Small Wonder

In his essay titled Tumhala kon vhaycha ahe? (Who do you want to be),where he described the character peculiarities of individuals from three Maharashtrian cities,Pune,Mumbai and Nagpur,noted Marathi humourist P L Deshpande describes the method in which freshly made modak are to be served. Deshpande imagines the pudgy elephant god himself,saying,“Whenever you bring modak for me next,make sure they are piping hot. And be generous with the dollop of golden yellow ghee. That would be just after my heart.”

But despite the draw of Ukadiche modak,foodies in the city are trying their hand at innovative modak recipes ahead of the festive season. “There is,of course,the fried variant,where the rice flour-based cover is replaced by wheat — in a preparation similar to the dough made for chapatti. The small,puri-shaped cover is then stuffed with the coconut and jaggery mixture,sealed to form a dumpling-like shape,and then deep-fried,” says Jyotsna Apte,a 66-year-old retired schoolteacher,who is famous in her apartment building at Deccan,for her delicious modak.

Girija Bapat,a homemaker in Kothrud,is an enthusiastic cook too. She loves to try out new recipes that give a twist to the traditional food items. “I often research online and have learnt how to make five different kinds of modak,just by reading different blogs,” she says. One of her favourite kind is the banana modak. “They are an extention of the appams from South Canara. One must grind soaked rice and jaggery to a semi-coarse consistency. Then add crushed,ripe bananas,sesame seeds,cashews and raisins to taste,till it becomes a stiff pulp. With wet fingers,take small lumps of the paste and drop it into the oil. Fry till golden brown and drain on kitchen paper,” says Bapat.

There are,however,more contemporary versions of the modak. Much like the pedha shaped as a modak,the chocolate modak are the preferred gifting options this season. Rohan Sovani,Chef de Cuisine at Courtyard by Marriott,Pune City Centre,says he makes modak from soft white khoya. He mixes the melted khoya with powdered sugar,cardamom powder,slivers of pistachio and orange crush,and binds them in a modak form,with the help of a mould. “This modak lasts longer and the orange flavour and colour act as a refreshing change to the palette,” says Sovani.