Modak

Recipe Type:	Veg.
Difficulty:	Average

Ingredients:

• For the filling
• 2 Cup shredded fresh coconut
• 1/2 Cup mixture of unsalted pistachios and unsalted cashews
• 1/2 Pinch of cardamom powder
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 1 Cup jaggery or sugar
  
  For the outer cover
• 1 Cup rice flour
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1 Cup water
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Cooking Instructions:

• To prepare the filling, combine coconut, milk and jaggery or sugar, mix well.
• Cook it over medium flame, stir continuously till they are mixed properly.
• Add cashews and pistachios and cook for about one minute.
• Now add cardamom powder.
• Let it cool, keep aside.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Now add flour, ghee and salt, stir quickly so as to remove all lumps.
• Cover with a lid for some time and cook.
• Remove the lid and keep stirring.
• Now remove the pan from the heat and transfer all the mixture on a flat plate.
• Knead it to make soft dough.
• It should be neither too sticky nor too dry.
• Grease the palms of your hands properly and make a ball from the dough.
• Flatten the dough to make a cup shape.
• Put 3/4 tsp coconut filling into this cup.
• Dip thumb and index finger in the oil and make 5-6 small pinches on the outside edges of the cup.
• Bring them together on top and join to shape a peak.
• Put modak on a pre greased plate.
• Make rest of the modaks.
• Now Steam them for about 15 minutes and serve with ghee.