Whole-wheat Modak

Whole-wheat Modak

pic:sanjana kodical

Ingredients
Outer Covering
Wholewheat flour - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Warm water - 1/4 cup (more if required)

Stuffing
Fresh coconut (grated) - 1 cup
Jaggery (grated or powder) - 3/4 cup
Elaichi powder - 1 tsp

Method
Outer Covering
Add salt and oil to the flour
Mix well
Add warm water to form a dough
It should be slightly tighter than a chapati dough
Keep it covered for 30 mins

Stuffing
Coconut filling
Mix coconut and jaggery in a non-stick pan
Heat with constant stirring till jaggery melts and blends well with the coconut
Add elaichi powder
Cool

Peanut filling
Peanuts (roasted and ground) - 1/2 cup
Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup
Mix the two in a non-stick pan till jaggery melts and blends well with the peanut powder

Modaks
Make small balls out of the dough
Roll out each ball to make poories
It should not be too thin
Stuff each poori with the jaggery or peanut filling
Shape into modaks

Steamed
Steam for 25 to 30 mins on medium flame till the modaks look translucent

Baked
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C
Brush each modak with little oil or melted ghee
Bake them for about 20 mins
Let it cool in the oven

Health benefits of fibre

Blood sugar control. Slows down absorption of sugar in the body

Treats and prevents constipation

Helps in the digestive process

Health benefits of coconut oil

Contains Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) which are used as quick source of energy, not stored as fat

Has an appetite reducing effect

Helps in weight loss

Kickstarts thyroid gland functioning

MCTs also have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders

Health benefits of peanuts

Lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good cholesterol)

Contains MUFA (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) that prevents heart diseases

Rich in proteins. Good for growth and development

Has antioxidant resveratrol which prevents heart diseases, cancers, nervous diseases and viral or fungal infections

Has vitamin E which protects cells from free radicals

Has Vitamin B complex

Has minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium and zinc which play an important role in different body functions