Showing posts with label Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Festival. Show all posts

Tendle Bibbe Upkari


Fresh tender Cashew Nuts!!! This Konkani new year dish lets you enjoy the creamy tender nuts in a mild fry with ivy gourds and potatoes.

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Fresh Cashew Nuts!! I cannot believe I was oblivious to their existence. Being Goan, my love for cashew nuts is obvious. But until today, all I had was dried cashew nuts, sometimes salted, mostly plain, sometimes flavored and once or twice, I have mustered courage to eat the fruit that causes throats to itch. Somehow, I totally missed getting on the fresh tender cashew nuts wagon, until now, of course. My friend Vindhya of A Million Morsels, introduced me to this tender creamy crunchy delicacy. 

So when Raj went to Karkala for an extended vacation for Ugadi (Hindu New Year), he got me these tender cashew nuts or bibbo/ bibbe. They are sold in packets of 50 or 100 and are very seasonal. They are usually sold around Ugadi as this Tendle Bibbe Upkari is a specialty for Ugadi in a Konkani household. If you cannot find tender cashew nuts, you can replace them with dried cashew nuts that have been soaked in water overnight or for 4-5 hours until they are nice and soft.

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Upkari is a simple palya or a dry vegetable curry. It is also super healthy, low on oil, high on seasonal ingredients, barely any spices. It is a refreshing fresh dish fit for Summer.
Tendle or Tendli / Tondekayee or Ivy gourds is the fruit of a creeper. Tastes best when harvested when they are raw and tender and green. As they ripen, they become red and soft. Ripe tendle can be used to make Tondekayee Chutney. My luck shined when Raj got me home grown fresh tendle from Karkala. I am a big fan of anything home grown and organic. The tendle he got me were so tender and cooked so quickly. They were delicate and crisp, just the way I love them.

Potatoes, you can add them or you can leave them. Sometimes, if one cannot find tender cashews or not enough of them, the quantity of the upkari is increased by adding more potato. I put them in as everyone loves potatoes. 

Coconut, another homegrown ingredient in my cooking. I feel so lucky to get homegrown coconut. I don't grow them in Bangalore, but every time someone comes from Karkala, my mother in law makes it a point to send me coconuts grown at home. They are huge, sweet and juicy.. YUM!! The coconut here is much more than just a garnish, it is almost the heart of the dish that brings everything together. 

This Tendle Bibbe Upkari has very little in the way of spices, just mustard seeds, urad dal and red chillies with a sprig of curry leaves. It uses very little oil, it is mostly cooked in water. As I said, it is very healthy. Tendle Bibbe Upkari is eaten as a side along with rice and dal or with chapati.

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


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Tendle Bibbe Upkari


Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comTendle Bibbe Upkari is a Konkani vegatable dish made with fresh tender cashew nuts, tendle or ivy gourd and potatoes. It is usually made during Ugadi.

Recipe Type:  Side
Cuisine:            Mangalore
Prep Time:     1 Hour
Cook time:     40 minutes
Yield:                Serves 3-4


Ingredients:


20-25 Tendle (Tondekayee or Ivy Gourd)
1 cup Bibbe or tender Cashew Nuts
1-2 Potatoes
3 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
3-4 dry Red Chillies
2 Tbsp grated fresh Coconut
8-10 Curry leaves
Water as required
Salt to taste

Method:


Boil 2 cups of water. Remove from heat once it comes to a rolling boil.
Soak the cashew nuts (bibbe) in the hot water for 1 hour. This will help loosen the skin.
Peel the thin brown skin of the tender cashew nuts.
Wash the cashew nuts thoroughly and split them into halves.
Cut the tips of the tendle and slice it into thin slices.
Peel the potato and slice them to the same size as the tendle
Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the urad dal, curry leaves and the dry red chillies.
Fry until the urad dal changes colour.
Add the sliced tendle and 0.5 cup of water.
Cover and cook until the tendle are half done.
Add the sliced potato and the tender cashew nuts.
Cover and cook until the potato and tendle are done.
Add salt and mix well.
Garnish with grated coconut.
Serve hot with chapati.


Konkani Recipes, how to make bibbe upkari recipe, how to cook tender cashew nuts, how to make tondekayee palya with cashew nuts recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com



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Wedding Anniversary Gajar ka Halwa

5 years of love, 5 years of disagreements.
5 years of understanding, 5 years of why-can’t-you-understand-me moments.
5 years in happiness and sadness. 5 years of ups and downs.
5 years of sharing work, 5 years of fighting over the TV remote.
5 years of buying new stuff, 5 years of we-really-need-to-get-rid-of-stuff.

How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

5 years since we tied the knot. Sunday, the 16th was our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Somehow, being as different as chalk and cheese we’ve made it work. 
10 years ago, I saw him across the room and wanted to get to know him. I did get to know him a few months later. We became friends, very good friends. Friends who fell in love eventually.

Raj is probably the nicest guy around. A man who hurts not even a mosquito (literally!!), much to my annoyance. A man with immense patience - he can entertain toddlers for hours and teach technology to senior citizens. But totally loses it when someone cuts in front of his car breaking traffic rules. A man who sings well but has two left feet when it comes to dancing (he may as well be fighting Kung Fu with me). Totally low maintenance guy, whom I love very much, no matter how much he annoys me at times.


Today morning as I was waiting for the bus, I was trying to think of the things we have in common and while we are more different than similar, we do have quite a lot of stuff in common…

  • Travel – We both love to travel, we’ve always loved to see new places and take long drives. We loved the snowcapped peaks of Manali just as much as the pristine waters of Phuket. We were equally mesmerized by the Taj Mahal as we were by the Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka.
  • Desserts – Both of us have a massive sweet tooth and are always trying to curb it. But yes, desserts are our weakness, no matter how much we try.
  • Movies – We may have different tastes in movies, I love rom coms and he love his action movies (typical Man.. Duh!), but give us an Animated Movie and we are willing to tolerate the headache we both get from the 3D glasses.
  • Jamie Oliver and Top Gear – He’s all about cars and I’m all food, but for a change we both love watching Jamie Oliver cook things we would probably never eat and watch them test drive cars on Top Gear that we will never buy.
  • Tea – Tea is what led to this marriage according to me. We bonded over cups and cups of tea and still cannot get enough of.

How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

This Gajar ka Halway is a dedication to our 5 years of Marriage. 5 years ago, just before we got married, Raj told me he makes the most amazing Gajar ka Halwa and will one day make it for me. I’m still waiting for him to make it… I probably will be waiting for the next 5.  So instead of denying myself of the sinful pleasure, I made it myself. 

Gajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa is a traditional North Indian carrot pudding that is made by slow cooking grated carrots along with milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits. It is a sweet rich dessert, fit for special occasions, like our Wedding Anniversary.

You can either grate the carrots or use a food processor to shred them. Use juicy carrots, avoid fibrous ones. The grated carrots are first lightly roasted in ghee. Then they are slow cooked in milk on low heat. Traditional recipe uses full fat milk. I used regular toned milk. Once the milk has almost evaporated, add the sugar. The sugar will melt and you will again find liquid in your halwa. I love some desserts very sweet. Adding the 1 cup of sugar will make the halwa very sweet. I suggest adding half a cup and letting it evaporate, before adding more if you prefer your desserts to be less sweet. Once all the sugar has evaporated, add the cardamom powder. I also love adding a lot of dry fruits to my desserts. I added almonds, cashew nuts and raisins after lightly frying them in ghee. 

Although I love cold Gajar ka Halwa, it tastes best when served warm. It also is great when paired with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

If you liked this, you may also like:

P.S - You know my biggest accomplishment? After 5 years, I finally got him to smile when the camera is pointed at him.

Gajar ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa


How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comGajar ka Halwa or Carrot Halwa is a slow cooked North Indian carrot pudding made with grated carrots, milk, sugar, ghee and dry fruits.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     1 Hour 45 Minutes
Yield:                Serves 5 to 6


Ingredients:


3 cups grated Carrots (300 gms)
2 cups Milk
0.75 to 1 cup Sugar
0.5 tsp Cardamom Powder
3 Tbsp Ghee
8 to 10 Almonds
8 to 10 Cashew nuts
8 to 10 Raisins

Method:


Heat 2 Tbsp ghee in a kadhai and add the grated carrot.
On low heat, fry the carrots for 4-5 mins, stirring continuously.
Add the milk and continue to simmer on low heat until all the milk has evaporated. Stir occasionally.
This will take around 30-45 minutes. By the time the milk has evaporated, the carrots would have almost cooked.
Now add the sugar and continue to cook on low heat. The sugar will melt and the halwa will again have liquid in it. Continue to stir occasionally.
Once all the liquid has evaporated, add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Remove from heat.
Heat the remaining ghee in a small pan.
Add sliced almonds, split cashew nuts and raisins and saute until the nuts brown slightly.
Add the nuts to the Gajar ka Halwa and mix well.
Serve warm.

How to make gajar ka halwa or carrot halwa recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


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Nippattu | Thattai

Same story as my Kaju Katli post. I asked hubby dearest what khara/ namkeen/ spicy snack should I make for Diwali and the reply was Nippattu. Again, I had tried this earlier and it was something I couldn't brag about. Tried it again and presto! it tasted good this time. I did struggle a little initially even this time, but I got the correct advice from multiple people and managed to salvage my nippattu mission. I was not rolling them thin enough and hence they were not cooking properly in the center giving them soft centers and crispy sides. After about 7-10 turning out soft, I took the advice and patted them out evenly and thinner and they turned out nice and crisp. The recipe made close to 40 nippattus.




Nippattu | Thattai


Spicy flat South Indian crisps made from Rice flour

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Yield:              40

Ingredients:

2 cups Rice flour
1 cup Maida / Flour
1-2 tsp Red chilli powder
50 gms or 3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Oil (hot)
2-3 sprigs Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup Peanuts
1/4 cup Puthani / Roasted gram
1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing
A pinch of Cooking soda
Salt
Water
Oil for deep frying

Method:

  • Dry roast the peanuts and peel them. Crush the peanuts into 2-3 pieces, just be careful not to powder it.
  • Mix the rice flour, maida, red chilli powder, butter, chopped curry leaves, coriander leaves, peanuts, roasted gram, hing, cooking soda and salt.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add to the mix.
  • Add water and knead into a smooth dough.
  • Cover and keep aside for 10-15 mins
  • Take a small ball of dough and place it on a butter paper or any other greased surface and pat it down into a disk using your fingers. The disk should be around 2mm in thickness. Make sure it is evenly thick.
  • Heat the oil in a kadhai for deep frying. After the oil is hot, reduce the stove to medium flame.
  • Deep fry the nippattu on medium flame until they are brown on both sides.
  • Allow it to cool a little to check if they have crisped up.
  • Allow it to cool and then store in an air tight container.

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Khova Peda

A free Saturday morning got me in experimental mood. I'm generally stay away from making sweets unless it's a special occasion or a festival, but this Saturday I was in the mood for something sweet. And without any recipe in hand, I decided to make khova pedas. Luckily for me, they turned out great.

Khova peda


Khova

Khova peda



Khova Peda


Cardamom flavored milk fudge

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          North Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     90 minutes
Yield:              20-25

Ingredients:

1 litre full fat Milk or 3/4 cup Khova
5-6 tbsp Powdered sugar
2-3 Cardamom
5-6 Almonds(Optional)

Method:
  • I made fresh khova, 1 litre of milk gave me 3/4 cup of khova. You can use store bought khova too.
  • Add 1 L of full fat milk into a non-stick pan.
  • Allow the milk to come to a boil and then lower the flame to low.
  • Keep stirring occasionally. I stirred once every 5 mins.
  • Once most of the milk has evaporated and you can see mostly milk solids, keep a close watch on the pan, you don't want to burn the whole thing. Stirring may be frequently needed.
  • Powder the cardamom and add to pan. Mix well.
  • Add the sugar by the spoonful until you get the desired sweetness. I added 5.5 tbsp. of powdered sugar.
  • Keep stirring and cooking until the whole mixture is one mass and sticks together.
  • Remove from the stove and cool for 10-15 mins, until you can shape them into pedas
  • Roll the dough into small balls and flatten them
  • Garnish with slivers of almond
  • Allow it to cool and then serve
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Kadle Bele Payasa | Chana Dal Payasam


Guysss !!! "100" H-U-N-D-R-E-D... This is my 100th post on OneTeaspoonOfLife...

How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

My first milestone in my blogging journey. Ever since I reached the nervous 90's, I started thinking about what my 100th post should be. I asked for suggestions from family, but I was more confused than ever. I wanted it to be something sweet, something influenced by my roots and most of all, something I love.

Kadle Bele Payasa has been a favourite since childhood. And to top it, this was a part of the naivedyam (offering) to Lord Ganesha for Ganesh Chaturthi. I made it long back, but held on, on posting it, so I could make it my 100th. So blessed by Lord Ganesha, comes my 100th recipe on this blog for the simple, delicate and delicious Kadle Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam.

Kadle Bele Payasa is a South Indian Kheer or pudding made using Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram) and Rice. The dal and rice are cooked in coconut milk along with cardamom and jaggery.

How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

The base of this payasa or kheer is the Chana Dal. The dal needs to be soaked for at least 2-3 hours to make cooking it easier. I pressure cooked it, but you can easily cook it in a deep saucepan. Usually, dal is cooked until it disintegrates and is mushy, but not in this case. The dal should be just cooked. It should still retain its shape and should still have a slight bite to it.

The other major ingredient here is the rice. And just like the chana dal, it needs to be just cooked. The rice grains should not be mushy. They should still have a bite to them.

Coconut is the soul of South India and also of this Kadle Bele Payasa. The Kadle Bele Payasa gets its creaminess from coconut. You can add coconut milk or finely ground coconut flesh. I sometimes add coconut milk and sometimes the ground coconut. The difference is not in taste, but in texture. Coconut milk gives it smooth creaminess while the ground coconut gives the payasa a coarse texture.

How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Jaggery is unrefined cane sugar. If you don't have access to jaggery, you can add palm sugar or brown sugar or any unrefined sugar. If you are using jaggery, I suggest using the darkest variety you get. Dark jaggery has the least amount of additives it in and has a richer taste.
No Indian sweet is complete without ground Cardamom. Just the fragrance of cardamom reminds me of dessert.

Dry fruits are totally optional for this Kadle Bele Payasa, but I don't know any dish where the addition of dry fruits has ruined it. Add them just chopped or fry them in ghee like I did. If you are vegan or want to make a vegan dessert, skip the ghee and just lightly toast the dry fruits. I added cashew nuts and raisins, you can add almonds as well.

If you are making this for Naivedyam or as an offering to god, refrain from tasting it. Follow the recipe and you should be good. Hold off on the jaggery if you are concerned it being too sweet while offering it in Naivedyam. You can heat a little water and dissolve jaggery in it and mix it to the payasa while eating.

How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

If you liked this, you may also like:
  • Modak - Modaks are traditional steamed Indian dumpling made from rice flour, coconut and jaggery. Served as an offering to Lord Ganesha in West and South India. 
  • Coconut Laddoo - Instant Fudge balls made with coconut and condensed milk.
  • Mavinahannu Seekarne - Maavina Hannu Seekarne or Aamras is a simple traditional dessert made with mango pulp and milk and flavored with cardamom.



Kadle bele payasa | Chana dal payasam

How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com
Kadle Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam is a South Indian kheer or pudding made with rice, lentils and fresh coconut.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     2 Hours (Includes lentil soaking time)
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              2-3 Servings

Ingredients:


0.5 cup Kadle bele / Chana dal
2-3 Tbsp Cooked rice
0.5 cup desiccated fresh Coconut or 1 cup Coconut Milk
0.5 cup Jaggery (grated or shaved)
1 tsp or 4 pods of Cardamom
8-10 Cashew nuts(Split) (Optional)
8-10 Kismis / Raisins(Optional)
1 Tbsp Ghee (Optional)
Water as required

Method:


Soak the kadle bele for 2-3 hours.
Pressure cook it with water until done. It should be cooked but not mushy. I cooked it in 2 cups of water for around 10 mins/ 2-3 whistles.
Pour the kadle bele along with 1 cup of the water it was cooked in, into a kadhai. Keep the flame low.
Add the cooked rice to it.
If using coconut milk, just pour it to the kadhai with the kadle bele and rice. If using fresh cococut, grind it with water until it is is fine and then add this to the kadhai.
Add the grated jaggery and cardamom and cook for 5-10 mins until the jaggery melts and mixes evenly. I suggest adding it by the spoonful until the sweetness is right for you. Add water as required. The consistency is usually on the thicker side.
In another small pan, heat the ghee and lightly fry the cashew nuts and raisins until the cashews are light brown and add this to the payasa. If you are vegan, toast the cashews lightly instead of frying in the ghee and add to the payasa.
How to make Kadale Bele Payasa or Chana Dal Payasam at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


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Lemon rice | Chitranna


how to make chitranna, lemon rice recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life


Again, this is a mandate on your banana leaf for festivals and functions. It is served on the bottom left side of your banana leaf or plate right next to the plain rice. If you are eating this for breakfast, you can make many different versions. You can add vegetables like onion, capsicum, carrots, potato or peas. You can add avarekalu or lima beans. You can add raw mango. But again, at the end of the day if this is for festival, the simplest version is served with just peanuts. This is the recipe that follows…

how to make chitranna, lemon rice recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life



Lemon rice | Chitranna

how to make chitranna, lemon rice recipe at One Teaspoon Of Life
Lemon Rice or Chitranna (Kannada) is a South Indian dish in which rice (usually leftover) is flavored with lemon and turmeric. Peanuts can be added for additional texture.

Recipe Type:  Main Course
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     10 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Yield:              2 cups

Ingredients:


2 cups Cooked Rice
2-3 Green Chillies
6-8 Curry leaves
2 Tbsp Peanuts
A handful of Coriander leaves (Optional)
1 Tbsp desiccated fresh Coconut(Optional)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
3 tsp Oil
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Lemon
Salt

Method:


Heat oil in a kadhai and add the mustard seeds to it
After they splutter, add the peanuts and fry until the peanuts are slightly brown.
Add the slit green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the turmeric powder and lime juice
Add the rice and salt and mix well until the rice is coated with the turmeric powder
Cook for 1-2 mins while stirring
Garnish with desiccated coconut and chopped coriander leaves



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Sautekayi Kosambri | Cucumber Koshambari

Kosambri is a south Indian salad that is a must for any festival or function in Karnataka. I think our ancestors intended for us to eat healthy by mandating a salad amidst all that festival fanfare. It is usually The recipe posted below is of the version I have grown up eating . It was my favorite in the entire habbada oota (festival food) and if there were any leftovers, the whole family knew who could be counted on to finish it :D.  These days you get various types of kosambri. There is one with grated carrot that tastes nice and the latest I have seen is with American sweet corn. It is either made with split moong dal or split chana dal. Personally I have always preferred moong dal. So the recipe below is for cucumber and moong dal kosambri....








Sautekayi Kosambri | Cucumber Koshambari


A traditional South Indian salad consisting of lentils and cucumber

Recipe Type:  Salad
Cuisine:          South Indian
Prep Time:     2 Hours (includes lentil soaking time)
Cook time:     10 minutes
Yield:              3-4 servings

Ingredients:

½ cup Moong dal
1 Cucumber
1-2 Green Chillies
A handful Coriander
1 Tbsp desiccated fresh Coconut
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
5-6 Curry leaves
1 Tbsp Lime juice
Salt

Method:

  • Soak the moong dal in water for about 2-3 hours
  • Drain the water and keep the moong dal aside
  • Chop the cucumber finely and add to the moong dal
  • Add lime juice and salt as per taste
  • Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds to it
  • After the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and slit green chillies and pour this tempering on the kosambri
  • Add the desiccated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well
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Steamed Modaks | Ukadiche Modak | Sihi Kadabu


How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Lord Ganesha's birthday aka Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with fervor and grandeur in Goa. People take a nice vacation from their hectic lives and move into their ancestral houses for a week usually. The entire family gets together to welcome Ganesha into their house and hearts. You can see colorful idols of Ganesha everywhere you turn. His throne is decorated with flowers and banana leaf. Everyone is dressed in their festive best.

And when everything is at its best, so is the Food. In India, every festival revolves around Food. Ganesh Chaturthi is no exception. While one may not make as many variety of sweets and snacks as one does for Diwali, there are a few that are made especially for beloved Ganesha only.

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

Modaks are considered to be Lord Ganesha's favorite sweet and a must on Ganesh Chaturthi.
Modaks are made in myriad different ways. Some deep fry it while some steam it. Sometimes the filling is of fresh coconut and jaggery, while sometimes it is dry coconut and sugar. I have also seen a recipe where it is filled with chocolate. Sometimes all this is skipped and modaks are just modak shaped pedas.

In our culture, we do not deep fry modaks. My grand mother was totally against deep frying anything on Ganesh chaturthi so we always made the steamed version stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery. And this is the version I absolutely LOVE.
Steamed Modaks or Ukadiche Modak or Sihi Kadabu have the outer layer made of a rice flour dough and a stuffing of fresh coconut, jaggery (unrefined sugar) and cardamom powder.

To make the outer layer of rice flour, the rice flour is added to boiling water and mixed until it forms a stiff dough. Getting the consistency of the dough right is probably the toughest part of making the Modak. If the dough isn't made properly, there are chances that the modaks will split while steaming, which, believe me isn't really as disastrous as it sounds. They still taste great and means just some more modaks for the Cook. Hurray!!

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

The filling is made by cooking together grated fresh coconut and jaggery. In this recipe, the jaggery cannot be replaced with refined sugar, as it just will not live up to the taste and texture of the modak. The mixture is cooked until it the water almost evaporates. Cooking it beyond that will cause the jaggery to crystallize and the filling will become one big hard lump.

These days there are moulds available to shape the modaks after filling them. Unfortunately, as you can see in the pictures, I wasn't aware of it until I'd finished making them, hence very amateurish looking modaks in my house this year. But who is worried about the looks when they tasted SO delicious.

If you are making this for Naivedyam for Lord Ganesha, please do not taste anything and follow the recipe and your instincts and it will turn out great.

How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com

If you liked this, you may also like:
  • Khova Peda - Simple peda made from milk solids and sugar.
  • Kaju Katli - Fudge or Barfi made from cashewnuts and sugar. A favorite in every household.
  • Coconut Laddoo - A simple laddoo made from coconut powder and condensed milk in under 1 hour.
  • Kadle Bele Payasa - Kheer made with rice, chana dal and coconut
How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.com


Steamed Modaks | Kadabu | Sweet Dumplings


How to make Ukadiche Modak Recipe at www.oneteaspoonoflife.comModaks are traditional steamed Indian dumpling made from rice flour, coconut and jaggery. Served as an offering to Lord Ganesha in West and South India. 

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:          Indian
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Yield:              9

Ingredients:


0.75 cup Coconut
0.5 cup Jaggery
1 tsp Cardamom
0.75 cup Rice flour
1.5 cups Water
1 tsp Ghee or Oil
0.25 tsp Salt

Method:


In a kadhai, mix the coconut and jaggery and cook on low flame. Keep stirring the mixture to avoid burning. Cook until the mixture is almost dry. Do not overcook as then the jaggery will harden. Add the cardamom powder and keep aside to cool.
In another pan, bring 1 cup of water to a  rolling boil. Add the salt and the ghee and remove it from the heat.
Add rice flour by the spoonful and keep stirring to avoid forming lumps.
Add more water if needed. The dough should be slightly stiff yet malleable.
Keep the pan back on the stove and keep the flame low.
Keep stirring until the whole dough becomes one mass. It will start sticking to the spoon/ spatula. It took me around 5 mins. Take a small marble sized piece of dough and press it using  your thumb and index finger, it should not break into pieces. Nor should it stick to your hand. If the consistency or the texture is not correct, the modaks may split while cooking. If it is your first time, do not fret over a few split ones.
Allow this to cool for some time.
While it is still warm, take a small ball of flour and flatten it. Place a small ball of the filling inside it and use your hands and stretch the flour to cover the filling.
Shape the modaks accordingly.
Steam the modaks in a steamer for around 8-10 mins. I used an idli steamer, you can use a cooker without the whistle.
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