Modaka, Karigadubu for Ganesha Chaturthi

Gowri-Ganesh festivals are one of the biggest in our households. Preparations at home start more than a week ahead. For Ganesha who apparently is a food lover, there will be varieties and varieties of snacks prepared, mainly deep fried ones. And all these get done for neivedya, for offering to God, which means it is done before even having breakfast, soon after a bath, in fresh clothes, without tasting them. They are prepared and kept away, out of reach till the Ganesha arrives! The house will be smelling heavenly with all the goodies, but yet, everyone knows they won’t get it!

One of the years, when they had a lot of energy my parents had made 21 kinds of goodies for this Elephant God, 21 being his favorite number! And at in-laws’, it is usually a big huge box full of chakli, kodubale, thenkolalu, etc along with of course Kadubu and modaka. And these will be distributed among relatives and friends too...

This is the first year that we are celebrating festivals by ourselves, and kind of missing home and all the festive spirit. To make up for a part of it, we both made some Modaka and Karigadubu and have kept it away on the top shelf… Just waiting for Ganesha tomorrow to have a first taste or rather sight of it, before we indulge in them :)

Wishing you all a very happy Gowri-habba and Ganesha Chaturthi… Enjoy all the goodies you make, and work out a lil more :D

Here is how to make kadubu/modaka…

Ingredients:

For the dough:

1 cup Maida/All purpose flour

¼ cup Chiroti Rava(fine Semolina)

Salt - ¼ tsp

1 tbsp hot Oil / Ghee

For stuffing:

Grated dry Coconut / desiccated coconut - ½ cup

Sugar - ½ cup, powdered

2-3 Cardamoms

Oil,for deep frying

Milk - a couple of tsp, for brushing the edges for sealing

Method:

Dough:

• Mix maida, rava, salt and oil and add enough water to form a stiff dough. It should be stiffer than the regular chapathi/poori dough
• Keep covered with a wet cloth for ½ an hour
• After half an hour, knead the dough well until it becomes soft and pliable

Filling:

• Peel and rush the cardamom seeds to powder
• Mix with the grated coconut and sugar

For Kadubu:

• Make small balls from the dough and roll it out to very thin oval shapes of 4-5" length and about 3” width.
• Spread about 2 tsp of the filling in the middle, making sure to leave a gap of ½ inch around the edges
• Dip a finger in the milk and brush the edges
• Now, fold lengthwise, and seal the edges tightly, by pinching it. Make sure to seal it right, else it opens up and messes the oil while frying

For Modaka:

• Take smaller balls of the dough and roll it out to thin circles of about 3-4 inches diameter
• Spread about 1-2 tsp of the filling in the middle, making sure to leave a gap of ½ inch around the edges
• Dip a finger in the milk and brush the edges
• Now, bring the edges together, gathering it on top and pinch them together.

Frying:

• Heat oil in a thick frying pan/ kadai over medium flame.
• When hot enough, reduce the heat to medium and drop 3-4 at once into the oil and fry them till crisp and golden in color
• Drain them on a paper napkin.
• Store in airtight container when cooled. They remain crisp for 4-5 days.

Notes:

• The dough for the outer layer should be mixed stiff which gives crisp kadubu.
• Make sure to seal the edges well