Ukadiche Modak Recipe – Steamed Maharashtrian Modak & My Very Messy Love Story With It#

So, um, confession time. If you open my phone gallery around late August or early September, it’s basically 80% modak. Like, steamed ukadiche modak from every angle, badly lit kitchen photos, half-eaten ones because I forgot to click before eating… it’s a problem. But also not really a problem, you know? Because Ukadiche Modak – those soft steamed Maharashtrian modaks with coconut–jaggery stuffing – are basically my entire personality during Ganesh Chaturthi.

And before anyone comes for me – yes, I know there are fried modaks, chocolate modaks, air-fryer protein modaks (we’ll get to the 2026 madness in a bit), but for me, the OG, the one that actually smells like childhood and wet monsoon evenings and loud aartis, is ukadiche modak. Steamed. Fragile. Slightly sticky. A little imperfect, like my folding skills.

Why Ukadiche Modak Just Hits Different#

If you didn’t grow up in Maharashtra or around Marathi families, you might be like, what’s the big deal, it’s just a sweet dumpling. But no. It’s not "just" anything. It’s:
- rice flour dough that has to be cooked just right or it cracks like your heart when Swiggy shows “restaurant closed”
- a filling of fresh grated coconut and jaggery that smells like caramel and the beach had a baby
- cardamom, ghee, sometimes nutmeg, sometimes poppy seeds, sometimes dry fruits if your family is a little extra.

It’s also the one dish that makes every otherwise-chill Marathi aunty suddenly turn into Gordon Ramsay. One wrong pleat, and you’ll hear, “Ase koni karto modak?!” (Who even makes modak like this) and you’re just standing there holding your sad little dumpling child.

My First "Real" Ukadiche Modak (Not The Cracked Disaster Version)#

I grew up in Mumbai suburbs, and honestly, for a long time I thought modak just meant the sweet shop ones in those plastic trays, a bit dry, very uniform, kinda meh. My mom worked full-time, so we didn’t always do the whole traditional cooking thing at home.

Then one year, my friend dragged me to her building’s Ganeshotsav. You know those classic housing society pandals – fairy lights, slightly off-key karaoke, kids running around with Frooti packets. In the back, there was this temporary kitchen where 3 aunties and 1 very stressed uncle were making fresh ukadiche modak in a giant steamer that looked like it could power a small train.

I still remember that first bite. The modak was so hot it almost burnt my fingers, the rice covering was soft and slightly sticky in that way that feels like a warm hug, and the filling… man. It was gooey but not runny, sweet but not that harsh sugar sweet, more like deep, molasses-y jaggery with a hit of cardamom. I legit just stood in the corner with my plate ignoring everybody like, give me a minute, my life perspective is changing.

That was the first time I realized I’d been eating mediocre modaks my whole life. Like discovering all this time you were listening to songs on low volume and suddenly someone turned the speakers up.

Fast Forward To 2026: Modak Has Gone Global (And Kinda Fancy)#

Cut to now, and it’s actually wild how ukadiche modak has suddenly become cool. In the last two years, Ganesh Chaturthi content on Instagram and Reels has basically exploded. According to some food trend reports I was reading earlier this year, searches for “modak recipe” and “ukadiche modak” spike every September not just in India but in the US, UK, and even places like Singapore and Dubai where the Indian diaspora is huge.

2025 and 2026 food trends have also gone hard on regional Indian desserts. Everyone’s finally moving past just gulab jamun and rasmalai at restaurants. In Mumbai right now, you’ve got:
- Modak tasting menus at a couple of the new fancy progressive Indian places in BKC and Lower Parel
- A dessert bar in Bandra that last year did a seasonal "Modak Flight" – classic ukadiche, chocolate–hazelnut, miso-jaggery (yes, really), and a raspberry coconut one
- Even cloud kitchens doing "fit" or "diabetic-friendly" modaks with date syrup, stevia, almond flour… some are actually not bad, I’ll be honest.

One of the new spots that launched in 2026 in Pune – a tiny place near FC Road that does only Maharashtrian desserts – had a sign that said "Modak, but 2.0". They do these steamed modaks with kokum-jaggery filling and a cashew crumble on top. Traditionalists would faint, but the line outside that place during Ganpati last year was insane.

But Still, Nothing Beats Homemade Steamed Ukadiche Modak#

Even with all the innovation and restaurants and collab pop-ups, I’m still convinced that the best ukadiche modak you’ll ever eat is either:
1) in a Marathi home kitchen with aunties yelling and steel plates clanging, or
2) the one you somehow pull off yourself after panicking your way through the dough stage.

So let’s actually talk recipe. And I’ll tell you honestly where I messed up, so you don’t have to cry over split modak like me and my cousin did that one year.

Ukadiche Modak Recipe – The Way I Make It (Mostly Successfully Now)#

This is a fairly traditional version – steamed Maharashtrian modak with rice flour outer covering and coconut–jaggery filling. I’m not going to pretend this is THE authentic canonical version because every family makes it their own way and if I say that mine is the only correct way I’ll have ten aunties materialize in my kitchen yelling at me.

But this one works. Repeatedly. Even in my tiny 2026 apartment kitchen with an induction stove, an IKEA steamer, and 2.5 sq ft of counter space.

Ingredients You’ll Need (For About 15–18 Modaks)#

For the outer dough (ukad):
- 1 cup rice flour (fine, ideally the sort meant for modak or idiyappam; some brands now even sell “modak rice flour” online in India)
- 1¼ cup water (you might need a bit more or less, so don’t pour all at once)
- 1 tsp ghee (plus a little extra for your hands later)
- Pinch of salt

For the filling:
- 1½ cups fresh grated coconut (or frozen, thawed – I use frozen a lot because 2026 life is hectic)
- 1 cup grated jaggery (use the soft, dark, good quality kind; if it looks suspiciously pale, skip it)
- 4–5 green cardamom pods, seeds powdered
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder (optional, but I love it)
- 1–2 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus), lightly roasted – optional but very old-school
- 1–2 tbsp chopped nuts (cashews, almonds) if you like a bit of bite
- 1 tbsp ghee

For steaming:
- Ghee for greasing or banana/turmeric leaves if you have them
- A steamer or idli cooker or even a big kadhai with a stand and a lid.

Step 1: Make The Coconut–Jaggery Filling (Saran)#

I always do the filling first because it needs to cool before you try stuffing the modak. Otherwise the hot filling just melts the rice dough and everything collapses in slow motion – speaking from painful experience here.

1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan on medium flame.
2. Add the grated coconut and stir for 2–3 minutes so it warms and gets lightly fragrant. Don’t brown it.
3. Add the grated jaggery and keep stirring. You’ll see it melt and mix into the coconut.
4. Cook this mixture on low–medium heat for around 5–7 minutes till it thickens slightly and looks glossy. It should not be runny; it should hold together but still be moist.
5. Turn off the gas. Mix in cardamom powder, nutmeg, roasted poppy seeds, and nuts if using.
6. Let this cool completely. You can even put it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes if your kitchen is crazy hot like mine in September.

Little tip I picked up from a chef at a Mumbai restaurant last year: if your jaggery is very wet or your coconut is frozen and throws off extra moisture, sprinkle a teaspoon of rice flour into the filling right at the end and cook it for another minute. It helps soak up the extra moisture without making it weird.

Step 2: Make The Rice Flour Dough (This Is The Scary But Crucial Part)#

So this is where most people (aka me, every year till like 2023) mess up. The dough – called ukad – needs to be soft, smooth, and not dry. If it’s dry, your modaks will crack while steaming and the filling will erupt out like a volcano. Not cute.

1. In a heavy-bottomed pan, bring 1¼ cup water to a boil with 1 tsp ghee and a pinch of salt.
2. Once the water boils, lower the heat. Add the rice flour in one go, then quickly mix with a wooden spatula. Don’t be gentle here – you want everything mixed so there are no dry patches.

3. Keep stirring on low flame for about 2–3 minutes till it comes together into a sort of dough ball and leaves the sides of the pan. It’ll look lumpy and you’ll doubt your life choices but trust the process.
4. Turn off the gas. Cover the pan with a lid and let the dough rest for 5–10 minutes.
5. While still warm (but not hot enough to burn your hands, obviously), transfer the dough to a plate.
6. Grease your palms with a bit of ghee and knead the dough for 5–7 minutes. It should become smooth, almost like soft play-dough. If it feels dry or cracks a lot, wet your fingers and add a tiny bit of warm water while kneading.
7. Cover the dough with a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out while you shape the modaks.

Current 2026 hack that I saw everywhere on Reels last Ganesh Chaturthi: some people are mixing a tablespoon of hot milk into the dough while kneading to make it softer and give a slightly richer taste. I’ve tried it – it works, especially if your rice flour is slightly old and drying out. But obviously then the modak will not be strictly vegan if that matters to you.

Step 3: Shaping The Modaks (Pleats, Tears, Mild Existential Crisis)#

This is the part that looks super intimidating in those perfect recipe videos, but in real life no one’s counting your pleats except maybe your very particular aunt. My modaks still look like a cross between a flower and a baby garlic bulb, but they taste good so I’ve made peace with it.

You can shape modaks in two ways:

1) With your hands (traditional way)
2) With a modak mould (2026 savior for clumsy people like me)

I actually use both depending on my mood. If I have guests over, I’ll hand-shape a few just to show off that I can, and then quietly finish the rest using the mould.

To shape by hand:
- Grease your palms with a bit of ghee.
- Take a small lemon-sized ball of dough.
- Roll it smooth, then flatten into a small disc, slightly thicker in the center and thinner at the edges.
- Gently press and stretch the edges upwards between your fingers to make a little cup.
- Add 1–1½ tsp of the coconut–jaggery filling.
- Now pinch the edges all around to make pleats. 7, 9, 11, 13 – honestly, I lose count – just go around pinching small bits.
- Bring the pleats together at the top and pinch to seal.

To shape using a mould:
- Grease the inside of the mould with a little ghee.
- Put a small piece of dough inside, press it along the walls of the mould so it becomes a hollow shell.
- Add the filling in the cavity.
- Cover the bottom with a small disc of dough, press to seal.
- Gently open the mould and take out your perfect Instagram-ready modak.

Step 4: Steaming The Modaks#

Once you’ve shaped your modaks and questioned your life choices a little bit, it’s time for the easy part – steaming.

1. Prepare a steamer – I use an idli steamer or a big pot with a metal stand.
2. Grease the steamer plate or line it with banana leaves / turmeric leaves if you have them. In 2026, a lot of people are using those reusable silicone steamer liners too – they work, just grease lightly.
3. Arrange the modaks on the plate, leaving a little space between them because they puff ever so slightly.
4. Sprinkle a few drops of water on them and brush gently with a bit of ghee if you like.
5. Steam on medium flame for about 12–15 minutes. You’ll see the outer covering turn slightly glossy and more opaque.
6. Turn off the heat and let them sit for 5 minutes before opening the lid so they don’t collapse from sudden temperature change.

To serve, drizzle a bit of hot ghee on top. Actually, not a bit. Be generous. Ganpati Bappa doesn’t count calories.

Little Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)#

I’m not a pro chef, just a very stubborn home cook who refuses to give up. So here’s my honest list of goof-ups:

- I once used too much water for the dough – it became sticky and I kept adding more flour and basically ended up with weird chewy modak that could double as stress balls.
- Another time, I undercooked the filling and it was too runny. It leaked out during steaming and the modaks looked like they were crying jaggery.
- I tried to be fancy and used coconut sugar instead of jaggery. Don’t. It tasted fine but completely lost that classic Maharashtrian modak vibe.
- One year, me and him (my friend, not some mysterious partner, sadly) rushed the kneading. The outer layer cracked. All of them. We ate them anyway but I sulked the whole evening.

Now I’ve learned: don’t rush the ukad, don’t skimp on the ghee, and don’t try wild experiments on the very day of Ganesh Chaturthi pooja. Test your weird ideas on a random Sunday in July instead.

2026 Modak Experiments & Trends I Actually Loved#

Okay, so while I’ve just said don’t experiment on festival day, the reality is 2026 modak culture is in full experimental mode. Some things I’ve seen or tried in the last year that surprisingly slapped:

- Air-fryer fried modak – A couple of my health-conscious friends are swearing by air-fryer versions, where they brush ghee on shaped modaks and air-fry instead of deep fry. Not exactly ukadiche, but as a side thing, they’re tasty.
- Millet modak – With all the post-International Year of Millets hype still hanging around, a lot of people are mixing a little jowar or ragi flour into the dough. Texture changes, flavor is more earthy. Not my everyday choice, but I tried a ragi-rice modak at a new Bengaluru cafe this year and it was honestly nice with black jaggery filling.
- Vegan modak – Many new restaurants, especially in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, now clearly label vegan options. For modak, it’s mostly about replacing ghee with coconut oil or vegan butter. In 2025, one vegan dessert startup in Mumbai did a coconut oil & cashew cream modak that went viral on Insta for being shockingly good.

But through all this, when I’m making it at home, the one I come back to is the simple steamed ukadiche modak with coconut–jaggery and ghee. Nostalgia wins, always.

Where I’ve Eaten Amazing Ukadiche Modak Outside Home#

If you’re not in the mood to wrestle with rice dough (fair), there are some fantastic places doing ukadiche modak during Ganesh Chaturthi season and even beyond now, thanks to the rising obsession with regional sweets.

In Mumbai, some mithai chains now do pre-orders of fresh steamed modak that you can get delivered. During 2025 and 2026, a lot of them switched to more eco-friendly packaging too, which I really appreciate – those old plastic trays were a nightmare. And a bunch of cloud kitchens on Zomato/Swiggy pop up every year with homemade modaks from home chefs, which, honestly, often taste way better than big brands.

Last year, I tried a box from a tiny home kitchen in Dadar – I found them through a random Instagram reel – and those modaks were dangerously close to my friend’s society-aunty-level perfection. Soft as a dream, filling slightly caramelized around the edges, and she even did a jaggery from Kolhapur that had this deep, almost smoky flavor.

In Pune, like I mentioned earlier, there’s this new dessert place near FC Road doing seasonal modak menus. A friend took me there in 2026 and we actually got a flight of mini modaks – classic steamed, chocolate, pista, and one filled with coconut-kokum. Was kokum traditional? Nope. Did I still eat three of them? Absolutely.

How To Store & Reheat Ukadiche Modak (Because You Will Make Too Many)#

Um, in theory these last 1–2 days in the fridge. In my house they last, like, maybe 12 hours. But anyway:

- If you must store them, let them cool completely first.
- Put them in an airtight container, ideally not stacked too tightly so they don’t get squished.
- Keep in the fridge for up to 24–36 hours max, since coconut and jaggery spoil fast in warm weather.
- To reheat, steam them for 3–4 minutes or microwave them covered with a damp tissue for about 20–30 seconds. Don’t overheat or they get rubbery.

And always, always finish with a little fresh ghee when serving. Reheated modak with new ghee feels almost fresh.

Little Things That Make Modak-Making Feel Special#

Honestly, what I love most about this whole ukadiche modak thing is not just the eating (though that’s 70% of it). It’s the whole vibe:

- everybody in the house doing something – someone grating coconut, someone kneading, someone shaping
- the way the kitchen smells when the steamer lid opens and a blast of cardamom steam hits your face
- the arguments about whether to add nutmeg or not, or whether grandma’s recipe is better than chachi’s recipe
- plating that first batch for the Ganpati idol and then sneakily eating the second batch straight from the steamer because they taste best when super hot.

I remember one year, the power went out halfway through my batch – classic Mumbai monsoon drama – and I had a half-cooked steamer on the gas. We ended up using an old-school pressure cooker base as a steamer with a plate balanced inside. It was chaotic and mildly dangerous, but those modaks still turned out great. Imperfect tools, perfect comfort.

If You’re Making Ukadiche Modak For The First Time…#

…don’t aim for perfection. Seriously. The internet in 2026 is full of glossy, beautifully pleated modak pics that can make you feel like yours are a failure if they’re not symmetrical or snow-white.

But the actual point of this dish – of most traditional festival dishes honestly – is that they’re made with hands that are a little tired, in kitchens that are a little messy, with people hovering and talking and singing along to some random old Asha Bhosle song in the background.

So if your first batch cracks, or they’re weirdly shaped, or you accidentally overfilled some and they burst, it’s fine. They’ll still taste like coconut, jaggery, rice, ghee, and effort. And that’s more than enough.

Wrapping Up: Me, Modak & What’s Next On My Plate#

So yeah, that’s my ukadiche modak story and the way I make them in my very real, slightly chaotic 2026 kitchen. Every year I tell myself I’ll try some new dessert for Ganpati, and every year I end up back at this same recipe, stirring coconut and jaggery in a kadhai at midnight, promising myself "this year I’ll keep the pleats neat" and then not really doing that.

If you’ve never tried making steamed Maharashtrian modak at home, I hope this nudges you to give it a shot at least once. Worst case, you end up with weird-shaped sweet dumplings. Best case, you find your new comfort ritual.

And if you want to fall further down the rabbit hole of food stories, recipes, and other people obsessing over dishes the way I’m obsessing over modak right now, go poking around AllBlogs.in sometime. I keep stumbling on new food posts there – everything from regional Indian sweets to random fusion experiments – and it’s oddly comforting knowing there are other people out there who also take 200 photos of one plate of food before eating it.