Instant Modak Filling

Introduction

Instant Modak Filling Premix (Saran) is a ready-to-use powdered mixture designed to simplify the preparation of modak filling, a traditional sweet stuffing typically made from coconut, jaggery, and nuts for Indian festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. This premix combines dehydrated ingredients such as milk powder, dry fruits, sugar, and flavorings (possibly referencing a “saran” or coconut-based variant) to enable quick reconstitution with milk or water. It targets home cooks seeking convenience without compromising authentic taste.

History

Modak has ancient roots in Indian cuisine, linked to Lord Ganesha and dating back over 2,000 years in Vedic texts, evolving from steamed rice flour dumplings with coconut-jaggery filling. Instant premixes emerged in the modern food processing era, around the 2000s, as part of India’s growing ready-to-eat (RTE) sector, driven by urbanization and festival demands. Projects for such premixes, including similar instant food mixes, have been documented in industrial reports since the early 2010s, reflecting advancements in dehydration and packaging technologies.

Objectives

Develop a shelf-stable premix that reduces modak preparation time from hours to minutes by pre-blending key ingredients like coconut powder, sugar, and nuts.Ensure consistent flavor, texture, and nutritional profile matching traditional saran (coconut) filling, with scalability for commercial production.Achieve cost-effective manufacturing using accessible agro-based materials, targeting a market gap in instant festival sweets.

Need of project

Traditional modak filling requires fresh grating, cooking, and precise ratios, which is labor-intensive and seasonal due to coconut availability. This premix addresses urban lifestyles, working professionals, and diaspora communities needing quick, hygienic alternatives without skill barriers. It supports India’s RTE food market growth, projected to expand with rising disposable incomes and e-commerce, while preserving cultural recipes.

1 NOV 2025

1st trial on Saran premix

Ingredients

Freshly grated coconut
Jaggery
Ghee

procedure:

.Add the ghee in pan melt it and then add grated coconut cook until the coconut get soften and ghee spread evenly.

. Then add chopped jaggery and mix the whole mixture well.

.Make sure that jaggery will melt properly and marinate the coconut.

.Turn off the flame when smelling starts and add cardamom powder.

.Grease the drying tray with ghee and spread the saran on it and put for drying.

.Dry up to 60 % moisture at 55°C.

Wt after cooking – 331 gm

Wt after drying (2 hr )-249 gm

Wt after drying (4 hr)-238 gm

Total wt or moisture loss in 4 hr = 93 gm

19 NOV 2025

Rehydration trial on Saran premix.

1 st trial

50 gm premix added in 14 gm luke warm water and kept for 5 min

Result- Whole Water soaked but Coconut didn’t get rehydrated.

Heat treatment – Added the mixture in heated pan and cooked the mixture for 4 mins, turned off the flame and putted the cap on pan for a while to get steaming.

Result – Colour was good coconut rehydrated but not properly.

2 nd trial

50 gm premix is added in a tiffin poured 30 gm of water closed with cap and putted into a pressure cooker on medium flame upto whistles.

Result – Coconut rehydrated well due to under high pressure cooking, smell of cardamom also retained.

26 NOV 2025

Modak Saran ( Modak Filling ) premix Dehydration trial

A)With Jaggery

Ingredients-

Grated coconut- 200 gm
Jaggery – 125 gm
Ghee – 10 gm

Procedure-

Heat the pan add the ghee in it, then add grated coconut and mix it well and cook for 5 min then add jaggery and gain cook until jaggery get melt and absorbed well in coconut.

Then take the weight of mixture and put for drying at 54° C for 5 hrs.

B) Without jaggery

Ingredients-