Ingredients

• Ingredients for outer layer:
• 3/4 cup - raw rice powder
• 1 and 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp - salt
• Ingredients for coconut-jaggery filling (or poornam):
• 1/4 cup - grated coconut (fresh is better, frozen works too)
• 1/4 cup grated jaggery
• 1 tsp + 1 tsp ghee
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed

How to Make Sweet Modak

• Make a filling or poornam:
• Heat a pan with 1 tsp ghee. Add the grated coconut and the grated jaggery. Mix well until it begins to roast a bit and starts to turn a little dry. It will take about 8-10 mins to reach the stage we require.
• Keep mixing now and then, and add cardamom powder before removing from fire. Set aside and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, bring 1 cup of water to boil with the 1/4 salt also added in. Once it boils, remove from fire and add the 3/4 cup rice flour in, mixing as you do so. Make sure no lumps are formed and mix well until you get a soft dough.
• Start with 1 cup of water and keep adding a few drops as you mix until you get the desired consistency.
• Let this mixture cool down a little until you can handle it. Don't let it cool completely, or else the rice dough will become dry.
• Roll the poornam into small balls and set aside.
• With wet hands, take a lime-sized portion of the rice dough, form a ball by greasing your hands with the ghee, and flatten on your palm. Make sure it is not too thin. Adjust according to your preference.
• Place the filling in the centre and cover the filling with dough as uniformly as you can. Once covered, make it smooth.
• Place on a steamer plate and steam it for 10 - 15 mins and serve.