Baked, grilled and air-fried... this Ganesh Chaturthi you too try new forms of modak..

It is impossible to have the arrival of Ganpati without mentioning modaks. The traditional bhog-prasad of Ganeshotsav, Ukadiche Modak, is made from rice flour and cooked in steam, but with changing times, many new experiments of modaks are coming up, keeping in mind the taste and health. These are not only amazing in taste, but also take care of health.

New form of Modak

Apart from traditional steaming and frying, many other techniques are also being used to make modaks. Baking gives the modaks a crispy texture like biscuits, while the smoky aroma prepared by grilling is pleasing to the mind. In the same sequence, cold modaks made with nut butter or dates give a different freshness. Some chefs even use 'sous vide' steaming, due to which the moisture and taste of the modak remain completely intact. Air-fried modaks are lighter and less greasy than deep-fried modaks.

However, the dough should be kept a little soft, as air-frying tends to dry things out quickly. These modaks turn out very crispy on the outside. Applying a little ghee or coconut oil on the outside of the modak gives it a golden colour. A little more moist filling, like jaggery and coconut, creates a perfect balance with the crispy outer layer of the modak.

No compromise on taste

Talking about innovation, the sugar-free chocolate modak is a perfect balance of health and taste, with dates or jaggery used for sweetness. Air-fried modaks are great for those who want to avoid excess oil. There are sri anna-based modaks made with ragi, jowar, or quinoa flour, and vegan modaks made with coconut milk are also quite popular. Modaks with nuts, seeds, and whey protein are a relatively new but explosive entry in this series.

The magic of natural sweetness
Indian kitchens have always been full of natural sweetness. Dates, figs, raisins, and jaggery not only add sweetness but also enhance the taste and texture. Sugarcane jaggery gives a pleasant warmth, while date jaggery gives a caramel toffee-like taste. What can we say about the sweetness of figs and raisins? Now, some wonderful combinations of taste are also being tried in modaks. A little cardamom flavor with date jaggery, a mixture of almond butter with saffron, orange peel with dark chocolate, a mixture of chia seeds with gulkand, all these serve the taste of modak in a new way. Foreign flavor is also being mixed well in our desi taste, in which the taste of baklava, the taste of Central Asian sweets, the taste of matcha, the unique taste of hazelnut praline cake, and the use of quinoa or chia seeds are being incorporated. All these give a fusion twist to the modak, while the traditional taste also remains intact.

Recipe of Gulab-Pistachio Modak
This Ganpati festival, make something new and unique prasad, Gulab-Pistachio Modak. This modak is a great amalgamation of Indian sweets and Central Asian baklava.

Ingredients:
For the outer cover: 1 cup almond flour, one teaspoon ghee, date paste
For the filling: finely chopped pistachios, dried rose petals, cardamom powder, date jaggery

Method:
First of all, knead a soft dough for the shell. Take almond flour in a large bowl. Add one teaspoon of ghee and date paste to it and mix well. Knead it till a smooth and soft dough is formed. Keep in mind that the dough is neither too hard nor too loose. Now prepare the filling. Add finely chopped pistachios, dried rose petals, cardamom powder, and date jaggery in a bowl and mix well. Now apply light ghee in the mold to make the modak and grease it. Take a small portion of the kneaded almond dough and flatten it with your hands, and spread it evenly on the walls of the mould, leaving a space in the centre for the filling. Fill in the stuffing, then close it with another thin layer of dough. Open the mould gently and take out the modaks. Refrigerate all the modaks for 30 minutes so that they set well.

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