For the filling: 2 cups shredded fresh coconut 1 cup jaggery 1 teaspoon roasted poppy seeds 1 teaspoon rice flour 3-4 cardamoms For the outer cover: For Outer Cover: 1 cup rice flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon ghee 1/2 teaspsoon oil a pinch of salt
1. To make the filling, combine and cook coconut and jaggery together on medium heat. Stir continuously until they are mixed properly. Do not overcook. 2. Add cardamom powder, roasted poppy seeds and 1 teaspoon rice flour to it. and cook for some time. The filling is ready now. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool. 3. Next step is to make the outer cover. This has to be done very carefully. The dough should be neither too sticky nor too dry. 4. Boil 1 cup of water. When bubbles rise on top, add ghee, salt and oil and immediately add rice flour. Stir well. Cover for some time. Remove the lid and stir again and again cover for a minute. 5. Then remove from heat. Take all the mixture in a flat plate. Knead it properly while hot (You can use a flat bowl for kneading to keep the hands from burning). Make a soft pliable dough. 6. Divide this dough into small balls. 7. Roll each ball into 1.5 inch diameter circle. Hold it in a hand and make a small bowl of it. Put some coconut filling into this bowl shaped dough. Dip thumb and index finger in the oil and make 5-6 small pinches side by side on the edges of the bowl. Bring them together, join to form a peak. It should look like a whole garlic. 8. Like this, prepare all modaks. Spread a damp cloth onto a flat round sifter and arrange all the modaks onto it. Place the sifter in a steamer and cover. Steam for about 15 minutes. Use a big size saucepan or pressure cooker if you don't have a steamer. Do not put the whistle if you use the pressure cooker. 9. Serve with the ghee. Tip: The proportion of water and rice flour for the cover should be accurate as written above. Also it is advisable to sieve the flour once.