Modak dough
Ingredients
Whole wheat flour: 300 gm
Salt: to taste
Warm oil 15 ml
Water to knead the dough
For the Stuffing:
Powdered jaggery: 100 gm
Desiccated coconut:
100 gm
Roasted sesame seeds:
10 gm
Cardamom powder: 5 gm
Tuti fruit: 25 gm
Rasins: 25 gm
Nutmeg: A pinch
Water
Method:
Sieve the flour with salt and add warm oil to the sieved flour. Add water and knead to a smooth dough. Once the dough is kneaded, keep it covered for 20 to 30 minutes. Put desiccated coconut, jaggery, roasted sesame seeds, cardamom, tuti fruit, raisins and nutmeg powder in a kadai or pan. Mix them all and add water. Cook the whole mixture on a low or medium flame. Stir for 8 to 10 minutes till the jaggery melts, the water dries up and mixture is cooked and dry. Keep the mixture aside to cool. Take a small-sized ball of the dough. With a rolling pin gently make a thin round dusting the surface or the dough ball with some dry flour.
To Shape it Like Ganesha
Take the rolled dough circle on your palm add spoonfuls of the filling in the centre of the thin round. And shape it like a ball, fill another ball little small size and place on top of the first ball. Now torso and head is formed, take a small dough and roll like a trunk and stick with little water and shape it smoothly. To make ears make two small balls and press with your finger and shape like ears, and stick with water and smooth the edges. Make all modaks the same way and keep aside. Cover with a cloth so that the dough does not dry out.
Heat oil and shallow fry the modaks on medium temperature. Drain the modaks on kitchen paper napkins. Makes about 8-10 modaks with this recipe. Present on a decorated plate.
Rana Gomes, Executive Chef, Royal Orchid Hotels
