Rice Modak (Coconut Pastries)

Instructions

Mix the coconut and jaggery in a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the two are well combined. Stop while the mixture is brown, because it turns bitter if it goes black.

Stir in the cardamom, roasted poppy seeds and the teaspoon of rice flour, and cook a little longer. Take the filling off the heat and let it cool completely.

Bring the water to a boil and add the ghee, salt and oil. Tip in the cup of rice flour straight away and stir well. Cover the pan for a short while, then lift the lid, stir, and cover again for about a minute.

Move the hot mixture to a flat plate and knead it into a soft, pliable dough. It should be neither sticky nor dry, and it is easiest to work while still hot.

Divide the dough into small balls. Roll each ball into a circle about 1.5 inches across, then hold it in one hand and shape it into a small bowl.

Spoon some of the coconut filling into the bowl. Dip your thumb and index finger in oil and pinch the edge into 5 or 6 small pleats side by side. Bring the pleats together and join them at the top to make a peak, so the modak looks like a head of garlic.

Lay a damp cloth over a flat, round steamer basket and arrange the modaks on it. Cover and steam for about 15 minutes. A large saucepan or a pressure cooker will do if you have no steamer, but leave the whistle off the cooker.

Serve the modaks warm with clarified butter.