Ganesh Chaturthi special: Healthy modak recipes
From beetroot, to oats and fruit fillings, this season experience modaks with a healthy twist The festivities and sweets may make your diet go for a toss. But there is a way to gorge on your favourite sweet and still stay healthy. Make a healthy choice this festive season by opting for fruit or veggie modaks that are equally tasty.
Chef Shailendra Kekade shares, 'The best way to go healthy is by adding a lot of fruits and nuts to the filling of modaks. Go the steamed way and completely avoid frying them. Ghee is a healthier option to oil.' He suggests that one should go all out and experiment with various fruits and vegetables for the filling. Another twist he recommends is replacing the flour covering. 'Instead of rice flour, use de-hydrated fruit slices and fruit pulp. It is healthy, tasty and nutritious.'
Roasted modak is another option one could go for. Sous chef at Hyatt Regency, Sarika Kamble shares, 'Roasting the modak in the oven is not only healthy but also provides a crispy and crunchy taste.' The stuffing could be anything from oats, to nuts to diced fruits.
Explaining the interesting fruit-covering, Kekade adds that fruit slices can be dehydrated for 24 hours to form the cover of a fruit modak. 'Or spread 50 gm of mango pulp on a butter paper, dehydrated for 24 hours. Cut fresh fruits into small dices. Stuff the prepared sheets of mango and watermelon with stuffing of your choice and shape up the modak. On a serving plate, place the modaks on a base of a small amount of stuffing and sprinkle the diced fruits on the plate.'
Go all out the healthy way with these lip-smacking modak recipes'
Beetroot Modak
by Chef Shailendra Kekade
Ingredients
Beetroot 1 cup
Orange rind as per taste
Rice flour 2 bowls
Ghee as per taste
Water
Salt and oil to taste
Method:
Grate beetroot and add sugar as per taste. Now, bring one cup of water to boil with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of oil added in. Once the water boils, add two cups of rice flour and stir continuously till a batter of thick consistency is formed. Put it out in a plate and let it cool. Make small, circular balls and press them down in the centre to form a hollow. Fill in the mixture of beetroot. Now, close both sides of the modak. Taper the top of the modak to get that traditional shape. Once shaped, let it steam for 5-10 minutes. Eat topped with a generous dollop of melted ghee mixed with orange rind. (Health benefits of beetroot)
Roasted Modak
by Chef Sarika Kamble
Ingredients:
Wheat flour 100gm
Refined flour 50gm
Coconut grated/ fruits/ dry fruits/ nuts 200gm
Cardamom powder a pinch
Sesame seeds 1tsp
Method:
Sieve the flour with salt and add warm oil to it. Add water and knead to a smooth dough. Take fresh or desiccated coconut, jaggery, roasted sesame seeds, cardamom and nutmeg powder in a kadhai or pan.
If using nuts or dry fruits chop them fine. Mix them all. Add water. Cook the whole mixture on a low or medium flame. Stir for 8-10 minutes till the jaggery melts, the water dries up and mixture is cooked & dry. Keep the mixture aside to cool.
Take a small sized ball of the dough. With a rolling pin gently make a thin round dusting the surface or the dough ball with some dry flour. Take the rolled dough circle on your palm add the some spoonful of the filling in the centre. Now start pinching the edges one by one. Bring all the pinched ends together and taper the centre. Cover with a cloth so that the dough does not dry out. Grease a tray with a little oil and bake at 140 degrees for 10 – 12 mins. (Make Ganesh Chaturthi special with healthy treats)
Source: DNA
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