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    Home » Sweets

    Published: Sep 18, 2018 · Modified: Mar 10, 2022 by Smruti · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Rava Modak | Semolina Modak

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An easy to make recipe for Ganpati; this Rava Modak needs a few ingredients and comes together pretty easily.

    Filled with a sweet coconut filling, this is pretty amazing! 

    We have been celebrating Ganpati in full swing for the last few days. We have a few more days to go before the Elephant God departs for this year. While he is still here, let us make something YUMMY for him. 

    For those who do not know about the festival, Ganpati is a God we worship and we celebrate a festival for ten days each year. People get home or make an idol of the Lord and place the idol in their house, worship Him for 10 days with flowers, yummy sweets and lots of decoration. 

    Though it has been a few days since the festival started, I made this lot for offering at a friends' place, so I decided to shoot it and post it here. I was juggling between saving it for later and posting it today; but decided to post it instantly! Probably a few readers will be able to make it this year! So the post is made, shot, offered and written really quickly to ensure it makes it on time. 

    What is MODAK?



    Modak is the sweet that is made in almost every household to offer to the God. It is made in various ways for the Elephant God as it is considered his favorite! The festival of Ganesha ends with an offering of 21 modaks to the almighty! 

    There are various types of modaks; fried, baked, steamed, no cook and what not! I have been updating the blog with a couple of recipes each year, it is amazing to see how the list is growing. If you would like to see the different versions; check these out:

    • Chocolate Modak
    • Kesar Malai Modak
    • Strawberry Coconut Modak
    • Sugar-free Dry Fruit Modak
    • Ukadiche Modak | Steamed Rice Flour Dumplings
    • Wheat Flour Modak 

    After all these types, I wanted to make something different this past weekend. So I converted the well known Indian dessert Sheera to modaks. Sheera is a sweet dish made from roasted semolina. I started off with a similar recipe and added some sweet coconut in the middle. 

    The filling I made was from jaggery and coconut and given that it would be sweet, I skipped adding sugar to the semolina cover. The sweetness was balanced well in the entire modak and we LOVED it. 

    Variations

    I made a simple version with no additions to the rava. Adding saffron strands or flavors like rose or cardamom is also a good idea. Add some sugar once the milk is boiling if you would like a sweet cover. However, balance with the filling sweetness to achieve the right mix. 

    The filling can be modified by adding dessicated coconut instead of fresh, adding some poppy seeds or extra nuts like cashews and raisins.

    Making these is fairly simple and there is little to mess up in the recipe. However, just make sure the jaggery does not become super hard while making the filling. It is the worst to make it all and not be able to bite into it! 

    These modaks can be made before hand and refrigerated. They taste amazing at room temperature so it is best to remove from the refrigerator a few minutes before having it. 

    If you are making these for any other occasion, you can convert the same into ladoos or pedas. It is all about the shape; the taste will be just as great however you make it! 

    Here are the sweets I made over the weekend to offer. The other recipes included in the photo are:

    • Churma Ladoo 
    • Strawberry Coconut Balls
    • Baked Churma Ladoos


    Ingredients

    For the filling

    Fresh Coconut ½ cup

    Jaggery ¼ cup, crushed or cubed

    Ghee/Clarified Butter ¼ tsp

    Cardamom Powder ⅛ tsp

    Almonds 2-3, minced

    For the cover

    Fine Semolina/Rava ½ cup

    Milk ½ cup, room temperature

    Water ½-3/4 cup

    Ghee/Clarified Butter 2 tsp

    Cardamom Powder ⅛ tsp

    Salt a pinch

    Method

    For the Filling

    In a pan add the ghee and heat.

    Once it melts, add jaggery and coconut. Let the jaggery melt for a couple of minutes. Do not cook it for too long else the filling will become hard. 

    Add cardamom powder and almonds, mix well and turn down the flame.

    Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

    For the Cover

    In the same pan that the filling was made, add the rava/semolina.

    Dry roast for 7-8 minutes on medium flame, till it becomes aromatic. Transfer to a plate. 

    In the pan add milk and ½ cup water. Heat the two for two minutes on medium flame and then add 1 ½ ghee and salt. 

    Mix well and bring to a boil.

    Once it boils, slowly add the roasted semolina and keep mixing till it all thickens up. It takes about 7-8 minutes to thicken. If it feels very hard, add some more water. The amount of water depends on the rava and each time you might require little extra or less water. 

    Once the mixture thickens, turn down the flame and remove in a plate.

    Let the mixture cool a little till it can be touched by hand. 

    Grease your palms with some ghee and knead the mixture to a smooth dough.

    Also grease the modak mold and keep ready.

    Divide the coconut jaggery filling in 8 parts. 

    Pinch a small piece of the semolina mixture and press it in the mold; making sure it covers the sides.

    Then place a coconut jaggery ball and seal using the semolina mixture. 

    Remove from mold and repeat to make the remaining modaks. I could make 8 medium sized modaks from the quantity mentioned above. 

    Enjoy immediately or refrigerate and enjoy for 4-5 days. 

    More Modak Recipes

    • Air Fried Modak with Coconut Jaggery filling
    • Front view of kesar malai modak
      Kesar Malai Modak
    • Ukadiche Modak placed on a green plate with more puja items on the side.
      Ukadiche Modak | Steamed Rice Flour Dumplings
    • Chocolate modak on a plate with flowers and other ingredients on the side.
      Chocolate Modak

    I love seeing when you share my recipes!

    Tag me on Instagram @herbivorecucina or mention #herbivorecucina so I can enjoy them virtually with you! You can also find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Tik Tok, and YouTube.

    Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!

    A copper utensil filled with semolina modak in it with Ganesha in the background.

    Rava Modak | Semolina Modak

    Smruti
    An easy to make recipe for Ganpati; this Rava Modak needs a few ingredients and comes together pretty easily.
    Filled with a sweet coconut filling, this is pretty amazing! 
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Sweets
    Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian
    Servings 4
    Calories 210 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the filling

    • ½ cup Fresh Coconut
    • ¼ cup Jaggery (crushed or cubed)
    • ¼ teaspoon Ghee/Clarified Butter
    • ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
    • 2-3 Almonds (minced)

    For the cover

    • ½ cup Fine Semolina/Rava
    • ½ cup Milk
    • ½ cup Water
    • 2 teaspoon Ghee/Clarified Butter
    • ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
    • 1 pinch Salt

    Instructions
     

    For the Filling

    • In a pan add the ghee and heat.
      ¼ teaspoon Ghee/Clarified Butter
    • Once it melts, add jaggery, cardamom powder and coconut. Let the jaggery melt for a couple of minutes. Do not cook it for too long else the filling will become hard.
      ½ cup Fresh Coconut, ¼ cup Jaggery, ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
    • Add cardamom powder and almonds, mix well and turn down the flame.
      ⅛ teaspoon Cardamom Powder, 2-3 Almonds
    • Transfer to a plate and set aside.

    For the Cover

    • In the same pan that the filling was made, add the rava/semolina.
      ½ cup Fine Semolina/Rava
    • Dry roast for 7-8 minutes on medium flame, till it becomes aromatic. Transfer to a plate.
    • In the pan add milk and ½ cup water. Heat the two for two minutes on medium flame and then add 1 ½ ghee and salt.
      ½ cup Milk, 2 teaspoon Ghee/Clarified Butter, 1 pinch Salt
    • Mix well and bring to a boil.
    • Once it boils, slowly add the roasted semolina and keep mixing till it all thickens up. It takes about 7-8 minutes to thicken. If it feels very hard, add some more water. The amount of water depends on the rava and each time you might require little extra or less water.
      ½ cup Water
    • Once the mixture thickens, turn down the flame and remove in a plate.
    • Let the mixture cool a little till it can be touched by hand.

    To Assemble the Modak

    • Grease your palms with some ghee and knead the mixture to a smooth dough.
    • Also grease the modak mold and keep ready.
    • Divide the coconut jaggery filling in 8 parts.
    • Pinch a small piece of the semolina mixture and press it in the mold; making sure it covers the sides.
    • Then place a coconut jaggery ball and seal using the semolina mixture.
    • Remove from mold and repeat to make the remaining modaks. I could make 8 medium sized modaks from the quantity mentioned above.
    • Enjoy immediately or refrigerate and enjoy for 4-5 days.

    Notes

    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 210kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 25mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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