Modagam using Desiccated coconut , Ganesh chaturthi recipes

Modakam | modagam | Kozhakattai, the traditional modakam is made using coconut and jaggery stuffing. Generally we use fresh coconut to make the coconut jaggery poornam. But some people may not have access to fresh coconut in their country. We can easily make poornam with desiccated coconut. The taste is almost the same and even you can replace jaggery with brown sugar also. Celebrate this Ganesh chaturthi with varieties of modak and other recipes from Jeyashri's kitchen.
Stay tuned for one more delicious Mahatrastrian style modak using desiccated coconut.

Modagam using desiccated coconut

  Preparation Time : 20 mins | Cooking Time : 20 Mins |Makes: 16

     For the outer cover
Idiyappam flour  1 cup
Water as needed
Sesame oil  few drops
   For the poornam| stuffing 
Desiccated coconut  1/2 cup
Powdered jaggery  1/4 cup
Cardamom powder  a pinch
Water 1-2 tblp

Sesame oil   to grease idli plate and grease hands

Method:

• In a pan add the desiccated coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder.
• Add 1-2 tblsp of water and mix well.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes till the jaggery melts and it gets incorporated with the desiccated coconut.
• Poornam | stuffing for modak is ready.
• Let's make the outer cover.
•  We can make the outer cover in 4 ways. 
• Add idiyapam flour or home rice flour in a wide bowl. 
• Boil water with few drops of sesame oil.
• Once it comes to a nice rolling boil, add the water to the flour. If using home made or store bought rice flour,add a pinch of salt to the water.
• Mix well with a spoon and keep it covered for few minutes.
• Once it is warm, grease hands with sesame oil and knead into a soft dough, without any cracks.
• Keep it covered all the time.
• Make it into equal lemon sized balls.
• Take one portion of the dough, using fingers make a small cup.
• Place 1/2 tblsp of filling into this.
• Gently close it and make it into modak shape. 
• You can check my video on how to shape modak 
• Repeat this for the rest of the dough .
• The dough and the stuffing is just perfect for the outer cover.
• I finished both the dough and the stuffing for making 16 modakams.
• Grease an idli plate and place the modakams.
• Steam for 10 minutes. You will see the shine in the modaks and it is the right time to switch off the flame.
• Let this cool for 2 minutes.
• Take out the modaks from the pan and the desiccated modaks are ready for neivedyam.

     
     

Method:

• In a pan add the desiccated coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder.

• Add 1-2 tblsp of water and mix well.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes till the jaggery melts and it gets incorporated with the desiccated coconut.

• Poornam | stuffing for modak is ready.
• Let's make the outer cover.
•  We can make the outer cover in 4 ways. 
• Add idiyapam flour or home rice flour in a wide bowl. 
• Boil water with few drops of sesame oil.
• Once it comes to a nice rolling boil, add the water to the flour. If using home made or store bought rice flour,add a pinch of salt to the water.
• Mix well with a spoon and keep it covered for few minutes.

• Once it is warm, grease hands with sesame oil and knead into a soft dough, without any cracks.
• Keep it covered all the time.
• Make it into equal lemon sized balls.

• Take one portion of the dough, using fingers make a small cup.
• Place 1/2 tblsp of filling into this.
• Gently close it and make it into modak shape. 

• You can check my video on how to shape modak 
• Repeat this for the rest of the dough .
• The dough and the stuffing is just perfect for the outer cover.
• I finished both the dough and the stuffing for making 16 modakams.
• Grease an idli plate and place the modakams.
• Steam for 10 minutes. You will see the shine in the modaks and it is the right time to switch off the flame.

• Let this cool for 2 minutes.
• Take out the modaks from the pan and the desiccated modaks are ready for neivedyam.

Notes:

1. Adding water is necessary while making the poornam but do not add too much. First add 1 tblsp and if needed add 1 more.
2. The sweet is just perfect for the stuffing, if needed more add 1-2 tblsp of extra jaggery powder.
3. Always keep the dough and the prepared modak covered. 
4. If using modak mould check out my video on how to shape modak using mould. 
5. If using brown sugar, add water only if needed.