Modak is a conventional Indian sweet dumpling that holds a special place in many people's hearts, particularly on the festive occasion of ganesh Chaturthi. While the classic version of ukadiche modak is prepared using rice flour, there is also another equally delectable version known as Besan Modak. Made with besan or gram flour, this version is rich in nutty flavor and a soft texture that just melts in the mouth. In this article, we walk you through how to make Besan Modak, along with its variations, ways to serve it, and its health benefits.

 What is Besan Modak

Besan Modak is a roasted gram flour sweet preparation with ghee and sugar, mainly flavored with cardamom, often garnished with nuts like almonds, cashews, and pistachios. So soft and aromatic, it is just apt for an offering during festivals or as a treat after a meal.

Preparing Modak with Besan: Tips and Tricks for Perfecting This Classic Sweet

 Ingredients

This besan modak recipe should yield about 10-12.

 Main ingredients:

- 1 cup of besan (gram flour)

- ½ cup of powdered sugar

- ¼ cup of ghee (clarified butter)

- 2-3 tbsp of milk (optional, to keep it moist)

- ½ tsp of cardamom powder

- 1- 2 cup grated coconut 

- 1 cup of sugar or jaggery 

- Chopped nuts like cashews, almonds, or pistachios for garnishing

 Optional Ingredients:

- A pinch of saffron strands soaked in warm milk (for flavor and color).

- Dry fruits like raisins for stuffing (optional)

- Rose petals for garnishing to give it a beautiful and fragrant look.

 Step-by-Step Preparation

1. Roasting the Besan

Roasting is one of the most vital parts of making besan modak, which enhances the nutty flavour of gram flour with an enticingly sweet aroma.

1. Heat a pan and add ghee into it. Now pour besan in it after the ghee gets heated. Roast the besan on low flame. The stirring should be continuous to avoid burning of the flour.

Adding 4 tbsp of ghee

2. It is going to slowly change the color into golden brown and then nutty aroma fills in. It takes around 10-15 minutes to roast. Be patient and don't make the heat high; otherwise, besan will burn easily.

Adding besan to ghee for frying

3. Remove it from heat source and let the mixture cool down a little.

 2. Adding Sweetness

Once the besan cools down somewhat-it should be warm but not piping hot, the time is ripe to add the sweetness to it.

1. Fold in powdered sugar into the roasted besan.

Adding sugar to besan

2. Mix well so the sugar dissolves properly into the besan.

Mixing Together sugar and besan

3. Add cardamom powder to give it an aroma. You can also add a pinch of saffron soaked in warm milk at this stage for extra richness.

 3. Forming the Dough

Bringing everything together into a dough:

1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk to the besan mixture, if it needs more moistening.

Adding milk to besan

2. Mix well until it becomes soft and pliable.

Mixing milk with besan

3. If the dough feels too dry or crumbly, add a little milk or ghee more as needed to get just the right consistency.

Making dough with besan

4. Preparation of the filling 

1. Take the grated coconut and start frying in a pan on a low heat.

Frying grated coconut

2.  Add 1 cup of sugar to the grated coconut and mix it together by melting it, sprinkle some water to help the sugar to get melted faster.

Adding sugar

3. Stir and mix until the sugar completely mixes with the grated coconut by constant stirring.

Mixing Together sugar and grated coconut

4. Add chopped nuts, cashews and raisins and mix together with the coconut.

Adding cashews and raisins

 5. Shaping the Modaks

1. Take small portions of the dough and shape into balls.

Shaping the Modaks

2. You may shape them either in your hands or shape the modak in a greased modak mould to avoid it sticking to it.

Shaping the Modaks

 3. Press dough in a modak mold and gently un-mold to get the modak in a nice shape. 

4. In case you do not use a mold, pull the top of the ball upwards and you get a conically-shaped modak.

 5. Garnishing and Cooling

1. Sprinkle some chopped nuts or rose petals or raisins on the top of each modak, if desired.

2. Modaks can be allowed to cool completely and then refrigerated for setting.

Preparing Modak with Besan: Tips and Tricks for Perfecting This Classic Sweet

 Overview of the method

1. Roast the gram flour till it attains a light golden color and releases its aroma.

2. Flavor with powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron.

3. For binding, add milk or ghee, bringing the mixture together to form a soft dough.

4. Using a mold or with hands, shape the dough into modaks.

5. Garnish and allow the modaks to set.

 Pro Tips for Perfect Besan Modak

1. Roast Besan Well: The key to perfect taste lies in the well-roasted besan. If it's under-roasted, it would leave the modaks with a raw and unpleasant flavor. If over-roasted, the modak can be bitter.

2. Use Fresh Ghee: Fresh ghee gives this modak its extra aroma. Of course, homemade ghee is better, but store-bought does a great job, too.

3. Adjust Sweetness: Not too sweet, you can reduce the amount of powdered sugar in case you take your sweets less sugary. So just add a little and proceed according to taste.

4. Moisture Control: If you feel the dough is a bit too dry, then the addition of warm milk would help bind the dough. You can add a little more ghee to give it a better quality.

5. Shape with Care: Grease either your mould or your hands with ghee so that modaks don't stick while shaping.

Preparing Modak with Besan: Tips and Tricks for Perfecting This Classic Sweet

 Serving Suggestions

Besan Modak can be prepared mostly during festive occasions to be offered to Lord Ganesha. Here is one way you may give it a fine presentation:

- Some nuts above, like pistachios and almonds, contribute to the decoration, making it nice and crunchy.

- Drop one fresh rose petal or strand of saffron on top of each modak for garnishing and aromatic view

- Keep modaks on a gorgeous silver plate and increase the effect

- Serve them with warm milk or tea if you are serving them as a dessert to guests.

- Serve modaks along with other festive sweets such as ladoos and barfis.

Variants

1. Stuffed Modak: You can add a small surprise of filling from crushed dry fruits, coconut, or jaggery for a richer version.

1. Chocolate Besan Modak: Melt some chocolate and mix it with the besan dough to come up with a fusion-modern version.

3. Coconut-Besan Modak: Grated coconut adds extra texture and flavor to the besan dough.

4. Jaggery Besan Modak: Instead of using sugar, add jaggery to make a healthier, less processed sugar version of the sweet delicacy. Jaggery adds extra flavor and a caramel-like color to the sweet delicacy.

 Health Benefits of Besan Modak

Preparing Modak with Besan: Tips and Tricks for Perfecting This Classic Sweet

1. Good Protein Content: Besan is a type of lentil and, hence, forms a good source of vegetarian protein and thus is highly nutritious.

2. Rich in fiber: Actually, besan contains dietary fiber that is necessary for digestion and keeps the tummy full for a longer time.

3. Gluten-free: Besan is gluten-free, naturally, and so the dessert is gluten-free for all those who have gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

4. Healthy fat and energy source: With ghee and nuts in this modaks recipe, one can definitely have it during festival fasting or as a post-meal dessert to increase fat intake and energy levels.

5. Antioxidant-rich: Most besan modak recipes contain cardamom and saffron, which include a great degree of antioxidants, helping to maintain good health-from digestion to skin health.

 Conclusion

Besan Modak is indeed a mouthwatering version of modak, filled with a nutty flavor brought on by gram flour and ghee. It's perfect for festivals and can be consumed as a regular dessert, too. This may sound like a long and cumbersome process of making besan modak, but believe me, one glimpse and aroma of your sweet will just blow your senses away. Make these with various variations in them and enjoy this classical Indian delicacy with your loved ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

 Can I make besan modak without a mold?

Yes, you can give the modak shapes with your hand. Just prepare a ball and pull the top to get the modak into shape.

How long does the besan modak last?

You can store besan modak in an airtight container at room temperature for a week. You can store it in the refrigerator to increase its lifespan of about 10-12 days.

Can I use jaggery instead of sugar?

Jaggery can be used instead of sugar as a healthier option. Melt the jaggery and strain at least to remove impurities.

What if my dough is too crumbly?

If too crumbly, add more ghee a little at a time or some warm milk until the mixture comes together.

Can I add other flavorings?

You can most definitely try adding flavors like rose water, saffron, or even a pinch of vanilla essence to give it that specific taste.

To conclude, Besan Modak is not only delicious but also healthy, offering its eater flexibility both in terms of ingredients and preparation. It definitely forms one of those sweet dishes that a sweet-toothed person should not miss trying out. Be it festival time or any other occasion, this sweet delight will surely be loved by all.

Preparing Modak with Besan: Tips and Tricks for Perfecting This Classic Sweet

★ : 3.5

Modak is a conventional Indian sweet dumpling that holds a special place in many people's hearts, particularly on the festive occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. While the classic version of ukadiche modak is prepared using rice flour, there is also another equally delectable version known as Besan Modak. Made with besan or gram flour, this version is rich in nutty flavor and a soft texture that just melts in the mouth.

Besan Modak is a roasted gram flour sweet preparation with ghee and sugar, mainly flavored with cardamom, often garnished with nuts like almonds, cashews, and pistachios. So soft and aromatic, it is just apt for an offering during festivals or as a treat after a meal.

Preparation : 30 min Cooking : 30 min Total : 1 h 00

Yield : 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup of besan (gram flour)

  
  

• ½ cup of powdered sugar

  
  

• ¼ cup of ghee (clarified butter)

  
  

• 2-3 tbsp of milk (optional, to keep it moist)

  
  

• ½ tsp of cardamom powder

  
  

• 1- 2 cup grated coconut

  
  

• 1 cup of sugar or jaggery

  
  

• Chopped nuts like cashews, almonds, or pistachios for garnishing Optional Ingredients:

• A pinch of saffron strands soaked in warm milk (for flavor and color).

• Dry fruits like raisins for stuffing (optional)

  
  

• Rose petals for garnishing to give it a beautiful and fragrant look.

Directions

1. Roasting the Besan

   
   

   Roasting is one of the most vital parts of making besan modak, which enhances the nutty flavour of gram flour with an enticingly sweet aroma.

   
   

   1. Heat a pan and add ghee into it. Now pour besan in it after the ghee gets heated. Roast the besan on low flame. The stirring should be continuous to avoid burning of the flour.

      
      

   2. It is going to slowly change the color into golden brown and then nutty aroma fills in. It takes around 10-15 minutes to roast. Be patient and don't make the heat high; otherwise, besan will burn easily.

      
      

   3. Remove it from heat source and let the mixture cool down a little.

   
   

2. Adding Sweetness

Once the besan cools down somewhat-it should be warm but not piping hot, the time is ripe to add the sweetness to it.

1. Fold in powdered sugar into the roasted besan.

   
   

2. Mix well so the sugar dissolves properly into the besan.

   
   

3. Add cardamom powder to give it an aroma. You can also add a pinch of saffron soaked in warm milk at this stage for extra richness.

3. Forming the Dough

Bringing everything together into a dough:

1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of milk to the besan mixture, if it needs more moistening.

   
   

2. Mix well until it becomes soft and pliable.

   
   

3. If the dough feels too dry or crumbly, add a little milk or ghee more as needed to get just the right consistency.

   
   

4. Preparation of the filling

1. Take the grated coconut and start frying in a pan on a low heat.

   
   

2. Add 1 cup of sugar to the grated coconut and mix it together by melting it, sprinkle some water to help the sugar to get melted faster.

3. Stir and mix until the sugar completely mixes with the grated coconut by constant stirring.

   
   

4. Add chopped nuts, cashews and raisins and mix together with the coconut.

   
   

5. Shaping the Modaks

1. Take small portions of the dough and shape into balls.

   
   

2. You may shape them either in your hands or shape the modak in a greased modak mould to avoid it sticking to it.

   
   

3. Press dough in a modak mold and gently un-mold to get the modak in a nice shape.

   
   

4. In case you do not use a mold, pull the top of the ball upwards and you get a conically-shaped modak.

   
   

5. Garnishing and Cooling

1. Sprinkle some chopped nuts or rose petals or raisins on the top of each modak, if desired.

   
   

2. Modaks can be allowed to cool completely and then refrigerated for setting.

Nutrition

per serving (23.0g)

calories– 111.88kcal

Total fat–5.78g

total carbohydrates–11.33g

dietary fiber 1.54g

sugars–12.0g

protein–1.46g

sodium–0.018mg

Potassium–0.27mg

cholesterol–0mg

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