, let your steamer’s water come to a full boil first so the modaks start steaming right away.
- Traditionally offered to Lord Ganesha in a set of 21 during Ganesh Chaturthi.
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