Modak

Check my updated Modak recipe in the desserts category! 

Ingredients
For the stuffing:
* 1 bowl grated coconut
* 3/4 bowl jaggery
* 2 to 3 tsp pure ghee
* Few strands of saffron, cardamom
* 1 tsp poppy seeds

 For the covering:
* 2 bowls rice flour
* A pinch of salt
* 2 tsp of oil or ghee
* 2 bowls water

Method: 
For the stuffing:
1) In a skillet, heat the ghee and then add some grated coconut and jaggery.
2)Sauté for 2-3 minutes and then add roasted poppy seeds, a pinch of cardamom, few strands of  saffron and mix thoroughly. It takes about 10 minutes for the mixture to dry on low flame.
3)Do not overcook this mixture as it will harden up and lose its taste. Be sure to stir every 2- 3 minutes until it has a golden-yellow colour. You can choose to add more ghee if the stuffing becomes too dry.

For the cover:
1)Bring the water to boil. Add 1 tsp of ghee in the boiling water.
2)Add the rice flour and salt to the boiling water. Lower the heat and mix well.
3)Cover the vessel with a lid and keep it for 5 minutes on low flame to let the mixture cook.
4) Knead the dough into a smooth paste without lumps.
5) You need to knead it while it is still hot. You may apply some oil or ghee on your palms. I used a Ziplock bag to make kneading this hot mixture an easier process.
6) If you feel the dough looks dry and hard, add some hot water and few drops of ghee or oil and continue to knead until the dough turns smooth.
7) Once the dough is ready, make small balls of the dough. I used a modak mould to achieve the design on them.

Steaming Part:
1) Take a Banana leaf and apply a bit oil/ghee on it and place it in the steamer pan.
2) Place all the modaks on the leaf and close the lid.
3) Steam it for 8-10 mins and then turn off the stove.

While serving modaks, you can sprinkle a few drops of saffron milk.
Enjoy!