Ganeshotsav 2026: Make quick, healthy dry fruit modaks for naivedya

As Ganeshotsav arrives, the aroma of modaks fills homes across the country. Alongside the traditional ukadiche modak and fried modak, the trend of making modaks in different flavours has grown considerably. One such variant is the dry fruit modak, which stands out for its taste and also looks attractive. It is made using dry fruits such as cashews, almonds, pistachios and walnuts.

This modak does not require much preparation. Lightly roasting the dry fruits and grinding them into a powder, then mixing in dates or a little jaggery, is enough to prepare the filling. During the festival, if a tasty dish needs to be made at home in a short time, this recipe is worth trying. Liked by children and adults alike, this modak is also perfect for offering as naivedya.

Ingredients

1 cup cashews, 1 cup almonds, 1/2 cup pistachios, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 cup deseeded dates, 2 teaspoons ghee, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder, 2 teaspoons poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons grated dry coconut, and a few slivers of almond and pistachio for garnish.

Method

First heat a pan and lightly roast the cashews, almonds, pistachios and walnuts on low flame. Be careful not to over-roast the dry fruits. Once cooled, grind them coarsely in a mixer.

Chop the dates finely. If the dates are very hard, soak them briefly in lukewarm water and then drain the water completely. In the same pan, lightly roast the poppy seeds and dry coconut, then mix in the cardamom powder.

Heat ghee in the pan and add the chopped dates. Keep roasting on low flame for a few minutes. Once the dates soften, add the ground dry fruits, poppy seeds and coconut.

Mix everything well. Once the mixture starts separating from the pan, turn off the gas and let it cool until it is warm enough to handle by hand.

Apply a little ghee on your hands and take a small portion of the mixture. Fill it into a modak mould, press firmly and gently remove it. If a mould is not available, the modak can also be shaped by hand.

Place slivers of almond and pistachio on the prepared modaks. Once the modaks are completely cool, store them in a container and offer them to Ganpati Bappa as naivedya.

If the modak mixture is not binding well, a little more date can be added. Also, while grinding the dry fruits, keeping the powder coarse rather than very fine improves both the texture and taste of the modak.