Fried Modak Recipe | Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

Fried Modak recipe with step by step photos.Ganesh Chaturthi is nearing by and we are all excited to welcome Ganapati Bappa to shower his blessings on us.Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is one of the major festivals in the south and Maharasthra and is celebrated in a grand manner.Every year I wait for this festival as it is one of my favorite festivals which I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating it from my childhood.Though the pooja process is bit lengthy it was really fun as this is the only festival where our entire family sit together and do pooja till the end with so much of attention.The menu for this festival is almost fixed every year due to the restrictions of the ingredients to be used and also they are apparently lord Ganesha's favorites.

Our usual menu on this festival includes Nooka Idli(not the regular idli rawa one) with coconut chutney for breakfast and of course kudumulu are served along with breakfast and the lunch menu varies with different vegetables,sundal,rasam,dal and also we make different lentil dumplings for this festival especially.We prepare various Kudumulu varieties like Steamed Kudumulu - with 3 fillings, karida kayi kadubu and Undralla payasam.

 Check out other important recipes for Vinayaka Chavithi:

• Steamed Kudumulu - with 3 filling
• Karida Bele Kadubu | Fried Modak
• Bellam Kudumulu | Vella Ammini Kozhukattai
• Paal Kozhukattai | Undralla Payasam
• Puran Poli
• Dry fruit Modak | Kharjur Modak
• Pappulo Undrallu
• Palathalikalu
• Undraalu with Biyyam rava - Andhra recipe
• Avarekaalu Kadubu/Spiced Steamed Rice flour Dumplings
• Chintapandu pulihora - Andhra style

For a complete list of various options for Ganesh Chaturthi menu, check out here.

Here is how to make modak recipe with step by step photos:

Fried Modak Recipe:

Yields12-14 pieces

Prep time:30 mins | Cooking time:30 mins | Total time: 1 hr
Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Sweets/Festival Specials

Ingredients:

for outer layer:

1 cup Maida/All purpose flour

1/2 cup Chiroti Rava(fine rava)

a pinch of Salt

1 tbsp hot Oil

for stuffing:

1 cup grated Coconut

1 cup grated Jaggery

1/2 tsp Elaichi powder

Oil,for deep frying

Method:

for covering:

• Mix maida,rava,salt and oil and add enough water to form a stiff dough.It should be stiffer than the regular chapati/poori dough.
• Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and cover it with wet cloth.

• Knead the dough well until it becomes soft and pliable.Make small gooseberry sized balls and keep them ready.

 for coconut stuffing:

• In a kadai mix grated coconut and jaggery and cook it on a low-medium flame until the jaggery melts and coats the coconut and form a thick dry and sticky lumpy mixture.It takes 10-12 minutes and keep stirring it occasionally.

• Add cardamom powder to it and mix well and let the mixture cool completely and store it in air tight container.Make small gooseberry sized balls and keep them ready.
• You can make it on the previous day itself and store at room temperature which eases the process on the festival day.

for fried modak:

• Make small balls from the maida dough and roll it out to very thin chapatis of 3" diameter.

• Place a tablespoon of stuffing in the center and start making the pleats like how we do for momos and bring it to the center and pinch it slighlty to seal the pleats so that stick to each other.Refer the pictures for details.You can even pinch the edges and bring all the pinched folds to the center and gently pinch again to let them stick at the center.Seal the edges nicely else the filling will come out while frying them in oil.

• Repeat the process and prepare all the modaks.

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai and once the oil is hot enough add 6-7 modaks slowly in the hot oil and let them fry over low-medium flame until they are golden brown and cooked thoroughly.Turn them in between so that they are evenly fried.
• Drain them on a kitchen towel.

Serve them hot/warm or room temperature.

Notes:

1. You can even use wheat flour in the recipe and avoid chiroti rawa in the recipe.But chiroti rawa makes the modak's outer layer crispier.
2. You can even add sesame seeds or finely chopped cashewnuts to the coconut filling for extra crunch.
3. Seal the edges nicely else the filling will come out while frying them in oil.
4. You can even replace jaggery with sugar and follow the same recipe.

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