Ukadiche Modak with Rice Flour

Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Babita

Ukadiche Modak is a steamed rice dumpling stuffed with coconut and jaggery filling. This modak is popularly made as an offering or prasad to Lord Ganesh during Ganesh Chaturthi.

This steamed rice modak is a popular, traditional Maharashtrian recipe. This four-ingredient modak recipe is very easy as well as quick to make.

(This post contains some affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you chose to purchase through them).

About this Recipe

This recipe for Ukadiche Modak is my mother-in-law’s. The basic recipe is hers, but for the purpose of this post I made changes to the measurement of the ingredients. My mother-in-law also shapes the modak like a proper dumpling. She shapes and forms the rice dough herself. I, on the other hand, use a mold to shape the rice modak. If you check below, I have posted a picture of the mold.

What does Ukdiche mean

The name “Ukdiche” is derived from the Marathi word “Ukadane”. Ukadane means to steam. The method to cook this particular modak is steaming hence the word Ukdiche is used.

What is Modak

Modak is a traditional offering or prasad made to Lord Ganesh during Ganesh Chaturthi (Indian festival).  Modak is instantly recognizable due to its tear-drop or Hersey Kisses-like shape. Modak can be made from many different ingredients. Traditionally it’s made with rice as the outer soft shell. However, you can make modak with whole wheat flour or milk powder and condensed milk (mava modak).

Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

• Modak Peda
• Boondi Laddoo
• Kadale Manoli Bhaji

Ingredients for Ukadiche Modak

Rice Flour: is the most important ingredient for this recipe. Rice is used to make the dough or the outer shell of the dumpling. Using rice flour is more convenient as compared to whole rice. You can find rice flour in Indian stores.

Grated Coconut: is used to make the filling. If you cannot find fresh coconut, you can use frozen grated coconut.

Jaggery: is an added to the filling for sweetness. It is an unrefined product from sugar cane. It is available in Indian stores and online on Amazon and is recognizable due to its golden brown or dark brown color.

Cardamom powder: is used to add an aroma to the filling. You can buy whole pods of cardamom. Extract the seeds and grind them to get the powder.

Ghee: is an optional ingredient. It is used to add a little bit of grease to the dough water and also to grease the mold.

Mold to Shape Modak: I use an aluminium mold to shape the modak (pictured below). They are available in Amazon as well as in Indian stores in different sizes. For rice modak I prefer to use the medium size mold.

How to Make Filling for the Modak

• Heat a pan. Add grated coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder.
• Cook it until all the moisture from the melting jaggery has been absorbed by the coconut.
• Remove from the heat and set  aside.

How to Prep Rice Flour for Ukadiche Modak

• The next step is make a dough out of the rice flour.
• Heat water in a pan. Add ghee and a pinch of salt and allow the water to boil
• Take it off heat and slowly add the rice flour into the pan.
• Use a wooden spoon to mix it. Allow to cool down a little for a few seconds.
• Once the rice mixture has slightly cooled down, knead it into a soft dough.

How to shape the Modaks

• Shaping the modak is easy. I like to use the modak mold as it is quicker and saves time. Grab some rice dough and press it into the closed mold. Press the dough into the walls of the mold and keep the center hollow.
• Next fill up the center with the coconut stuffing.
• Lastly, take a small piece of dough and use it close the bottom of the mold.
• Open the mold and carefully remove the modak from it.
• Repeat until the rest of the dough and filling has been used. You can check out all these steps in my Youtube Video (Click here or the recipe card below).

Steps to Steam the Modak

• Add a layer of turmeric leaves to the steamer. This step is totally optional. If you don’t have turmeric leaves, you can skip this step.
• Place all the modaks inside the steamer and steam for 12 to 15 mins.
• Once done, remove and it is ready to serve.

Can you make Ukadiche Modak in Advance

Fresh modak is always the best. However, if you are pressed for time, you can make the modak the day before and refrigerate it. I have to warn that the modak will get hard the next day, but you can soften them by steaming them again for around 7 to 10 mins just before serving. You can heat it in the microwave, but it won’t be as soft as re-steaming.

How to Make Soft Ukadiche Modak

This is a question I get a lot from my friends and visitors. There are several ways to get soft modak. First of all, it is important to have the rice-to-water ratio equal. Also, the water has to be boiling hot when mixed with the rice. This allows the rice flour to partially cook. Secondly, when steaming the modak, it is important to steam it for not more than 12 to 15 minutes.