Modak is a delicacy made during festivals in India. There are many types and varieties of modak. The variations are in the different types of filling, the shape, and the way it is cooked. They can be steamed, shallow fried, or deep-fried. Today’s recipe is a deep-fried version of modak made with all-purpose flour and semolina. The filling for the modak is made using jaggery, coconut, and cardamom powder.
We first begin with the preparation of the sweet filling. After it is ready and as it cools, the dough for the covering is prepared. The dough is then rolled into small balls and small rounds and filled with the coconut jaggery mixture. They are then neatly folded into place and joined together at the top as shown in pictures below. A little milk is used to bind the folds. It takes a little practice to get a neat little dumpling. It is quite fun making it as well. There are also moulds available these days in the store or online if you have trouble getting the shape right. Please read on for the full recipe and details with steps and pictures. Hope you enjoy making them as much as I did!
A delicacy which is deep fried and sweet dumplings made out of all purpose flour , coconut and jaggery
- 2 cup coconut shredded
- 1 cup jaggery
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 cup All-purpose flour(Maida)
- 1/2 cup Semolina(Rava)
- 2 tbsp oil
- 8 tbsp milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 cups oil for deep frying
Heat a pan and add coconut and jaggery to it.
Keep stirring gently. As it gets heated, jaggery will melt. Cook for about 7 to 8 minutes .
Add cardamom powder and continue stirring .The stuffing should be just about dry or semi-dry , not too wet or too dry as it can get hard.
Transfer into a bowl and let it cool.
Take the all purpose flour and semolina in a bowl .
Add the oil and mix well.
Next add the milk and knead well.
Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into small portions to make small balls and roll into small circles about the size of your palm.
Wet the circumference of the circle with a little milk.
Holding the rolled circle on your palm , place about a tablespoon of filling in the center of the circle .
Make neat little pleats by pinching the sides which will stick together as they are wet.
Join all the pleats at the center and glue them together by pressing them all together.
Keep all the modaks filled and ready to be deep fried.
Heat oil with a medium flame .When hot enough fry the modaks till they are golden brown in color. Drain the modak out into a container lined with paper towel .
Modak is ready to be served.
24 Comments
libarah
October 25, 2018 at 9:40 pmI love to eat moral when I was a kid. Your recipe recalled my childhood days😍😍😍
libarah
October 25, 2018 at 9:41 pmModak*
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 1:35 amThank you so much Liba for the comments, so glad it brought back memories!
libarah
October 26, 2018 at 7:40 amWelcome dear and thanks again for recollecting my days😍
Ronit
October 25, 2018 at 9:46 pmThese look so very tasty and pretty!
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 1:38 amThank you so much Ronit , they are indeed very tasty and look good as well!
Lynn
October 26, 2018 at 2:49 amThis looks absolutely delicious! One can never go wrong with fried dough, in my humble opinion 😉 I love the idea of a sweet filling, but I bet a savory one would be yummy too!
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 2:17 pmThat’s a good point Lynn, fried dough can never go wrong. Yes indeed savory one is a good option as well , once in a while sweet is great especially for festivities 🙂 Thank you so much for the comments!
jenniferguerrero1
October 26, 2018 at 2:38 pmThese sound delicious and are so pretty!
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 4:54 pmThank you so much , they are indeed very delicious!
Jyo
October 26, 2018 at 4:46 pmYum yum yum Nisha….
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 4:55 pmThanks a lot Jyo !
Caz / InvisiblyMe
October 26, 2018 at 5:48 pmMust admit I’d never heard of Modak before, but these look very more-ish! And the recipe looks far more straightforward than I thought it would, you make it so easy to follow 🙂 Can I ask what jaggery is? I feel stupid asking but it’s another thing I hadn’t heard of! xx
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 6:57 pmVery well said Caz , the modaks are more-ish indeed. I’m glad to hear that my recipe steps were easy to follow.Thank you so much, appreciate your kind comments! Great that you asked about jaggery , I should have mentioned a little note about it.It is not heard of much in the UK and US , but is available in the Asian groceries. It is very popular in South Asia and is a form of unrefined sugar ,obtained by boiling the sap from palm trees, like date or coconut or even sugar cane juice . It also has great health benefits and tastes awesome! Here is a great link on Jaggery https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jaggery_n_6264038 .
Smitha
October 26, 2018 at 5:56 pmSuch perfect looking modaks 👌🏻 Love them Nisha
InspiresNish
October 26, 2018 at 6:58 pmThank you so much Smitha , happy to read your comments!
Megala
October 27, 2018 at 1:54 pmThese modak look so cute & delicious! Your beautiful photography makes me feel hungry.
InspiresNish
October 29, 2018 at 4:05 pmThank you so much for the wonderful comment Megala!
Richa
October 29, 2018 at 11:24 pmWow.. Looks scrumptious!❤
InspiresNish
October 29, 2018 at 11:49 pmThank you so much!
Diane
October 30, 2018 at 5:21 pmSo cute and look fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
InspiresNish
October 31, 2018 at 1:36 pmThank you so much Diane!
somyagoel2002
November 15, 2018 at 10:14 amYour posts really inspire me and motivate me…even these modaks looks mouth watering😇…please guide me to be as good as you ..and also visit my page and posts 😊
InspiresNish
November 15, 2018 at 3:07 pmThank you so much for such a lovely comment, truly appreciate it! I will definitely visit your site and am sure you will do great.Good luck!