Ice-creams, puddings, cakes and a burst of flavours — chefs are serving up different iterations of the traditional sweet dumpling. Ahead of Ganeshotsav, here’s our guide to some of the best ways to devour the festive treat
Modak
A scoop of nostalgia
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An integral part of the annual modak binge-fest during Ganesh Chaturthi is the drizzling of toop (ghee) on the freshly prepared sweet rice dumplings. Dipping into this memory, Parag Chaphekar and Sanmish Marathe from ice-cream brand Trayog have reimagined their popular ukadiche modak ice-cream.
They’re now offering the modak ice-cream in the dumpling’s quintessential shape, held together by biscuit-y petals, along with a modak sauce to drizzle with. “These are cookie petals of Shrewsbury cookies. The modak sauce is designed to look like ghee. They’re packed separately to travel well,”
shares Chaphekar.
Call: 9324590822
Log on to: @trayog_celebratetradition on Instagram
Cost: Rs 399 for 500 ml tub of ice-cream; Rs 199 for nine petals and sauce
Vegan feasting
If you do not plan to stray from your diet, Yogisattva is offering a limited-edition vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free menu of modaks. The iterations include vegan besan modak, vegan coconut and mango modak, vegan chocolate orange modak and more.
Founder, chef Raveena Taurani, informs us that dairy is replaced with coconut milk and cream. “I personally feel the mango coconut modak is a great flavour combination that has the nostalgia of summer; I also love our rose and besan modak. For the chocolate modaks, we use pure raw cacao instead of cocoa powder,” she adds.
Call: 9867455009
Log on to: shop.yogisattva.com
Cost: Rs 699 onwards
Proof is in the pudding
Home chef Inderpreet Nagpal of Rummy’s Kitchen HerbsnSpices has given the ukadiche modak a fusion, English spin. She has come up with a deconstructed modak pudding, comprising layers of steamed rice sheets, topped with coconut-jaggery stuffing and kesar shrikhand.
“Shrikhand and modak are the primary sweets served during Ganeshotsav. So, I used shrikhand, adding to it a sweet twist of whipped cream.”
Call: 9769211608, a day in advance
Log on to: @rummyskitchen on Instagram
Cost: Rs 300
Ganesha goes global
From Iranian pistachio and Turkish coffee-infused chocolate-based modaks to Indian influences such as gram fudge, 24-karat gold, and Kashmiri cashew and saffron, St Regis Mumbai has curated a mix of modaks to suit your palate.
“The ingredients used in the preparation of these fusion modaks are sourced from across the globe such as Iranian pistachios, Turkish coffee and Arabian spices like ras el hanout, while the Indian-inspired variants are made using Kashmiri saffron, 24-karat gold and slow-roasted nuts,” reveals executive chef Dane Fernandes.
Call: 8657522956
Cost: Rs 300 for box of four onwards
It’s a cakewalk
Celebrating the heritage of modak-making in Maharashtrian households and the matriarchs who pass down this tradition is Ether Atelier’s festive collection, Moriya.
Chef Prateek Bakhtiani has created two unique cakes, Moriya coco, which pairs a rice pudding core with fresh coconut and cashew, and Moriya mango, which is also a rice pudding with mango and saffron.
Log on to: etherchocolate.com
Cost: Rs 1,850 for both
Paan intended
Shivaali Bhandari is a 16-year-old home chef from Ghatkopar who specialises in whipping up chocolates. And this year, for Ganeshotsav, the teenager who has Down Syndrome, is experimenting with a host of flavoured modaks, including pan-stuffed ones, rasmalai, gulkand, oreo and more.
“Shivaali’s Treats is a venture to make her independent. The modaks she’s making are all chocolate-based, infused with gulkand, Kolkata paan masala or kesar, rose petals and dry fruits for rasmalai, and more,” explains her mother, Sonia.
Call: 8104528639, 48 hours in advance
Log on to: @shivaalis.treats on Instagram
Cost: Rs 145 onwards for box of 11 (varies according to flavours and quantity)
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