Dry Fruit Modak (Easy No-Cook Recipe)

No added sugar dry fruit modak served to ganpati bappa

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Dry Fruit Modak (Easy No-Cook Recipe)

These Dry Fruit Modaks are a wholesome, guilt-free version on the beloved traditional sweet made for Ganesh Chaturthi. With no sugar, no cooking, and just a handful of nutritious ingredients, they come together in under 10 minutes — yet look absolutely festive and beautiful.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: dry fruit modak

Diet: Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Method: Blender/Food Processor

Servings: modak

Author: Meeta Arora

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Ghee for greasing the mould
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Cashews
1/4 cup Pistachios
3/4 cup Pitted dates soft variety works best for binding, 8 large Medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder

Instructions

Toast the nuts: Heat a pan over a low flame and add the almonds, cashews, and pistachios. Toast them for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raw smell is gone and the nuts are lightly fragrant. Set aside and let them cool completely before grinding.
Grind the nuts: Place the toasted almonds, cashews, and pistachios into a food processor or mixer jar. Pulse a few times to create a coarse, crumbly powder. Do not over-blend into a fine paste.
Process the dates: Add the pitted dates and cardamom powder to the mixer. Grind until they form a sticky, crumbly mixture.
Prep the dough: Transfer to a large bowl. Mix and knead with clean hands until it forms a unified, pliable dough. The texture should be such that the mixture can be binded into a ball or ladoo.
Shape the modaks: Lightly grease a modak mold with a little ghee. Pinch a small portion of the dry fruit dough, press it firmly into the open mold halves, close the mold, and gently remove the shaped modak. Dry fruit modak are ready to serve or store.

Notes

Nuts: You can add nuts of your choice, such as walnuts or pecans. You can also add 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut.

Dates: If the dates you are using are hard, then soak them in water for 30 minutes before using them in this recipe.

Mixer: I used the Cuisinart food processor to make the dough. You can also prepare the dough in a grinder, such as a Secura or Preethi mixer.

If the grinder jar is small, you can grind the nuts and dates separately. Then, in a bowl, bind them together to make a dough.

Mold: If you don't have a modak mold, you can also shape these into ladoo.

Nutrition