Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are synonymous with great sweets, especially Modak, which is one of the highlights of the festival at desi households. However, this traditional dish, made with a heady combination of jaggery and refined flour, can increase your calorie intake during the course of the festival. Thus, we’ve chalked down some healthy modak recipes for you so your celebration can be as calorie-conscious as you. Check them out.

3 Healthy Modak Recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi 2021

Modak is an extremely popular sweet during Ganesh Chaturthi as it is believed to Lord Ganesha’s favourite sweet. If you too are a dessert lover, like Lord Ganesha himself, follow these sugar free modak recipe to keep your indulgence guilt-free.

1. Dry Fruit Modak Recipe

Natural sugar found in fruits is a great replacement for refined sugar in sweets. This healthy modak recipe combines your love for sweets with dry fruits to offer you the most fitness-friendly modak ever.

Ingredients:

6 Figs
8 Seedless Dates
15-16 Almonds
1 tsp Walnuts
12-13 Peanuts
5-6 Pistachios
9-10 Cashewnuts
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Chironji
1 tsp Khus Khus
1 tsp Dessicated Coconut
1 Tbsp Ghee
10 Raisins, chopped
5 Apricots, chopped
1 tsp Cardamom Powder

Method:

Soak the figs and dates in separate bowls for two hours each
Grind the nuts in a grinder
Heat the ghee in a pain, put in the grinded nuts in the pan, and sauté well.
Take another pan and dry roast the sesame seeds, chironji, khus khus, and desiccated coconut in it.
Grind the soaked dates and figs into a thick paste.
Heat ghee in another pan, put in the paste, sauté well, and add the chopped raisins and apricots.
Add ground fry fruits to the pan and mix well to infuse them perfectly with the paste.
Add the coconut mixture and cardamom powder. Mix the ingredients well with the paste to form a thick mixture.
Shape the paste into modak dumplings using either the hands or a modak mould.
Serve the modaks.

2. Oats & Jaggery Modak

Want to make gluten free modaks this Ganesh Chaturthi? Follow this recipe to make your job easy.

Ingredients:

1/4^th cup desiccated coconut
1 cup Jaggery powder
1^1/2 cups oats
½ cup milk
Almonds
Cashews
3 tps raisins
1tps cardamom
4tps ghee

Method:

Transfer the oats in a grinder and grind into a fine powder
Heat ghee in a pan
Add powdered oats to the pan and roast on medium flame
Add desiccated coconut to the mix and roast for another two minutes
Grind the almonds and cashews into fine powder. Add the powder to the mix
Roast for another minute. Add raisins. Add cardamom. Mix well
Add jaggery powder to the mix and roast for 2-3 minutes
Transfer the roasted mix to a bowl and add 2-3 tps milk to make wet dough
Let the dough cool down for five minutes
Shape the dough into modaks using either hands or modak mould.
Serve the oat and jaggery modaks

3. Beetroot Modak

Add the goodness of beetroot in your modak to make your munching nutritious. Beetroot is great for your digestive system and adding to your diet improves blood flow as well.

Ingredients:

2 cup gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp semolina (rava/sooji)
1/4 tsp beetroot colour or two oven cooked beetroot paste
1 1/2 cup water
Oil (for frying)
For sugar syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cashews (kaju), chopped

Method:

Take a bowl and soak all ingredients with Water for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the ingredients after removing excess water. Use perforated spoon to remove globules
Slow cooked and deep fried, remove the mixture from oil and place it in paper towel to remove oil. Cool down to mix it with sugar syrup.
Add above prepared modak mixture to the hot sugar syrup.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes until sugar syrup thickens.
Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes.
After the sugar syrup is absorbed completely by the mixture add 2 tbsp cashew and 2 tbsp pistachios and mix well.
After sugar syrup is absorbed, Add milk to the dried mixture.
Prepare modak using hand or modak mould.
Beetroot modak is ready to serve.

Ganesh Chaturthi is the festival of wisdom and there is no greater wisdom for celebrating this holy festival than eating healthy. Use these healthy modak recipes to relish guilt free indulgence. For more fitness or nutrition related advice, visit the Activ Living Community.