Coconut Modak

Coconut Modak – Easy, soft and delicious modaks made with desiccated coconut, condensed milk, cardamom and nuts! A perfect recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

What is coconut modak?

Coconut Modak is a delightful and easy variation of the traditional Indian modak. In this version, desiccated coconut and milkmaid (sweetened condensed milk) are used to make the outer layer and the modaks are stuffed with chopped mixed nuts.

Modaks are Indian sweet dumplings that are commonly prepared during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi. Modaks are traditionally shaped into small, cone-like structures using a mould. But, you can also roll them into round balls.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Can be easily made under 10 minutes.

Can be easily customized with different flavors and fillings.

No fancy ingredients and no special skills are required.

Soft, rich and delicious!

Ingredients:

Coconut – This recipe needs desiccated coconut. Use a good quality coconut for the best flavor and taste. Fresh coconut can be used as a substitute but you will need roast it in a little bit of ghee first and then cook for little longer to get rid of all the moisture.

Condensed Milk – We are not going to use any other sweetener in this recipe. Milkmaid or Condensed milk will bind the mixture and adds richness and sweetness to the modaks.

Nuts – You can use any of your favorite nuts. Chop them finely before using.

Cardamom – Freshly ground cardamom will add a wonderful aroma to the modaks. You can also use store-bought cardamom powder.

Ghee – You don’t need much ghee in this recipe. It can be substituted with coconut oil.

Serving suggestions:

Serve it as a prasad / naivedyam (offering) to Lord Ganesha during Vinayaka Chaturthi festival.

It makes a perfect edible gift for special occasions such as diwali parties, birthdays and gatherings.

You can also serve them as a sweet snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

Storage suggestions:

They stay fresh for 4-5 days if you store in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze them in a ziplock bag for up to 3 months.

Variations:

Soak a pinch of saffron in a tablespoon milk and add it to the pan along with condensed milk to make saffron infused modaks.

You can stuff the modaks with gulkand instead of nuts.

If you don’t have time to stuff the modak, mix the nuts into the coconut mixture.

Tips & Notes:

Always roast the coconut over a low-medium flame to prevent it from burning.

If you want to increase the sweetness, add little sugar while cooking the coconut and condensed milk / milkmaid.

Avoid adding too much of ghee to prevent modaks from becoming too greasy.

Grease your plams and modak mould with ghee before shaping the modaks to prevent sticking.

If you don’t have modak mould, simply roll them into balls.

Step by step instructions:

Dry roast coconut in a heavy bottomed pan over a low-medium flame for about 2-3 minutes. No need to change the color.

Add condensed milk and mix everything well.

Keep stirring and cook for about 3-4 minutes until it is thick.

You should be able to roll the mixture into balls.

Add ghee and cardamom powder to it and mix everything.

Remove it from flame and let it cool down.

Grease a modak mould with a little bit ghee or oil.

Sprinkle some chopped nuts.

Grease your palms and take a small portion of the cooked mixture.

Place it in the mould and close it.

Press from the middle towards the sides to make a small hole.

Fill the hole with chopped nuts and push them a little.

Cover it with coconut mixture and seat it properly.

Remove any excess dough.

Unmould it carefully and serve!

Few more Ganesh Chaturthi recipes on the blog:

• Chocolate Modak
• Oats Modak
• Bellam Thalikalu
• Ulundu Kozhukattai
• Peanut Sundal
• Paal Kozhukattai
• Undrallu
• Til Khoya Laddu
• Kele Mulik
• Modakam
• Instant Pot Lemon Rice

How to make coconut modak recipe video below: