Modak Mania: 5 must-try variants in Mumbai

Hazelnut fudge modak at Country of Origin

Integral to Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, modaks have undergone quite the makeover in the recent past. Here’s a list of some of the fanciest modaks to try this festive season.

Red Velvet Modak at English Vinglish

The red velvet modak gives you the best of both worlds, the mithai-like goodness of modaks combined with one of the most popular cake flavours. “We wanted to offer something unique to customers, play around with flavours without disrespecting tradition,” says Chef Rajib Mazumdar, corporate chef at Shree Gangour Foods that the Juhu patissierie has partnered with.

Where: English Vinglish, shop no 13, Juhu Supreme Shopping Centre, opposite Shree Gangour Sweets, Gulmohar Cross Road 9, Juhu
Cost: Rs 21 plus taxes
P: 26712660

Kesar White Chocolate Modak at Palate Culinary Studio

Chef Rakhee Vaswani’s desserts are known to be indulgent, so it’s a no-brainer that the modaks she creates would be anything but. A perfect fusion dessert, this fudge-textured treat uses white chocolate with kesar essence for a fancy twist on the dumpling. There’s also hazelnut praline drilled in the centre, which, we bet, will make for a neat, nutty surprise. “Indian fusion desserts have been a fad for a while now and definitely my forte as well. An Indian fusion recipe does not just mean mixing two things, there has to be a balance of ingredients, too” says Vaswani, owner-chef at Palate Culinary Studio.

Where: Palate Culinary Studio, Ground Floor, Survodaya Co-op Housing Society, 7 Juhu Road, Opp Society Stores, Behind SBI Bank, Santacruz (West)
Cost: Rs 150 (for a box of 6)
P: 98202 95221

Assorted Modern Indian flavours at The Baking Co.

“We’re doing traditional modaks with interesting flavours that will appeal to both conservative tastebuds and the open-minded,” says Harsh Shodhan, owner-chef at The Baking Co. Their box of modaks includes the paan modak, a saffron pistachio variant, a date and almond treat as well as a fig and orange modak.

Where: The Baking Co. 21, Municipal Industrial Estate, DS Marg, Lower Parel
Cost: Rs 275 (for a box of 6) and Rs. 550 (for a box of 12 modaks)
Call: 2493 7521

Rice Paper Jaggery and Coconut Dumpling at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai

Chef Ashvini Kumar, executive chef at the Navi Mumbai hotel, has created a melt-in-your-mouth dumpling that borrows heavily from traditional modak fillings. The dessert is a doughy mixture of fresh coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, poppy seeds, cashews and raisins, which are cooked in ghee and wrapped in rice paper.

Where: Four Points By Sheraton, Next to Inorbit Mall, Plot no 6 – 15, Sector 30A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
Cost: Rs. 200 + taxes
Call: 6158 7777

White Chocolate with Orange filling by Crumbilicious

Known for working magic with chocolates, Sanah Ahuja’s White Chocolate modaks have an inviting, shiny glaze. The smooth orange filling adds a hint of tartness to the creamy, white chocolatey goodness. Ahuja’s creations also include dark and milk chocolate modals, but we know which ones we are going to pick up.

Where: Crumbilicious, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg , Opp Colaba Bus Depot, Colaba, Mumbai
Cost: Rs 500 for a box of 11
Call: 2218 7737

Hazelnut Fudge Modaks at Country of Origin
Made using hazelnut Gianduja, the hazelnut fudge modaks are available at CoO’s Napean Sea Road, Bandra and Juhu

Cost: A 220gm modak for Rs 550, a box of 21 small modaks for Rs 750
P: 23642221/65635222/26244422