Classic Ganesh Chaturthi modaks with a twist: Chef Ranveer Brar’s colourful modaks in red velvet, chocolate and more

Try out these fun and flavourful modak recipes straight out of Chef Ranveer Brar's kitchen, for this Ganesh Chaturthi!

Ganesh Chaturthi is here and the festival is incomplete without the sweet indulgence of modaks. Traditional options like ukadiche or fried modaks, which are typically made with rice flour and filled with jaggery-sweetened coconut, can take hours of preparation. If the thought of long hours in the kitchen puts you off, Chef Ranveer Brar has the perfect fix that comes with a surprising twist. For this year’s occasion, you can opt for these special modak recipes that can be prepared in just 10 to 15 minutes - no complicated prep required. To make things even more interesting, these quick modaks come in exotic flavours like red velvet, chocolate, and kesar pista, giving the age-old delicacy a fresh, festive makeover.

If weird food combinations that require minimal cooking time gets you excited, you should definitely try out these three modak recipes to make your Ganesh Chaturthi extra special. The recipes use readily available ingredients like biscuits, desiccated coconut, and condensed milk as a shortcut for traditional mawa. The three variations include Red Velvet, Chocolate, and Kesar Elaichi modaks, each with unique fillings like white chocolate, tutti frutti, and roasted nuts, with a prep time of 10-15 minutes and serving 7-8 pieces. You can view the recipes on YouTube.

Modak base is the same for all three

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup Crushed Digestive Biscuits

1 ½ cup Desiccated coconut

Process: Crush and add digestive biscuits in a bowl, along with desiccated coconut. Mix them well and divide into 3 equal portions, keeping them aside for further use.

Red velvet modak

Ingredients:

1 cup Prepared Modak Base

2-3 tbsp Beetroot juice (as required)

¼ cup Desiccated coconut

½ tin condensed milk (The chef recommends using Nestle Milkmaid)

For Stuffing: 2-4 tbsp White chocolate, chopped

For Garnish: Desiccated coconut

Process: Add the previously prepared modak base, beetroot juice, desiccated coconut, and condensed milk in a bowl and mix well until it forms a soft doughy mixture. Stuff the modak mixture into a modak mold. Make a cavity in the middle, fill it with white chocolate, and close the edges. Scrape out excess mixture and press the mold firmly to get the perfect shape. Demold and transfer to a serving dish; garnish with desiccated coconut.

Bonus tip: You can also use beetroot puree to add more flavour.

Chocolate modak

Ingredients:

1 cup Prepared Modak Base

¼ cup Cocoa powder

½ tin condensed milk (The chef recommends using Nestle Milkmaid)

For Stuffing: 2-3 tbsp Tutti Frutti, chopped; ½ tbsp Milk powder

For Garnish: White chocolate, melted

Process: Add the previously prepared modak base, cocoa powder, condensed milk and mix well until a soft dough is formed. For the filling, mix chopped tutti frutti and milk powder. Use a modak mold to stuff the mixture and make a cavity in the centre. Fill the cavity with tutti frutti mixture and close the edges. Scrape out excess mixture and press the mold firmly to get the perfect shape. Demold and transfer to a serving dish; garnish with melted white chocolate and cocoa powder.

Bonus tip: Use 70% of desiccated coconut and 30% of cocoa powder.

Kesar pista modak

Ingredients:

1 cup Prepared Modak Base

2 tbsp Saffron water

½ tin condensed milk (The chef recommends using Nestle Milkmaid)

A pinch of cardamom powder

2 tbsp Almond powder

2 tbsp Cashew Nut powder

For Stuffing: 1 tsp Ghee; 1 tbsp Pistachios, chopped; 1 tbsp Almonds, chopped; 1 tbsp Cashew Nut, chopped

For Garnish: Silver vark, Pistachios (blanched & sliver), few Saffron strands

Process: Add previously prepared modak base, saffron water, condensed milk, cardamom, almond and cashewnut powder and mix well until soft and doughy. Stuff the prepared mixture into a modak mold and make a cavity in the middle. For the filling, heat ghee in a pan, add pistachios, almonds, cashews and toss for a minute. Stuff this filling in the cavity and close the edges. Scrape out excess mixture and press the mold firmly to get the perfect shape. Demold and transfer to a serving dish; garnish with silver vark, saffron strands and pistachios.

Bonus tip: Use freshly ground cardamom to get that rich aroma and enhanced flavour in your modaks. Toast the nuts in ghee to prevent odd aromas. Grease the mould with ghee to prevent sticking.