There is a reason the modak sits in Bappa’s hand in almost every picture you have ever seen of him. It is his favourite, the naivedya offered to him first, and in our home it is the sweet the whole family waits for all year. When Bappa comes home this September (the 14th, if you are counting the days like we are), the modaks come with him.
Of all the kinds, the ukdiche modak is the one closest to our heart. It is also the hardest to make, and we would not have it any other way.
What makes an ukdiche modak special 🌸
Unlike the fried kind that keeps for days, the ukdiche modak is steamed. A soft rice flour shell, thin and almost see-through when it is done right, wrapped around a warm filling of fresh coconut and jaggery. When you break one open, the steam carries the smell of cardamom and coconut straight up. Eaten hot with a little pool of ghee on top, it is honestly hard to beat.
It does not keep for long. That is not a flaw, it is the whole point. This is a sweet meant to be made and eaten the same day, fresh, the way Bappa gets it.
Every one is rolled by hand ✋
There is no machine for this. Each modak is shaped by hand, one at a time, the little pleats pressed into place with fingertips until the shell closes into that familiar peak on top. Getting the pleats even takes years of practice. Some of ours have a few more folds, some a few less, and we have made our peace with that. A modak that looks a little handmade is a modak that actually is.
We make them in small lots on purpose. You cannot rush a good pleat, and you certainly cannot rush the 21 of them that go on the naivedya thali.
The touch of kesar 🧡
Here is the small thing that makes ours ours. We fold a few strands of real kesar into the making, so every modak carries a faint golden warmth in its colour and its scent. It is a quiet touch, nothing loud, but you notice it. Saffron and coconut together is one of those old, easy pairings that simply works.
The same care we would give our own puja
That is really the whole story. We are not sending out anything we would not place in front of Bappa ourselves. The same hands, the same fresh coconut, the same kesar, whether the modak is for our thali or for yours.
Ordering for this Ganpati 📦
Ukdiche modaks are at their best fresh, so we make them to order for your exact date. If you want them for the first day of Ganeshotsav, or for a specific puja at home, tell us a few days ahead so we can plan the batch properly.
Ganpati Bappa Morya. May this year’s modaks be softer, sweeter, and warmer than the last. 🙏