Ingredients
Makes 14 modaks. Scale using the Modak Calculator. Tap any ingredient to tick it off.
Method
Prepare coconut for the shell
Blend 60g grated coconut with 3 tbsp water into a smooth paste. Strain through fine mesh. Combine this coconut milk with remaining water to total 220ml. This enriches the shell with coconut flavour.
Make the filling
Melt jaggery, add generous 250g coconut — narali uses a higher coconut ratio than standard ukadiche. Cook 8–9 minutes until completely dry. Add cardamom, nutmeg, coconut oil off heat. Cool completely.
Make the enriched dough
Bring the coconut-water to a rolling boil with salt and coconut oil. Add all rice flour at once off heat, stir vigorously, rest 5 minutes. Knead with oiled hands 2–3 minutes.
Shape and steam
Standard hand-shaping or mould. Steam on banana leaf 10–12 minutes. The shell turns golden-translucent rather than purely translucent — that is the coconut in the dough. Beautiful.
Tips & Variations
Narali modak is the prasad of Narali Purnima — the coastal Maharashtra full-moon festival when fishermen offer coconuts to the sea. It is also a Ganesh Chaturthi staple in Konkan households.
Replace ghee with coconut oil throughout — both in the dough and as the filling finish — and narali modak is completely plant-based. No other changes needed.
About This Recipe
Narali modak is Konkan Maharashtra's expression of the modak tradition — and in Konkan, that means maximum coconut. The coastal Maharashtra region has the highest coconut consumption in the state, and this modak reflects that: coconut in both the shell and filling, in larger quantities than any other variety.
The enriched shell turns slightly golden and more fragrant than the pure rice flour version. When you bite in, the coconut flavour is present in every layer.