Steamed Chana Dal Modak

Steamed Chana Dal Modak

Modak is a popular Indian sweet. Normally it is a steamed dumpling with sweet filling. This sweet filling is normally made from grated coconut and jaggery. Outer soft covering is made of rice flour dough.Sometimes wheat flour or maida is also used as the outer shell. But with time this modak has gone through many changes.

Lord Ganesha's favourite sweet dish is modak. Lord Ganesha is also known as Modakpriya (who likes modak). During Ganesh Chaturthi every household make modak as offering to the most popular God.  

There are lots of variety of modaks. Like steamed, fried and also made of mawa (khoya) or sooji (rava). Here i am sharing a recipe of  steamed modak where the stuffing is made of chana dal. Chana dal cooked with jaggery up to dry. Then stuffed inside the soft rice flour shell. 

Here is the recipe

Stuffing 

Chana Dal- 3tbsp

Jaggery - 2tbsp

Raisins- 1tbsp

Dessicated Coconut- 3tbsp

Green Cardamom Powder- 1tsp

Haldi- a pinch

Salt - 1/4tsp

Ghee- 1tbsp

Modak

Rice Flour- 1cup

Water- 1.5cup

Salt- 1/4tsp

Ghee- 1tbsp

Clean and soak chana dal for 2 hours. After 2 hours in a pressure cooker add soaked chana dal, salt and haldi and also add water. Cook up to 2 whistles. Keep aside and let it cool down naturally.

In a kadai heat ghee and add cooked chana dal and cook. Then add jaggery, coconut and green cardamom powder and cook up to dry. This is our stuffing. 

Again heat water in a kadai and add salt and ghee to it and let it boil up to bubbly. Then add rice flour and mix. Now switch off the gas and cover it and keep aside for 5 to 7 mins

After that remove the dough to it a big plate. Let it cool down.When it is cold enough to touch with hand knead it with adding little little water to a very soft dough.

Keep a steamer on gas with around 2.5 cups of water.

Now we will shape the modaks. Make small balls from the dough. Now grease yours hands with ghee. Flat the ball and shape like a small bowl. Then add the stuffing in that bowl. Gather the edges and press and shape like modak. It can be made with modak mould which id easily available in market. If needed grease your hand with water and ghee.

Now grease the steamer with little ghee. Place the modaks in that steamer. cover and cook for 7 to 10 mins.Then remove from steamer and keep aside to cool down. Serve as prasad to Lord Gnesha

Kesar Pista Sandesh

Kesar Pista Sandesh 

Every time janmastami comes with lots of happiness and festivity.. This year is also the same. We will fast for the whole day. In the day time we will prepare Prasad. Chhana Manda, chuda ghasa, suji khiri and many more.. In the evening we decorate our Krishna and do the puja. This year I have also made this yummy and easy sandesh. This will be ready in just half an hour time. Recipe of the sandesh is as follows..

1.5lit- milk

Vinegar- 4 to 5tbsp

Sugar powder- 1/4cup or as per taste

Saffron few strends

Green cardamom powder- 1tsp

Pista powder- 2tbsp

Chopped pista to decorate

Ghee- 1tbsp

Heat milk  up to boiling point. Then lower the flame and add vinegar and let the milk split.

Remove from flame immediately and strain with a colander. Now add water to the chhena and again put in a colander. Keep this for 15mins. Chhena should be very soft

In a mixing bowl add warm chhena and start kneading. Knead it properly without lumps. Approximately 10mins. Then add powdered sugar and knead. After adding sugar it will be little runny. Now add saffron, pista powder and green cardamom powder to it. Mix

Heat ghee in a non stick Kadai or pan. Add chhena mixture to it and cook up to dry.

Remove to a mixing bowl and let it cool down . Then again knead it up to a soft dough. Now grease your hand make sandesh . Shape as you choose. Even u can spread on a greased square tray.. Decorate with chopped pista..

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun

Raksha Bandhan festival is nearby. Its a special festival for all the sisters and brothers. Do you need a 100% full proof recipe of Gulab Jamun? If yes, then go ahead. I will share a recipe. its a khoya (dehydrate milk) and paneer (cottage cheese) gulab jamun.

Me and my brother always relish gulab jamun. But whenever ma tried gulab jamun at home, it never came out perfect as market brought. There was always a hard part in the middle. After getting married also i tried many recipes and also tried market brought powder packets. But I was never satisfied with the result.

But this recipe blew our mind. After this we never purchsed gulab jamun from market. So here is the recipe of  delicious gulab jamuns. 

Khoya- 200gms

Milk- 500ml

Vinegar to split the milk

Sugar- 500gms

Water- 1lit

Maida- 3tbsp

Corn flour- 1tbsp

Baking powder- 1/4tsp

Green cardamom- 3

Boil milk and add vinegar to split the milk.. when  done strain it in a colander.

Grate khoya and mash with hand up to soft. 

In a separate bowl mash chhena up to soft

Now mix both khoya and chhena and up to soft. Add maida, corn flour and baking powder and mix up to a soft dough. 

Now make tight and crack free balls but with light hand.

Add water and sugar in a sauce pan also add green cardamom and boil up to little thick syrup. Switch off the gas. Keep it warm

Heat oil in pan and drop the balls and fry up to brown evenly from every side. 

Now drop it in the warm sugar syrup. Rest it for 3 hours and then serve as you wish..