Modak

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all my readers. Since childhood I have grownup-hearing loads of stories about Lord Ganesh and his favourite Modak. And theres no doubt why Lord Ganesha loves Modak so much and so do all the kids and even me too.  

Modak is sweet dumpling, which can be made with rice flour, wheat flour or all-purpose flour. It can be steamed or deep-fried. In our side in Goa modak is mostly deep-fried.

By practice only we can make better pleats or fluted shape on modaks. Here I have tried my best to show you how to give a shape, but still again even im learning to give a perfect shape.

Ingredients:-

For Outter covering of Modak:

2 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

Salt as per taste

Water to knead the dough

Oil (Optional. I didn’t use it)

For Stuffing:

2½ cup freshly grated coconut

1 1/2 cup grated jaggery (adjust sweetness as per ones sweet tooth)

5 -6 Green cardamoms powdered

Few raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts

1 tblpsn Khuskhus (Optional)

Method:

1. Take kneading bowl add wheat flour and salt as per the taste and knead till it becomes soft smooth dough. (Dough should be soft like of chapathi dough). Cover the dough and let it rest for 15 - 20 mins. 

2. In another bowl take freshly grated coconut to which add jaggery, cardamom powder, raisins and broken pieces of cashew nuts. Mix it well.

Preparing and Shaping of modaks:

1.    Divide the dough into 4 equal sized balls. Take one dough ball and press it in between the palms to flatten it a bit and coat it nicely with wheat flour.

2.    Place it on a roti making board and roll with the help of rolling pin into a big round chapathi/ shape.

3.    Take a small sharp edge bowl or anything that has its edges sharp and is in circle shape.

4.    Place the sharp edge circle on the rolled out big chapathi and make impression of it by giving slight pressure so that we can remove those small disc later from the big chapathi.

5.    Remove those small disc and keep them in a plate. You will need such 21 small discs if you need to show naivediya to Lord Ganesha.

6.    Gently take one of the disc on your palm. Add the filling in the centre and start pinching the edges of the disc one by one. (This comes by practice, keep doing it, you might not get perfect pleates but you will feel proud that atleast you managed to try to get the shape of modaks). The more you pinch the edges the more pleates you are making for your modak.

7.    Now try bringing the pinched edges all together slowly slowly and taper it at the top. Seal the top of the modak propely or else there are chance of opening while frying them.

8.    Place it on a plate and continue the same process with the rest of the disc. Keep them always covered to prevent them from drying.

9.    Heat the oil in a kadai and deep fry those modaks on medium temperature till they turn nice golden brown in color.

10.  Drain them on kitchen paper napkins and they are ready to serve.

NOTE:

• Do not let the modaks get dried while you are shaping the other disc into modaks.
• They should be fried immediately or make them in small batches to prevent them from getting dried.
• Seal the modaks properly. If theres any opening  all the filling from inside will start coming out which will spoil the oil while frying.