Air Fried Modak is a low oil version of the popular Fried Modak.
Crisp dumplings made with flour, these are filled with sweetened coconut and perfect for any Indian festival.
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Indian festivals have so many attributes to celebrate. From all the fun and festivities; food is an integral part of the celebration. Like we love Thandai for Holi, Peda for Rakhi, Modak and Ladoo for Ganpati and Nankhatai for Diwali.
These recipes are generally pretty easy to make and always loved by everyone. I love making most of these at home. They vary in time required to make them and yet they are all amazing.
What is Modak
Modak is a sweet that is perfect for Ganpati. These are of two prime types; Fried and Steamed. Known as Talniche modak and Ukadiche modak respectively these are super delicious.
These dumplings are popular all over Maharashtra for the festival. The name literally means 'small part of bliss' and symbolize spiritual knowledge. We offer these modaks to the Elephant God throughout the festival.
And like most things; modaks are now made with different ingredients too. From Rava Modak and Kesar Malai Modak to even Chocolate Modak; we love them all.
From all these modaks; the fried version are quite popular. One of the originals, this modak recipe is a favorite. And when we make them as Air Fried Modak; it is perfect!
Why this recipe works
- This is a low oil version of the traditional fried modak.
- These are super delicious.
- Crunchy on the outside; these are perfectly soft and flavorful within.
- This recipe is super easy to make in the Air fryer.
- The filling of the modaks is easy to make ahead of time. Make the modaks later too.
- It does not need the special folding skill that fried modaks need.
- The recipe for this air fried modak is easy to scale up or down.
- The recipe is Vegetarian but is easy to make Vegan by switching ghee with oil.
Using a mold to shape
For those who know; making modak is truly an art. The dough needs to be right. Then we need to fold it with a lot of care and seal it well.
This is quite a tedious process and something that not everyone can do. So we use a mild to eliminate the folding. Using a medium size mold we have enough covering and stuffing.
However, the recipe will work for the traditional pleated version too.
Why Air Fry Modaks
Air frying is an easy alternate to frying. It has much lesser oil and makes the modaks are quite grease free.
Moreover, air fryer modaks are far easier than the fried counterpart. When air fried; the skill level for making these modaks can be slightly let loose.
The Air Fried modak will not explode and leak as they would while frying. However, the only thing is that the filling can trickle out while air frying. So beware of that.
Overall; it is an easy and mess-free version of the traditional recipe. We cannot say they taste exactly the same; but they are super amazing.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- The covering: We use whole wheat flour as the base for the covering. However, use all purpose flour if you like. Simply adjust the water content. To make the dough we add ghee and a pinch of salt. Add saffron if desired.
- Jaggery: The stuffing we make has jaggery. Grate jaggery instead of the powdered one. The powdered jaggery does not melt well when heated. I like to use Kolhapuri jaggery for the recipe.
- Coconut: Another important ingredient here is coconut. Fresh, desiccated or frozen coconut work for the recipe. I like to use desiccated for the recipe. The fresh one needs to be cooked much longer to dry it out; while desiccated makes it quicker.
- Pick the nuts as you like; almonds, pistachios and cashews or a mix of all three.
- Plus, poppy seeds, raisins or dried rose petals can be added to the filling.
- Moreover, we need some oil to brush before air frying.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- In a bowl add the wheat flour. To that add salt and ghee and mix well.
2- Then add water and start kneading. I used ⅓ cup water but you can add more if required. Do not make the dough too soft.
3- Knead the dough well to make a stiff dough.
4- Let it rest covered in shrink wrap for 20-30 minutes.
5- In a pan roast the coconut for a couple of minutes on low flame. Do not let it change color.
6- Then add the grated jaggery and mix well.
7- Also add the nuts, cardamom and nutmeg powder.
8- Then mix well and turn down the flame; let the mixture cool.
9- Then divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Leave out two parts and make round balls with the remaining. Using a medium size mold, press in one dough ball.
10- Spread the dough evenly to coat the mold.
11- Add 1½ teaspoon filling and press it down.
12- Then take a small part of dough from the remaining dough and cover the filling.
13- Press and open the mold.
14- Remove the modak; set aside and cover. Repeat with all the remaining dough.
15- Set the air fryer to 370 F and preheat. Spread some oil or apply ghee on the modaks. Arrange in a single layer and cook for 12 minutes. Move them around at about 6 minutes.
16- Remove from fryer and serve. These are easy to keep in an airtight container for 1-2 days or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Seal the modak edges well. This version is air-fried so the probability of filling leaking is minimum; yet they look nice when sealed well.
- Do not overfill the modaks to avoid them from exploding. However, adding too little filling will make the modaks wilt while air frying. It has ti be just right.
- At every stage cover the dough and the modaks. They will dry out and crack if left open.
- I like to coat mine with oil or ghee before air frying. It gives the modaks an even color and texture. However, this is optional.
- The same recipe can be used to make modaks without a mold too. The dough needs to be pleated well and closed completely before air frying.
- Plus, the recipe works well for a fried version too.
- Skip nuts for a nut-free version and swap the ghee for oil for a Vegan recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Modak is a sweet that is perfect for Ganpati. These are of two prime types; Fried and Steamed. Known as Talniche modak and Ukadiche modak respectively; these are super delicious. These dumplings are popular all over Maharashtra for the festival. The name literally means 'small part of bliss' and symbolize spiritual knowledge.
Yes for sure; they are perfect to make in the air fryer. Simply air fry these for 12 minutes at 370 F.
The modaks that are not crisp result from a covering dough that is not stiff. Though soft dough is easy to work with when rolling but they result in modaks that are not crisp.
These air fried modaks keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for 3-4 days. However, they can be refrigerated for up to a week.
More Modak Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Air Fried Modak with Coconut Jaggery filling
Ingredients
For the Outer Covering
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 pinch Saffron
- 2 tablespoon Ghee (hot)
- ⅓ cup Water (cold; more if required)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (to coat)
For the Filling
- ½ cup Desiccated Coconut
- ½ cup Grated Jaggery
- ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder
- 4-5 Almonds (slivered)
- 4-5 Cashews (slivered)
- 4-5 Pistachios (slivered)
Instructions
To make the covering
- In a bowl add the wheat flour. To that add salt, saffron and ghee and mix well.1 cup Whole Wheat Flour, 2 tablespoon Ghee, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 pinch Saffron
- Then add water and form a stiff dough. I used ⅓ cup water but you can add more if required. Do not make the dough too soft.⅓ cup Water
- Knead the dough well and let it rest covered in shrink wrap for 20-30 minutes.
To make the filling
- In a pan roast the coconut for a couple of minutes on low flame. Do not let it change color.½ cup Desiccated Coconut
- Add the grated jaggery, nuts, cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix well and turn down the flame.½ cup Grated Jaggery, ¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder, 4-5 Almonds, 4-5 Cashews, 4-5 Pistachios, ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg powder
- Let the mixture cool.
To make the modak
- Divide the dough into equal parts. Leave out two parts and make round balls with the remaining.
- Using a medium size mold, press in one dough ball. Spread the dough evenly to coat the mold.
- Add 1 ½ teaspoon filling and press it down. Take a small part of dough from the remaining dough and cover the filling.
- Press and open the mold. Remove the modak. Set aside and cover.
- Repeat with all the remaining dough. I was able to get 10 modaks.
To Air Fry the Modak
- Set the air fryer to 370 F and preheat. Spray some oil or apply ghee on the modaks.1 tablespoon Ghee
- Arrange in a single layer and cook for 12 minutes. Move them around at about 6 minutes.
- Remove from fryer and serve. These can be kept in an airtight container for 1-2 days or up to a week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Seal the modak edges well. This version is air-fried so the probability of filling leaking is minimum; yet they look nice when sealed well.
- Do not overfill the modaks to avoid them from exploding. However, adding too little filling will make the modaks wilt while air frying. It has ti be just right.
- At every stage cover the dough and the modaks. They will dry out and crack if left open.
- I like to coat mine with oil or ghee before air frying. It gives the modaks an even color and texture. However, this is optional.
- The same recipe can be used to make modaks without a mold too. The dough needs to be pleated well and closed completely before air frying.
- Plus, the recipe works well for a fried version too.
- Skip nuts for a nut-free version and swap the ghee for oil for a Vegan recipe.
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