Modak, by another name

When Pooja Naheta was seven she remembers her grandmotherrsquos gamut of foods made during Ganesh Chaturthi There were modakshaped kolukattai Tamil Nadu style pidi kolukattai the Keralastyle ela ada kolukattai kesar kolukattai infused with the flavours of saffron and finally the kambu kolukattai made with bajra and sesame her favourite ldquoThere was nothing like it and it remained one of my best childhood memories Thatrsquos what I have tried to recreate with kozhukattai a popular prasad in Tamil Nadu and Kerala served during Ganesh Chaturthi Itrsquos a sweet dumpling made of rice flour and millet dough which is stuffed with a delectable coconutjaggery filling Just like modak it tastes best when made at home with love and carerdquo she addsNaheta runs Saadam a South Indian home catering service Malabar Hill that uses fresh ingredients to make flavourful and authentic traditional eats She tells midday of why the modak is offered during Vinayagar Chaturthi In the Puranas ancient Hindu literary texts in Sanskrit it is said that when Lord Ganesha was a baby his grandmother would pamper him with delicious laddus As he grew older his appetite for laddus also grew Once his mother Parvati realised that she would not be able to prepare these in a short while and decided to make something else for him to relish She came up with the recipe for the modak a sweet made of rice flour coconut jaggery and ghee Lord Ganesha is said to have relished them becoming his favourite food ldquoThere is no difference in ingredients or method between kozhukattai and the modak except for their shape While the Maharashtrian version is an upturned cone the kozhukattai isnrsquot restricted by shape recommendation you can choose a shape of your choice steam it and offer it to Ganapathi The stuffing is enriched with sesame seeds dried ginger powder and cardamom powder aside from jaggery and coconutrdquo she explainsSantacruzbased home chef Prabha Kini says that the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin version of the modak doesnrsquot have a stuffing and is fried Members of the community are centred in Goa Kerala Karnataka and Maharashtra ldquoItrsquos just a batter of wheat flour semolina jaggery and cardamom dropped in hot ghee and deep fried They also make a banana version where the ripe fruit is mashed into the mixture before fryingrdquoEla AdaSravani Mellacheruvu who runs The South Social a cloud kitchen in Bandra looks forward to Ganesh Chaturthimdashor what the South Indian community calls Vinayaka Chavithimdashbecause Ganesha is a deity who loves food ldquoEvery year we make at least five to seven specialities For Andhraites bellam kudumulu is an absolute must to make on the occasion It is similar to the modak but with a twist in shape and a taste of its own It even finds a mention in the shlokas I recall having it as a kid with my cousins my recipe comes to me from my grandmotherrdquoBellam kudumulluFor bellam kudumulu rice flour dough is made with lukewarm water and stuffed with mashed boiled chana dal jaggery almond cashew nut cardamom powder and ghee Sealed by folding and applying water to the edges it is steamed for 15 minutes and topped with gheeUndralla payasam PicShadab KhanAnother Vinayak Chaturthi speciality undralla payasam is made a tight dough of wheat flour and powdered sugar With greased hands this is moulded into cylindrical or round small balls These are boiled in water until cooked then jaggery is added followed by a slurry of rice flour Dry fruits and coconut pieces are fried in ghee and added as garnish along with cardamom powderHome chef Prabha Kini says the Gaud Saraswat Brahmin version of the modak doesnrsquot have a stuffing and is fried PicShadab KhanIn Kerala Onam sets the mood for all things festive and here too a distant cousin of the modak the ela ada is offered to the Lord Toral Sanghvi founder of Keralite catering service Nair on Fire says ldquoThe muchloved ela ada is on our special menu this Ganesh Chaturthi on preorder This sweet delicacy features ada thatrsquos made of housemade rice podipowder which kind of cradles the filling made of jaggery and grated coconut These parcels are then encased in banana leaves and steamed to cook Ela ada defies the idea of a sweet dish being sinful as itrsquos wholesome Itrsquos simple traditional and meltinmouthrdquoTO ORDER FROM Nair on Fire 9324059522The South Social 8805024229Saadam 9867380078Prabha Kini 9820884070