Saffron Mawa Modak stuffed with Pistachios

‘Saffron Mawa Modak stuffed with Pistachios’ is a simple yet easy Ganesh Chaturthi Recipe. For those who don’t know, Ganesh Chaturthi is the Hindu Festival celebrated in honour of the lord Ganesha, and it usually lasts for 10 days. And Modak, is a favorite sweet of Lord Ganesha, and it completes the rituals of Ganesh Chaturthi.

There are many variations of making Modaks, and one of the popular one is a sweet dumpling made of rice flour with coconut and jaggery filling. This saffron Modak is my favorite and this little touch of a pistachio filling makes it even more special.

Khoya or Mawa is basically dried milk used for making most indian sweet dishes. I have used a store-bought Mawa for this recipe, where as you can also make it at home from scratch if desired. Some people have experimented and used ricotta cheese/paneer instead of Mawa/Khoya, but I haven’t tried them yet.

Recipe Courtesy: Tarla Dalal

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup grated Mawa/Khoya (room temperature)
• 1/3 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1/4 cup Pistachios – blanched, peeled and chopped
• a few Saffron strands
• 2 tbsp Warm Milk
• 2 drops Yellow Food Colour (optional)
• Ghee to grease the Modak Moulds

Method:

1. Take Mawa/Khoya in a heavy bottom pan and cook on low flame for a minute until it softens.
2. Stir in powdered sugar and cook on a slow flame till the sugar has dissolved and the moisture has evaporated (approximately 5 to 10 minutes). Keep stirring continuously.
3. Remove the mixture from the flame, and add the cardamom powder and mix well. Allow it to cool completely.
4. Divide the mixture into two portions, 2/3 and 1/3.
5. Add the pistachios to the 1/3 mixture, and mix well.
6. Soak saffron in the warm milk and stir well. Add the saffron paste and food colour to the 2/3 mixture, and mix well.
7. Divide the pistachio mixture into 12 equal portions. Shape into even sized rounds.
8. Divide the saffron mixture into 12 equal portions and shape into even sized rounds.
9. Stuff each saffron round with the pistachio round and seal the edges completely and give the shape of modak.
10. And if you are using a modak mould, then grease the mould with ghee, fill with mawa mixture and press into desired shape. I have used the Plastic Modak Mould here.

Note:

• If you are using the modak mould then make sure you grease the mould every time to make modak.
• Do not add more milk or else it will become too sticky.
• If you don’t have the Modak Moulds then just roll the mawa mixture in to small balls like Pedhas.
• Keep refrigerated and consume within 3 to 5 days.