Mawa Modak | Khoya Modak
Mawa Modak is a quickest and instant variation of Modak and gets done in less than 30 minutes. These tasty modak variant is made with minimal ingredients like Mawa or Khoya (evaporated milk solids), sugar and cardamom powder. An easy choice for your traditional Ganesh Chaturthi festivities or as a homemade sweet after your meals.
About Mawa Modak
While this is also a decadent version, a traditional modak is this Ukadiche Modak – with an outside covering made of rice flour dough, stuffed with a delicious sweet and flavorful coconut-jaggery mixture. This is steamed. So, the final results are quite different.
In addition to the steamed modak, there are varieties like the Fried Modak. Then, also some ingredient and flavor specific ones like this quick Mawa Modak, Rava Modak, Mango Modak, Dry Fruit Modak and the fancy Chocolate Modak.
Modak is not favored just in Maharashtra, but also popular in South India. There it is called Kozhukattai and are made in Tamil Nadu and Kerala on the auspicious festival of Vinayaka Chaturthi.
Most of the times, the classic Ukadiche Modak and Fried Modak is what people prefer making during Ganesh Chaturthi. Although, this Khoya Modak is also a good option for the same.
Once you bite into one of the favorite sweets of Lord Ganesh, the modak (other being ladoo); you’ll know why literally every Maharashtrian is so fond of a modak!
Ganesha festival is a festival of opulence and very grand, especially in the state of Maharashtra. People have a joyous vibe, spirit and energy on all days of this festival. It is also quite divine to experience the singing of the Ganpati aarti during the day time.
And when there’s a festivity like this, how can we not talk about food! Both go hand in hand. Thus, modak or other sweets as well as many more dishes only enhance the revelries during this particular time. Here is a special compilation of such Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes that you can easily refer to.
You can make this Khoya Modak too in varied ways. Like, add some nuts, dry fruits or milk powder. Though, I have kept it basic and not used any of these. The most amazing thing is that you can prepare these ahead of time. Then, just refrigerate to last for 3 to 4 days.
Also, the easiest and a quicker way of shaping the modak is to use a modak mould, which even I have done. But, if you have the time, patience, energy and are a pro at shaping modak, use your hands. You can easily source a mould online.
Offer these rich and sumptuous modak as naivedya to Ganpati or feed them to your friends and family. They too will absolutely love these modak. Make sure to prepare a large batch as no one is going to stop at one!
How to make Mawa Modak
Prep and Make Mawa Mixture
1. First keep all the ingredients ready for the modak. Crumble finely or grate 250 grams mawa or khoya. Also, keep ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder and ½ cup sugar ready.
2. Grease the modak moulds with a bit of ghee or oil. Keep aside.
3. Heat a pan. Keep the heat to a low and add the 1.5 cups of grated mawa.
4. Keep stirring on low heat for a minute. The mawa would start melting.
5. When the mawa begins to melt, add ½ cup sugar.
6. Stir for a minute.
7. Soon the mixture will look liquid like.
8. Once the mixture starts bubbling, add ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder.
9. The mixture will start thickening. So, continuously keep stirring.
10. Keep stirring on low heat until the mixture starts leaving the edges of the pan.
11. When the mixture begins to leave the side of the pan, switch off the heat. Immediately transfer the mixture in another bowl/dish/thali.
Remember not to overcook the mawa mixture, as then the texture will turn out chewy and dense.
12. Allow the mixture to cool and become warm. Then knead the mixture gently into a dough, while it is still warm.
I have changed my glass dish to a metal thali, as it was more convenient for me to knead on a metal dish.
Make Mawa Modak
13. Make small balls from the dough while it is still warm.
14. Place a small mawa ball in the greased modak mould.
15. Press the mawa ball with your fingers so that it takes the shape of the mould.
16. Gently unmould and repeat the same with the rest of mixture. I got about 9 mawa modak from the modak mixture.
18. Place the khoya modak over a greased plate. You can choose to lightly spread some ghee or a neutral oil on the plate or use a banana leaf or turmeric leaf.
19. Offer Mawa Modak to Bhagwan Ganesha. These modak can also be refrigerated and served later.
Expert Tips
This Mawa Modak recipe is similar to the Mango Modak and Chocolate Modak, as it isn’t about a separate filling and outer covering. Here, a mawa mixture is prepared and then shaped into modak. That’s about it. So, it automatically becomes faster.
Still, keeping these things in mind will help:
- The mawa or khoya you use, has to be fresh and of the best quality, not stale or rancid.
- For this, source your ingredients from a reliable shop/store. Saves on the extra time that will go in checking.
- Avoid overcooking of mawa mixture. This will result in denser khoya modak.
- When preparing these modak for the deities or otherwise too, you have to maintain proper hygiene, prayerfulness and purity.
- To make sweeter modak, add more sugar. If you are habituated of less sweetness, reduce the quantity.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook Mawa
- Grease the modak moulds with a bit of ghee or oil. Place aside.
- Crumble finely or grate mawa or khoya.
- Heat a pan. Keep the flame to a low and add 1.5 cups of the grated mawa.
- Keep stirring on low heat for a minute. The mawa will begin to melt.
- When the mawa begin to melt, add the sugar to the mawa and stir for a minute.
- Soon the mawa mixture will start releasing fat.
- Once the mixture starts bubbling, then sprinkle cardamom powder.
- The mixture will start thickening. Continuously keep stirring so that the mixture cooks evenly and does not get burnt.
- Keep stirring on low heat until the mixture starts leaving the edges of the pan.
- Do not overcook the mixture as then the modak will turn out chewy and dense.
- Immediately transfer the mixture in another plate or tray.
- Allow the mixture to become warm at room temperature.
Assemble and Shape Mawa Modak
- Then knead to a soft dough while the mixture is still warm.
- Make small balls from the dough while still warm.
- Place a small mawa ball in the modak mould. Simply press the mawa ball so that it takes the shape of the mould.
- Gently unmould and repeat the same with the rest of mixture.
- Place the modak over a greased plate. Lightly spread some ghee or a neutral oil on the plate. You can also use banana leaf or turmeric leaf instead of a plate.
- Offer mawa modak to Bhagwan Ganesha. These modak can also be refrigerated and then served later.
Notes
- Make sure to use fresh mawa that tastes sweet. It should not have a bitter or sour taste which implies that it has gone rancid.
- You could also use jaggery powder in place of sugar.
- Add finely chopped nuts or dry fruits if you like.
- For a saffron flavored mawa modak, soak a few saffron strands in a bit of warm milk for 5 minutes. Add this soaked saffron milk mixture to the mawa when you add sugar.
- This recipe is easily scaleable to make for more quantities of mawa modak. But keep in mind that for larger quantities, plenty of hand stirrings will be needed when cooking the mawa mixture.
Nutrition
This Mawa Modak recipe post from the archives first published in September 2016 has been republished and updated on 24 July 2022.
Can I add some more flavourings in this recipe?
Yes, you can definitely add more flavorings. Along with cardamom powder, saffron strands, nutmeg, or even a few drops of rose water or kewra water also work well in mawa modak. Just keep the quantity small so the flavors don’t overpower the modak.
hi tried this recipe and made pedhas instead of modak. everyone just loved it. thanks a lot dear. u r just amazing.
welcome priyanka, thanks for positive views. glad you liked the mawa modaks.
Hi, this is rucha here. I tried this similar recipe of yours with Cashew nuts. However, I observed that it becomes very difficult to unmould the modaks as the mawa becomes very moist even with the heat of our hands. Even i tried to keep it for a long time to get the mixture cooled down,but the moistness was not going. Hence I had to refrigerate the mixture overnight and the next morning I used the mold when the mixture was considerably cold. Do you have any tip to avoid the moistness of the mawa?
rucha, if you cook the mawa well, then there is no stickiness or moistness felt. mawa pedas are also made in the same way. i never had any problem with mawa if it has been cooked well. you can use heat safe gloves, so that the mawa does not become moist due to the heat from your hands. another option is what you did. that is to refrigerate the mawa. but if you cook it well, then there is no need to refrigerate or use gloves.
oh okay great. thanks for the reply 🙂
I will surely take care of what you suggested.
Regards,
Rucha
welcome rucha 🙂