The modak, either fried or steamed, is the favourite sweet of the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha.
Lord Ganesha is a lover of sweets and his favourite is modak.
Ganesha is nicknamed Modakapriyaya which in Sanskrit means "he who loves modak".
There are two kinds of modak - deep fried version with wheat shell and steamed version with rice shell.
The deep fried modak shell made of wheat flour wraps a filling of grated coconut pulp and jaggery. Often crushed nuts like almond and pistachio, aromatics like cardamon are added to the filling for more texture, taste and aroma.
Modak (known as ukadiche modak) with rice shells are steamed cooked. Inside the shells, the filling is also made with grated coconut pulp and jaggery. Options include adding cardamon powder for more flavour and aroma. Lord Ganesha is believed to prefer steamed modak.
Modaks are offered to Lord Ganesha during the ten day Ganesh Chaturthi Festival celebrating his birthday. Festivities begin on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the month of Bhadrapada (Aug - Sept), the sixth month of the Hindu calendar.
Nevertheless, modaks are enjoyed anytime of the year.
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