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Best Modak in Sydney

A soft shell of rice flour cradles freshly grated coconut and jaggery—the food of Ganesha and Buddha.

Modak

What the real thing tastes like

Modak (Marathi: मोदक), modakam (Sanskrit: मोदकम्), kolukattai or modaka (Kannada: ಮೋದಕ), also referred to as jilledukayalu in Telugu (జిల్లేడుకాయలు) is an Indian sweet dish popular in many Indian states and cultures. According to Hindu and Buddhist beliefs, it is one of the favourite dishes of Ganesha and the Buddha and is therefore used in prayers. The sweet filling inside a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery, while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khowa or maida flour. There are two distinct varieties of Modak, fried and steamed. The steamed version (called Ukadiche Modak) is often served hot with ghee.

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Modak is a reverent sweet across India's many regions—soft pillows of rice or wheat flour cradling a warm center of coconut and jaggery. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, it's the food of devotion, offered to Ganesha and Buddha. You'll find it either steamed and served hot with ghee, or fried golden, each version delivering that distinct contrast between yielding exterior and sweet, textured filling.

Order it here when it has

  • sacred across Hindu and Buddhist traditions
  • two distinct preparation methods
  • warm ghee finish when steamed

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