On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, we made vibrant and delectable Beetroot Modaks to offer Ganapathi Bappa. Giving the traditional sweet an un-beet-able twist, here is our recipe so that you can try these amazing Modaks at home too!

Ingredients

For the outer covering-

• 1/2 cup Rice Flout
• 2 tbsp Koh! Beetroot Powder
• 1/2 tsp Ghee
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed

For Modak filling-

• 1 cup Grated Coconut
• 1/2 cup Crushed Jaggery
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg Powder
• 1 tsp Ghee

Directions for making Beetroot Modak

For making the Modak filling-

• Heat ghee in a pan.
• Add the grated coconut and jaggery to the ghee. Mix it well.
• Continue cooking until the jaggery dissolves completely. The texture will be that of a moderately runny paste.
• Cook until the mixture is thick. Keep an eye on the mixture so that it doesn't harden or become chewy. That will affect the texture of the Modak.
• To the cooked mixture, add cardamom powder and nutmeg powder.
• Mix it well and take it off the heat. Let the Modak filling cool down a little bit.

For making the Modak dough-

• To a mixing bowl, add the rice flour, beetroot powder, salt as needed and ghee.
• Mix it thoroughly. Boil water in a separate container.
• To the dough mixture, add water slowly.
• Using a spatula gather the mixture to form a mass.
• Let the Modak dough rest for 5-10mins. 
• Once the dough is warm to touch, knead it thoroughly so that it forms a softer, smoother dough.
• Keep the dough covered using a moist towel, to keep it soft and moist until it is ready make Modaks.

Shaping Beetroot Modak

• Pinch a lemon sized dough from the kneaded dough and flatten it slightly. Make sure it is evenly flattened on all sides.
• To this add the Modak filling prepared previously.
• Now, pull the edges of the flattened dough and close it on the top. Pinch the dough together to seal it. 
• Shape your Modak.
• Repeat the same steps for remaining Modak mixture.
• And it is ready to be served!

You can also garnish the Modak with chopped pistachios and beetroot powder. You can either serve it fresh or refrigerate to enjoy the chilled Beetroot Modak.