MODAK AND CHURMA LADOO FOR INDIAN COOKING CHALLENGE

Since August is a festival month Srivalli of cooking4all seasons have chosen some festive special dishes for this month Indian cooking challenge. In that list she selected recipes for Ganesh chaturthi. In ganesh chaturthi recipe list Modak (Kudumulu) is one of the most important recipe for this festival so I have selected Modak from Maharastra and churma ladoo from Lata and in both recipes I didn't use poppy seeds because poppy seeds are not allowed in UAE and we won't get that ingredient here so that is the only thing I have changed in this months challenge recipe's and here I go with the recipes………..

STUFFING FOR MODAK:---
Freshly grater coconut --- 2 cups
Jaggery --- 1 cup
Cardamom powder – 1 tea sp
Nutmeg – 1 pinch (optional)
Water – 2 tab sp (I used milk)
COVER: ---
Rice flour --- 1 cup
Water – 1&1/4 cup
A pinch of salt
Oil – 1 tab sp
PREPARATION FOR STUFFING:---
1. If you are use ing poppy seeds than roast the poppy seeds in a pan and cool and grind them in to a coarse powder and leave a side.
2. In a heavy bottom pan take all the stuffing ingredients and leave it for 15 min.
Now start heating the mixture over medium heat.
3. In about 10 to 12min. the mixture starts boiling and stuffing will turn yellowish brown and will be sticky.
4. Remove the pan from heat and poppy seeds powder and mix well, set a side to cool down.

PREPARATION FOR COVER:---
1. Take vessel that has tight fitting cover. Start boiling water in that vessel, add salt and oil.
2. When water starts boiling, lower the heat and slowly add rice flour, dump every thing at once.
3. Start mixing vigorously with a heavy spoon.
4. Now close the lid and remove from heat.
5.Let it cool for 15 min. or so, then mix with wet hands properly.
6. It will warm so be careful and use cold water to wet your hands burning but don’t use much water.
7. If your dough is little sticky then add 1-2 tab sp maida or all-purpose flour to it and make a soft dough.
MAKING MODAK:---
1. Start boiling water in a large vessel that can fit a steamer. I used rice cooker steamer what we use to steam vegetables. Grease the steamer with little oil.
2. Make 20 balls out of the dough and 20 parts of the stuffing.
3. Make small puri s out of the dough balls and keep the stuffing in the middle and close from all sides and give a shape like modak.
4. Fallow the step to make remaining modaks .
Now dip each modak in cold water and place it in the steamer and place the
steamer in boiling water and cover with lid and cook for 20 min. in a medium heat.
5. After 20 min. remove from heat and take the steamer out and let it sit for 5 min. before removing modak s from steamer.
6. Serve with ghee or milk.
MY SECOND RECIPE FOR ICC IS CHURMA LADOO FROM LATA :---
INGREDIENTS FOR CHURMA LADOO:---
Whole wheat flour: --- 1 &1/2 cup s
Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
Sesame seeds – 2 tab sp
Jaggery – 3/4 cup grated
Ghee – 2 tab sp
Ghee for deep frying
Poppy seeds for coating the ladoo s

METHOD:---
1. Make stiff dough of the whole wheat flour using 1/2 cup of water and knead very well.
2. Divide the dough in to 8 portions.
3. Shape the portions in to the shape of your fist and press with your fingers in the center of each portion to make an indentation.
3. Heat ghee in a deep frying pan and deep fry this dough portions on a very low flame of 25 to 30 min. or till they turn in to golden brown color.
4. Remove from ghee and drain on an absorbent paper and allow them to cool.
5. Now pound in a mortar and pestle to coarse pieces and then grind the pieces in a food processor in to a fine powder.
6. Heat 1 tab sp ghee in a pan and add grated coconut and sesame seeds and sauté for 2 min. remove and leave a side
7. Heat the grated jaggery in the remaining ghee and a tab sp of water on a medium heat till the jaggery dissolves cool slightly.
8. Now mix the ground churma, coconut, and sesame seeds to the melts jaggery and allow this to cool.
9. Now divide in to 10 portions and shape in to rounds and roll each ladoo in poppy seed
10. Store the ladoo s in an air-tight container.