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fried modak recipe with wheat flour

Ganesh Chaturthi Special Fried Modak Recipe

Santosh Allada
Learn to make perfect fried modak with step-by-step instructions. It is a variety of modaks made during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and offered to Bhagwan Ganesha. The outer covering is crisp with moist coconut stuffing inside.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Indian, Maharashtrian
Servings 12 medium size modaks

Ingredients
  

For Modak Stuffing

  • 1 tbsp Clarified butter ghee
  • 1 cup Coconut fresh, dessicated, dry, or frozen
  • 3/4 cup Jaggery adjust according to your liking
  • 1/2 tsp Green Cardamom crushed or powder
  • 3-4 tbsp Dry fruits chopped

For Modak covering

  • 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp Semolina fine
  • 1/2-1 tsp Salt according to taste
  • 2-3 tbsp Fat oil or melted ghee
  • 1/4 cup Water adjust according to the quality of flour

For Deep frying

  • 1-2 cups Oil or ghee

Instructions
 

To make the dough

  • In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp semolina (fine). Mix everything well.
  • Simultaneously heat 2 tbsp ghee/oil in a big spoon or a small pan until lightly hot. Pour it over the flour mixture.
  • Let the ghee cool a bit down, with your fingers rub the ghee/oil in the flour properly to get a crumbled mass.
  • Flour test: press the flour mixture in between your palm, it should clump together/form a shape and not fall apart. If the flour does not form a shape, add more ghee/oil and mix again.
  • Add water little by little at a point knead the crumble into a stiff and soft dough.
  • Cover the dough and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the stuffing.

To make the coconut filling

  • Take chopped coconut in a grinder or blender jar and grind to a coarse mixture without adding water.
  • Heat a thick bottom pan or kadhai over medium flame. Add 1 tbsp ghee and let it melt.
  • Add coconut mixture and saute on low or medium heat stirring at regular intervals. It is basically to remove the raw flavor of coconut. Do not let the coconut change color.
  • Add 3/4 th cup of jaggery and keep sauteing until the jaggery melts completely.
  • Press the jaggery pieces with the help of the back of the spoon.
  • The texture of the stuffing has to be soft with some moistness in it. Note: If the stuffing is dry, add 1-2 tbsp of water or milk.
  • Add the nuts of your choice. I’ve added chopped cashews, almonds, and raisins.
  • Finally, add the crushed (or powder) green cardamom and give a good mix.
  • Transfer the stuffing to a plate and allow it to cool.

Assemble and Shape

  • Once the dough has rested, knead it again for 10-20 seconds until it is slightly smooth. Divide in into equal portions depending on the size of modak you desire. Keep the dough balls covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying.
  • Take a dough ball and roll it between your palms to form a smooth dough. Lightly dust the rolling board with dry flour. Place the dough ball on the dusted board and roll gently to make a medium-thick circle of about 3-4 inches in diameter. Tip: if you are a beginner, use a cookie cutter or sharp lid of a round tin to cut out a round shape.
  • Place a tablespoon of filling and place it in the center of the disk.
  • Now start pinching the edges of the dough one by one as shown in the pic. Pleat with as many folds as you can. Now gently gather together all the pleats and join at the center to seal the modak.
  • If you find difficulty in doing so, I've shown one more pleating method. Gently gather the edges of the disk to the middle in pleats and seal the modak.
  • Likewise, make a batch of modaks and then deep fry.

Frying the modaks

  • Heat oil in pan or kadhai over medium flame.
  • When the oil is hot, add a batch of modaks to the oil and reduce the flame to low.
  • Turn them gently a few times and fry on all sides until the crust becomes golden a crispy.
  • Once done, remove the fried modak with a slotted spoon. Hold the spoon for a few seconds so that the excess oil gets drained in the pan.
  • Follow the same process to fry the remaining batches.
  • Place the fried modaks on a plate.
  • Offer them to Lord Ganesha during the puja. You can also serve them as a sweet snack after a meal.

Notes

Instead of mixing flours, you can use only maida.
Include ghee in the dough to get a crisp outer covering.
Make sure to seal the modaks well to prevent filling from being drained in the oil while frying.
Adjust the jaggery quantity according to your liking.