Fried Modak / Ganesh Chaturthi Special / Festive Cooking

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is around the corner and any festivity of Lord Ganesha is incomplete without Modak . It is supposed to be the Lord Ganesha's favourite sweet . Modak is basically a dumpling which has sweet coconut stuffing and can be either steamed or deep fried. The steamed Modak is made from rice flour and called Ukadiche Modak in Marathi. Today I am going to share a very basic and easy recipe for fried Modak or Talaniche Modak.

I make this fried Modak every month on the day of  Sankashti Chaturthi. These are delicious sweet , the outer covering is crisp and inside is soft. I have used whole wheat flour and Suji to make outer covering instead of maida. Maida gives more crisp and nice color to the modak , but we can make whole wheat flour Modak crispier by adding Suji and Ghee to it and using milk for kneading the dough makes them white too.  For the stuffing many options are there. You may use scrapped fresh Coconut and Jaggery stuffing, or can add Khoya and Poppy seeds to dry fruits . If we use fresh Coconut and Jaggery stuffing the Modaks remain crisp only for short time and afterwords turn soft. So I have used dry Coconut , dry fruits and candy Sugar as stuffing. Modak are made in numbers 11 or 21 when used as offering to Lord Ganesha.

Ingredients: Makes 12-15 medium size Modak.
   For the covering: (measurements 1 cup = 200ml)

• 1/2 Cup whole Wheat flour 
• 2-3 tbsp Suji / Semolina
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• pinch of Salt
• Milk for kneading

For the Stuffing :

• 2-3 tbsp dry Coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup of Nuts of your choice ( I have used Almonds, Pistachio, Walnuts and Cashews)
• Few Raisins
• 2-3 tbsp Candy Sugar (misri / Khadi sakhar)

Other ingredients:

• Ghee or Oil for deep frying the Modak

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl take 3 tbsp warm milk. Add Sugar , Ghee and Suji to it and mix well. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. The added Suji will soak up the milk . 

  

    2.   Now add the whole Wheat flour to the above mixture and mix properly to get a crumbled mass. Now using warm milk little by little at a point knead the crumble into a dough.

 

    3.  Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes. Mean while we can make the stuffing. Take all the ingredients of stuffing except the Raisins in a grinder and grind to a coarse mixture.

  4. Now make 3-4 equal portions from the dough and roll out each portion to a round chapati using a rolling pin and very little flour if required . Cut out round shape discs using a lid of round tin or cookie cutter. This method saves time of individual rolling out and also ensures we get equal size Modaks. Now place spoon full of stuffing and 1-2 raisins on each disc.

  5. Now delicately hold the disc with stuffing in your palm and make small pleats of the edges of the disc using another hand and then gather together all the pleats and join at the center to get Modak shape. If you find difficulty in doing so, alternatively you can let the disc with stuffing be placed on working board and there only make pleats and gather them and seal the Modak.

 

   6. Like wise make all the Modaks and then deep fry them in Ghee or Oil on medium flame. The Ghee should not be too hot . Fry the Modaks in batches until crisp and golden in colour. Remove on absorbent paper. 

  7.  Serve immediately or keep in air tight container until use. Stays good for 1-2 days .