Calendar, Khana Do!

You float and float in a dream world, until all the helium is exhausted and you hit the ground with a loud thud….. Aaaaaaaa…… Congratulations to the newly wedded couple. That’s where it all begins ;-).

I had this absolutely over-the-top amusing notion that I would never cook in my life. And then? I got married!

It so happened that we relocated to London after marriage, just the two of us. The biggest difference between the East and the West my dear friends is this - On the east side of the world you are pampered downright to the extent of being spoilt, cooks, drivers, cleaners. In the wild wild West, it is generally only in the rich and famous homes where you would stumble upon these noble souls.

So there I was, Alice in wonderland, the utensils and cooking pots mocking me and murmuring behind my back! After a series of hiccups in the form of rock solid chapatis, bland curries and burnt veggies, which I treated (sorry, tortured) Mr A with, I slowly and steadily began to get a hang of the art called cooking. Mamma’s instructions over the phone and a treasure of her recipes in the form of a notebook saved Mr A from gastric trouble.

After my teething phase ended, Mr A didn’t have to pray before taking the first bite :-). He began enjoying what I would present on the table. And no, thats not cos he had no other choice. Apart from being a foodie he’s also a brutally honest critic. And believe it or not, but not even the wife is spared. Barring a few accidents here and there, I do manage to feed him well now!

As if one wasn’t enough, life presented me with another food critic in the form of Master A. Any slight deviation from the standard, and that is it. So say, when  a little more water in Upma changes its texture, it is very politely declined.

You know how God just keeps giving, and so the merciless brother Mr Y made an entry on the scene in Singapore. Had seen mom’s plight for years on end, but hadn’t felt the actual impact until it happened to me. Even the facial expressions shall speak for themselves! This burden thankfully was later shared by his better half.

Such is my saga….phewww.

One of these days, the father-son duo sat at the dining table and started beating their plates with spoons, asking for their plates to be piled up with breakfast, on a terribly busy morning. “Mamma khana do” sounded more like ‘Calendar khana do’ to my ears. Remember that iconic line from Mr India?

Cooking is not my passion as it is for some women. But I like to see my family well-fed and quenched, which drives me to cook, both regular and experimental stuff.

So on Ganeshotsav I made one regular sweet with a twist. What you see in the sweet shops as Modaks are the simple Mawa versions of the sweet. The real Modak is a steamed dumpling with a coconut-jaggery filling, and you will find it in Maharashtrian homes. I combined the two, so basically I used mawa in the stuffing! The visuals are not very attractive. You can close your eyes but I assure you the taste is yum :-).  Here goes the recipe.

STEAMED MODAK (Ukadiche Modak)

Ingredients:

3.5 small bowls rice flour

5 small bowls water

2.5 small bowls coconut

1 small bowl mawa (khoya/milk solids)

1.25 small bowls grated jaggery

1 tablespoon ghee

Salt as per taste

Method:

In a vessel, mix the ghee, coconut with jaggery and fry. This is the stuffing for the Modaks. If you want the authentic version, you stop right here! But if you are in the mood to experiment, go ahead and add Mawa. (Don’t worry, you won’t regret it!) Ensure that the stuffing is dry.

Now the cover. Heat the water, add salt and ghee. Once boiled, add the rice flour and switch off the gas. Mix immediately and remove from gas. Leave to rest for ten minutes. Keep water and oil handy, and using it knead the dough when lukewarm. Make balls, flatten with your hand, and stuff them. Try (and try, and try some more) to give them the shape of a Modak. (Or be satisfied with what you’ve managed, like I was ;-)).

Once done, steam them. If you have a steamer, nothing like it. If you don’t, no worries! Use a pressure cooker without the whistle, tada! Before steaming do dip them in water.

Makes 11.

I absolutely love the traditional authentic version and so would you. But when in the mood for a change, these are good as well :-). Try these out, don’t wait for another year!

Imp Note: If you've also been blessed with reviewers in your family, make the announcement of the recipe modification beforehand. ;-)

PS. This post is a tribute to all the Calendars, in my life, in your life, to all those Calendars who’ve always been striving for the satiated smile of their families :-).