Fried modak is a festive Indian sweet made with a delectable coconut filling and with aromatic saffron & cardamom, offered to Lord Ganesha as a simple prasad (bhog) on Ganesh Chaturthi festival. These are sweet dumplings, crispy and flaky on the outside and stuffed with sweet coconut-jaggery filling inside.
Nowadays, there is endless variety of modaks like mawa modak, chocolate modak, stuffed modak, modak stuffed with dates and dry fruits.
I have also shared chocolate mawa modak recipe which absolutely tastes yum and delicious!
About this Recipe
Fried modak, also known as Talniche modak. In Maharashtra, these “Talniche Modak” are specially made on the festive occasion of the Ganesh Chaturthi. The word “Talniche” means fried. In South India, it is also known as Modaka or Modakam.
These sweet dumplings are made with all-purpose flour for the outer covering and filled with a delicious stuffing of coconut, jaggery, cardamom, or cashews. These sweet Indian fried modak will get prepare in no time with whatever stuffing you like. It has outer fried covering on the outside and a delectable sweet filling inside. It has a burst of flavors whenever you eat them.
There are many other variations of modak but these are two main types, fried modak and steamed modak which is also known as Ukadiche modak.
If you are a beginner and making modak for the first time, I would suggest trying the Fried Modak recipe for the first time because it is easy as compared to Ukadiche modak that requires more practice and patience (until you use molds).
Ingredients
You’ll require very basic and simple ingredients to make a fried modak recipe.
For the stuffing – You’ll require grated coconut (fresh or frozen or desiccated), I’ve used frozen grated coconut. You will also need jaggery, cardamom powder, cashews, and saffron (optional).
For the outer covering – You’ll will need all-purpose flour, semolina, salt, ghee, and oil (for frying). Semolina helps to make the outer layer super crispy.
Serving Suggestions
Fried Modak is served at room temperature with the meal or as a dessert or snack. It is a perfect delectable Indian sweet that is easy to make and offered to Lord Ganesha on Ganesh Chaturthi Festival.
Storing Tips
These Modak stay crisp at room temperature for 1 to 2 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to a week. Also, fried modak has a longer shelf life so you can make them ahead of time and store them.
The Ganapati festival is round the corner. So it’s time to make make modak. May the arrival of Ganapati bring in prosperity and happiness in your life and fulfill all your wishes.
So, here is how to make a fried modak recipe with all the tips and tricks at home using basic ingredients.
Let’s get started.
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Fried Modak
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
Fried modak is a delicious Maharashtrian sweet dumpling, offered to Lord Ganesha as a prasad (bhog) on the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It is a bite-size dumpling with a crispy, flaky, and fried outer layer, stuffed with sweet coconut-jaggery stuffing.
Ingredients
For The Dough
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- ¼ cup semolina (suji/rava)
- A pinch of salt or as required
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- Water as required
- Oil for frying
For The Filling
- 1 cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
- ½ cup jaggery (gur) or sugar
- ¼ teaspoon green cardamom crushed
- Pinch of saffron (optional)
- Few cashews coarsely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Fried Modak in 4 simple steps
Making the Dough
- In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, semolina, and salt.
- Give a good mix and then add oil.
- Using your fingers and thumb, crumble the mixture.
- Make sure the flour is moist. It should look like breadcrumbs texture.
- Add little water at a time and knead the dough. The dough should be smooth and semi-stiff (not too soft).
- Cover it and set it aside for 10 minutes.
For The Filling
- Heat a pan or kadhai, add jaggery, grated coconut on medium to low flame.
- Mix it for 5 minutes until jaggery melts completely and is well combined with the coconut.
- Once the mixture thickens and most of the moisture evaporates, add cardamom powder, saffron strands, and cashew pieces (optional).
- Mix everything well and keep this mixture aside to cool down.
How to shape Modak
- After resting the dough, knead the dough one more time and divide it into 10 equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a small lemon-sized ball and flatten it out with your palms.
- Cover them with a wet cloth to prevent them from drying.
- Take one portion and roll it using a 4-inch diameter circle. Make sure, the edges are a little thinner than the center part.
- Put 2 teaspoons of filling in the center and apply some water or milk around the edges with a pastry brush or with your fingertips.
- Start pinching the edges of the rolled dough with your finger and thumb to make pleats all around.
- To make it perfect you need practice.
- Carefully, bring all the pleats together into the center.
- Take off the excess dough and seal it properly.
- Do the same for the remaining dough balls.
Frying the Modak
- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying the modaks. Once the oil is hot enough, reduce the flame to medium flame.
- Carefully, drop 2-3 modaks at a time and fry them for 3 to 4 minutes or till they become golden brown and crispy evenly from all the sides.
- Keep stirring to help for even browning.
- Then remove it on an absorbent paper.
- Let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container or glass jar.
- Fried Modaks are ready to serve.
Notes
- You can also use wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, or a combination of both to make modak outer covering.
- Instead of using oil, add hot ghee to the flour. It makes the outer covering crispy and flaky.
- Always remember to roll the dough thin or medium-thin but not thick. A thick dough will make a hard crust.
- Make sure that the modak is sealed properly and there is no gap. Otherwise, the filling will come out while frying.
- You need smooth yet semi-stiff dough. The stiff dough prevents the modaks to absorb excess oil while frying.
- You can also bake or air-fry the modaks. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius until the outer covering becomes golden and crisp.
- Adding saffron and cashew nuts is optional. It adds a nice crunch or color to the filling.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Maharastrian
