Modak, Lord Ganpati’s favourite food, is a traditional sweet. Modak is stuffed with grated coconut, dry fruits, jaggery and light spices like green cardamoms, with the outer cover being made from entirely maida (all purpose flour) or from a dough which mixes wheat flour with maida. Made especially during Ganesh Chaturthi, a major festival in India, the modak is an essential offering to Ganpati as part of the prayers. Frying the modak gives it a longer shelf life.
The sweet little modak – which means ‘bliss’ and which can be compared to a dumpling - is believed to have originated in Maharashtra, India. They are known by a variety of names – including modhaka or kadubu in Kannada, Karnataka, Kudumu in Telugu, Telangana and mothagam or kozhukattai in Tamil, Tamil Nadu. Japan has its own version of the modak, called the kangidan which is offered to Lord Kangiten. It is sweet and prepared with curds, honey and bean paste stuffing, which is deep fried after being wrapped in kneaded dough and is bun shaped.
Preparation time: 45-50 minutes
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the stuffing:
1. 1 cup freshly grated coconut
2. 2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
3. ¾ cup powdered sugar
4. 2 tbsp fresh cream
5. 1 tsp cardamom powder
6. A pinch of salt
7. 1 tbsp pistachios
8. 1 tbsp shredded almonds
9. 1 tbsp charoli/chironji
10. 1 tbsp raisins
For the dough:
1. ¾ cup maida
2. ¾ cup wheat flour
3. ¼ tsp salt
4. 1½ tbsp ghee
5. ¼ cup water to knead the dough
Method:
For the stuffing:
1. Take a thick bottomed pan, put it on low heat.
2. Put ghee into it.
3. Add the coconut.
4. Then, add powdered sugar, cream, cardamom, and salt.
5. Mix thoroughly. Once the mix changes a bit of colour, turn off the heat, set aside.
For the dough:
1. Take a pan and heat the ghee on a slow flame.
2. In a bowl, take the all-purpose flour.
3. Add wheat flour.
4. Add salt.
5. Mix all the three dry ingredients well.
6. Add the melted ghee and mix thoroughly.
7. Then add water gradually while kneading the dough continuously.
8. It takes about ¼ cup water to knead this quantity of flour.
9. Prepare a soft dough, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
10. Take the dough, divide it into about 11-12 smaller portions and make soft balls out of each.
11. Using a rolling pin, roll the ball out like a small pancake or poori.
12. Put the coconut stuffing in the centre and fold the edges of the poori to make a flower-like design at the top.
13. You can also use a mould to fold it correctly.
14. Once modaks have been folded like this, keep aside – covered with a soft, damp cloth.
15. Heat oil in a wok and keep it on a low flame.
16. Deep fry all the dumplings.
17. Serve hot.