Ganesh Chaturthi 2026 falls on Monday, September 14th, which means the countdown to Modak season has already started in kitchens across Maharashtra, and honestly, in ours too. "Ukadiche modak", the steamed rice-flour dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery, is the sweet most closely tied to this festival. Soft, delicately pleated, and, according to tradition, Ganpati Bappa's favourite offering.
It's also, if we're being honest, one of the more intimidating traditional sweets to attempt for the first time. The dough behaves differently than any other dough you've worked with, and the pleating takes a few tries to get right. We're not going to pretend otherwise. What we can do is walk you through it properly, the way it's actually done, so your first batch has a real shot at looking, and tasting, like it should.
What You're Actually Making
Ukadiche modak has two components: a soft, steamed rice-flour dough (called ukad) for the outer shell, and a sautéed coconut-jaggery filling scented with cardamom. The whole thing gets pleated by hand into its distinctive shape, said to resemble a pouch of wealth, then steamed until glossy, and finished with a drizzle of ghee.
RECIPE
Makes: 14–16 modak · Prep time: 30 minutes · Cook time: 25 minutes
For the Filling
- 1 cup fresh grated coconut (desiccated works if fresh isn't available — rehydrate with a tablespoon of warm water first)
- ½ cup jaggery, grated or finely chopped
- 1 tsp A2 Bilona ghee from Earth&Earthy
- 1 tsp poppy seeds, lightly roasted (optional, but traditional)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- A small pinch of grated nutmeg
- A few saffron strands (optional)
For the Dough
- 1 cup fine rice flour, sifted (sifting avoids a gritty texture)
- 1 to 1¼ cups water
- 1 tsp A2 Bilona ghee, plus extra for greasing your hands and the steamer
- A pinch of salt
Method
1. Make the Filling First
Heat 1 tsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium-low heat. Add the grated coconut and roast for 2 to 3 minutes, until it smells toasted but hasn't browned. Add the jaggery, cardamom powder, nutmeg, and roasted poppy seeds. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the jaggery melts and the mixture comes together into a sticky, slightly glossy filling.
This is the step where it's easy to go too far. Pull it off the heat as soon as the mixture binds together overcooking makes the jaggery seize up hard and chewy once it cools, which ruins the texture you're after. Set the filling aside to cool completely before you try to stuff anything with it; warm filling will make your dough fall apart.
2. Make the Dough
Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan with 1 tsp ghee and a pinch of salt. The moment it boils, take it off the heat, and add the rice flour all at once, stirring quickly with a wooden spoon until it's roughly combined. Cover the pan and let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, this residual steam is what actually cooks the flour, which is where "ukad" (steamed dough) gets its name.
Once it's cool enough to handle, grease your hands with a little ghee and knead the mixture into a smooth, soft dough while it's still warm. It should hold together without cracking. If it's too dry and won't bind, work in a teaspoon of hot water at a time until it does. Cover the dough with a damp cloth as you work it dries out and cracks quickly once exposed to air 
3. Shape the Modak
Take a lime-sized piece of dough and roll it into a smooth ball, then flatten it into a small disc in your greased palm, thin at the edges, slightly thicker in the centre.
By hand: Cup the disc in your palm and start pleating the edges upward with your fingers, working your way around in small folds. Once you've pleated the full circle, spoon in about a teaspoon of filling, then gather the pleats together at the top and pinch to seal, twisting slightly to form the traditional pointed peak.
With a mould: Grease the mould, press a thin layer of dough into each half, add the filling, top with a little more dough, and press the mould shut. Open carefully and release this method is genuinely easier for a first attempt and produces uniform results.
Neither method is more "correct." Hand-pleating is the traditional technique and looks beautiful once you've got the rhythm of it, but there's no shame in using a mould, especially for your first batch. 
4. Steam
Grease a steamer plate or idli stand with ghee and arrange the modak with a little space between each one. Steam over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes. You'll know they're done when the dough turns slightly translucent and takes on a glossy sheen — that shine is your visual cue, more reliable than a fixed timer alone.
5. Finish and Serve
Drizzle the warm modak with a little extra ghee before serving — this is traditional, not optional, and it's what gives them their final shine and richness. Serve warm, the same day if possible.
A Few Honest Troubleshooting Notes
- Dough cracking as you pleat? It's likely cooled too much, or dried out. Work with it while it's still warm, and re-knead in a few drops of hot water if it's stiffened up.
- Modak splitting open during steaming? The seal at the top probably wasn't pinched tightly enough, or the dough layer was too thin at the seams. A slightly thicker seal holds up better than a delicate one.
- Filling too runny? It likely needed another minute on the heat before you pulled it off. It should hold its shape in a spoon, not drip.
FAQ
Can I make ukadiche modak ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi 2026? The filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. The dough, however, is best made fresh — it firms up quickly and doesn't reshape well once it's cooled and been reworked. Steamed modak are also best eaten the same day, though they can be gently re-steamed for a few minutes the next day.
Why did my rice flour dough turn out gritty or lumpy? This usually means the rice flour wasn't fine enough, or wasn't sifted before use. Sifting removes larger granules that don't hydrate evenly, which is what causes that gritty texture in the finished dough.
Can I use coconut oil instead of ghee in this recipe? Traditionally, ghee is used both in the dough and for the final drizzle, and its flavour is part of what makes ukadiche modak taste the way it does. Coconut oil would change the flavour profile noticeably and isn't the traditional choice for this particular sweet.
Made with Earth & Earthy™ A2 Bilona Cow Ghee — traditionally churned, the way your dadi's kitchen probably smelled on Ganesh Chaturthi morning.
Wishing you a joyful Ganesh Chaturthi 2026. Ganpati Bappa Morya !
