Ganapati Bappa Morya!!! When it's Ganesh Chaturthi festival we will surely not forget about one of the most favorite dish of our own Ganesha :) There are various ways a Modak can be prepared, steamed, fried, chocolate, khava,with coconut stuffing, with Puran stuffing etc.. The one I am listing here is the basic form which can be prepared using coconut filling with vary less number of ingredients available easily at home.
Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 3/4th cup
Maida flour - Half cup
Salt - pinch of
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Water - For kneading the dough
Oil - For frying Modak
Stuffing:
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4th cup
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed Dry fruits - 1 tbsp (optional)
Milk - 1 tbsp
1. In a mixing bowl combine all the flours with a pinch of salt. Heat ghee on medium flame when it's mild hot add it to the flour.
2. Mix the flour with ghee add little water at a time and knead this to a smooth dough like chapati dough. Cover this and keep it a side.
3. Meanwhile take enough oil in a frying pan and keep it for heating.
4. For the stuffing preparation, In a heavy bottomed pan add the grated coconut, sugar and mix well. Fry this for 4-5 mins.
5. Add cardamom powder, crushed dry fruits (almond & cashew nuts). Mix well and allow this to dry.
6. Prepare small marble sized balls from the dough. and spread them all like the chapati into small circular shapes. Place a spoon of coconut stuffing at the center for every spread dough.
7. Hold the edge of a circle and try to join all the edges by forming pleats inbetween. Join them and form a tapered top. Make each of these into modak shapes.
8. Deep fry all of these on a medium flame.
9. And your Modaks are ready!
Notes:
- Adding milk softens the stuffing.
- You can use fresh cream instead of milk.
- Adding hot ghee while kneading the dough makes the Modak crispier.
- Adjust the quantity of sugar based on your requirement.
- Make sure that you use the dough within 10-15 mins of time after you knead as it might become hard later on.