No sugar, 5g protein: Mumbai nutritionist shares healthy dark chocolate and pistachio modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have kicked off today, September 12. The vibrant festival is marked by elaborate pandals, grand processions, community prayers, and the sweet aroma of fresh modaks wafting through the air. But in the joy of welcoming Bappa home and distributing sweets to our near and dear ones, we tend to lower our guard and embark on an unrestricted modak-eating spree ourselves. We forget that the ghee-loaded and sugar-coated delicacies contribute to excess calories. But fret not, as Mumbai nutritionist Vanshika Khurana has come up with a healthy modak recipe that you can relish without any guilt.

Vanshika Khurana recently dropped a video on Instagram, sharing the recipe for modaks, packed with 4-5 g of protein per piece. What’s more, they come in a delicious choco walnut fudge and pistachio flavour. You are unlikely to stop yourself from eating just one after the melt-in-the-mouth texture hits your taste buds.

Modak recipe (15-17 pieces) - Ingredients required

1 cup skimmed milk powder


120g paneer. Vanshika Khurana used homemade paneer made from toned milk

200–250ml milk, as required

1½ tbsp ghee

2 tbsp zero-calorie sweetener, or to taste

For choco walnut

1½ tbsp cacao powder

2 squares 70% dark chocolate

8–10 toasted walnuts, finely chopped

For kesar pista

8–10 saffron strands, soaked in water

2 tbsp powdered roasted pistachios

Modaks: How to make

To prepare the modaks, first heat around ½ tbsp ghee in a pan and add the skimmed milk powder. Roast it on a very low flame for 1–2 minutes, ensuring that it does not burn. Gradually add milk while continuously mixing the ingredients. The milk should be added in small quantities rather than all at once.

After that, cook the mixture on a very low flame for around 15 minutes, adding more milk as required, until it reaches a smooth, mawa-like consistency. Keep stirring the mixture every two minutes. Next, add the zero-calorie sweetener and paneer, and mix well. Continue cooking until all the ingredients come together.

Once done, you have to divide the prepared mixture into 2 equal portions. For the choco walnut batch, add cacao powder, 70% dark chocolate and toasted, finely chopped walnuts. Mix well and cook for another 3–4 minutes.

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A post shared by Vanshika Khurana (@fit.khurana)

For the kesar pista batch, add saffron water and powdered roasted pistachios. Mix until everything is evenly combined and cook for another 3–4 minutes. Finally, grease a modak mould with a little ghee. Take a portion of the prepared mixture, press it firmly into the mould and shape the modaks.