An Indian sweet commonly prepared for the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. It is made with mawa or khoya, sugar, milk, saffron and cardamom powder. Shaping into modak with a mould is a breeze. Without one, I turned them into modak kisses. A quick alternative is making round pedas and decorating with nuts.
Using good quality store-bought mawa speeds up the preparation process. Select mawa that is pale white, firm, without fungal growth or unusual smell. To make mawa at home, heat full-fat milk on medium heat till all the moisture evaporates. Add a pinch of baking soda for smoothness. Once the mixture is thick, the mawa is ready.
Mawa or khoya is used in savoury and sweet dishes. It adds richness, thickness, texture and gives the dish a pleasant milky taste. A good source of calcium and vitamin D, promoting strong bones. High in calories and fat, mawa should be consumed in moderation.
Using good quality store-bought mawa speeds up the preparation process. Select mawa that is pale white, firm, without fungal growth or unusual smell. To make mawa at home, heat full-fat milk on medium heat till all the moisture evaporates. Add a pinch of baking soda for smoothness. Once the mixture is thick, the mawa is ready.
Mawa or khoya is used in savoury and sweet dishes. It adds richness, thickness, texture and gives the dish a pleasant milky taste. A good source of calcium and vitamin D, promoting strong bones. High in calories and fat, mawa should be consumed in moderation.
Mawa Modak Kisses
(Makes 20 modak kisses or 10 pedas)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mawa or khoya (grated)
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm milk
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
almonds or pistachios (chopped for decoration)
Method:
In a thick-bottomed pan on medium flame, heat mawa for few minutes stirring continuously. When melted, add sugar along with saffron milk. Continue stirring till the mixture comes together in the centre.
Remove from heat and add cardamom powder. Transfer onto a plate.
Shape into modak kisses or round pedas. Decorate pedas with nuts.
Note:
(Makes 20 modak kisses or 10 pedas)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mawa or khoya (grated)
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch of saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm milk
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
almonds or pistachios (chopped for decoration)
Method:
In a thick-bottomed pan on medium flame, heat mawa for few minutes stirring continuously. When melted, add sugar along with saffron milk. Continue stirring till the mixture comes together in the centre.
Remove from heat and add cardamom powder. Transfer onto a plate.
Shape into modak kisses or round pedas. Decorate pedas with nuts.
Note:
- To prepare 100 grams mawa at home, use a wide thick-bottomed pan. On medium flame, heat 500 ml of full-fat milk stirring continuously. Halfway through, add a pinch of baking soda to the milk for smoothness. When all the moisture has evaporated and the milk solids thicken, the mawa is ready. It takes approximately an hour or more for the milk to solidify.