Kesar Pista Modak

We are invited for Ganesh Puja at Digvedekars. This is their traditional Gauri Ganpati puja/ritual, and they celebrate this day by inviting friends and fimily over for Arti, Prashad and special dry-fruit milk. It is lot of fun, and they set a wonderful example of being social in the community. So while we will go for the puja, I prepared Modaks to offer as Prashad. I am so looking forward to this evening.

Kesar with Pista is always a great combination. I love kesar pista kulfi so much that I thought of combining the two into modaks. This is a super duper easy recipe!

Ingredients (around 40-45 small modaks)
2+1/2 cups ground pistachios
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. ghee
Saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp. warm milk.

• In a pan mix sugar and milk. Heat it.
• Add saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp. milk.
• Bring the sugar syrup to boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
• Add pistachio powder and mix well till the mixtures starts to thicken slightly in 2-3 minutes.
• Add ghee and mix well.
• Turn of the heat.
• Pour the mixture on a silicon mat or a greased plate to let it cool.
• When cooled to touch (but still warm) massage well to make a soft dough. (you might have to grease your palms with ghee).
• Grease modak mould well and press the small quantity on pistachio mixture in the mould. Gently open and remove each modak. Set it aside and allow it to set well.
• Optional: Dip the top of modak in saffron dissolved hot milk and let the color set.

Note: If your mixture is very warm, you might not be able to make perfect modak shapes. Let the mixture cool a bit more. Also, greased the mould well with ghee for clean look on modak.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe

Gring pistachios in a food processor. Be careful not to over do it as it might release oil and get mushy.

In a pan mix sugar and milk. Heat it.

Add saffron dissolved in 1 tbsp. milk.

Bring the sugar syrup to boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Add pistachio powder and mix well till the mixtures starts to thicken slightly in 2-3 minutes. 

Add ghee and mix well.

Turn of the heat.

Pour the mixture on a silicon mat or a greased plate to let it cool.

When cooled to touch (but still warm) massage well to make a soft dough. (you might have to grease your palms with ghee).

Grease modak mould well and press the small quantity on pistachio mixture in the mould. Gently open and remove each modak. Set it aside and allow it to set well.