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Ganesh Chaturthi, an auspicious festival honouring Lord Ganesha, one of the main deities, will be celebrated in the US on August 27th, 2025. Families celebrating the festival across the states will come together to observe the festival by praying to the idol through aarti and offering him modak.
Why is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?
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In North America, the Hindu population rose to 3.6 million. Among those who follow Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is a venerated god known as the remover of obstacles and the bringer of wisdom and prosperity. Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates his birth through a 10-day festival during which people bring clay idols of the god into their homes and public spaces, worship him with hymns and processions and immerse the idol in water bodies on the last day.
How is modak related to Lord Ganesh?
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Lord Ganesh has multiple names one of which is "Modakpriya" meaning the one who loves modaks. Modak, a traditional Indian sweet is considered to be the god's favourite dish to eat and is thus prepared and served to him during the festival. The modak's shape- round at the bottom and pointed at the top represents the journey of knowledge that begins with broad worldly information to reach the pinnacle of awareness and wisdom.
Thus, modaks are served to please the lord and invite prosperity and happiness into the people's lives.
How to make Udikache Modak with ingredients available in the US?
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Udikache Modak, steamed modaks are a popular recipe followed by many during Ganesh Chaturthi. For devotees residing in the US, finding the exact Indian ingredients might seem a difficult task, but you can always substitute them with available options.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour, easily available in Indian stores, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. You can also opt for Mochiko a sweet rice flour found in Asian grocery dough
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 tsp ghee. People preferring vegan options can swap ghee with coconut oil.
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup grated coconut, frozen coconut is available at Indian stores or you can opt for unsweetened shredded coconut from Costco or Trader Joe's
- 3/4 cup jaggery, available at Indian stores or go with brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp poppy seeds, optional
- A steamer, a regular metal colander above a large boiling pot of water will work as well.
Recipe
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Begin by preparing the filling that will be inside the modak first.
In a pan, add grated coconut and jaggery and stir until they blend. Now add cardamom powder and poppy seeds and cook till the mixture thickens. Set it aside to cool without covering it with a lid.For the dough, boil water with salt and ghee in a saucepan, and slowly add rice flour while stirring constantly to avoid forming lumps. Cover the pan and steam cook for 2-3 minutes. After cooking, add it to a plate and knead while still warm.To make the modak, add some ghee to your palms, take a small ball of dough and roll it into a small disc with the help of a rolling pin or your palms. Add 1-2 tsp of the filling and slowly gather the edges of the dough to make pleats and make a pointed top. After all the modak are shaped, place them in a parchment paper or banana leaf and steam for 10-12 minutes until they look a bit glossy.Enjoy your Udikache Modak and have a happy and prosperous Ganesh Chaturthi!
English (US) ·