Ganesh Chaturthi is a time of fun, festivity and of course eating. The 10-day festival celebrates the arrival of Lord Ganesh on earth and all the blessings he bestows on the world. Ganesh was notorious for loving sweets and the festival revolves around a number of iconic mithais, ladoos and regional specialities – after all, can you imagine Ganesh Chaturthi without modaks?
But there are many more delicious sweet dishes to sample, and one of the fan favourites is Mande or Mandige. From the Konkan coast, this is often seen on happy occasions like weddings and poojas and no festival is complete without a platter of Mandige. Although it is commonly consumed nowadays, traditionally it was only ever made and served during festivals as part of the offering to the Gods.
The ingredients that go into making Mandige are wheat flour, sugar powder, ghee, cardamom and poppy seeds. The dough is laced with a mix of powdered sugar, sesame, and ghee, rolled very thin, carefully transferred to be cooked over spherical pots that resemble large inverted karahis, and deftly folded into neat bundles as it cooks. The cooks work in the early hours of the morning. Each piece is separately packed and stored in baskets in preparation for the festivities.
Bring home a taste of this Konkan classic with this easy recipe.
Image Credits: thesoulfoodie/Instagram
- 250 grams All Purpose Flour (Maida)
- 2 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
- Milk or water to make the dough
Stuffing
- 1 desiccated coconut
- Caster sugar for dusting
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp cardamom powder
- Oil
Method:
- In a heavy-bottomed pan; dry roast the grated coconut and allow it to cool.
- Add in the powdered sugar, roasted sesame seeds and cardamom powder.
- Mix to combine all the ingredients well and keep aside.
For the Puris
- Add the flour to a large mixing bowl along with the salt.
- Add in the hot ghee and rub the ghee into the flour.
- Add a little milk or water at a time and knead to make a soft and smooth dough.
- Cover the dough and allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.
- Pour two to three inches of oil into a deep pan and heat it in preparation for frying.
- Divide the dough into 20 equal portions, dust them in flour and roll out each portion into 5 to 6-inch diameter circles
- Prick them with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much.
- Place the puris in the hot oil and fry either side for about 15 seconds or until the bread is all bubbly and beginning to turn golden brown.
- Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the coconut mixture over one half of the Puri, then fold over the other half to form a semicircle. Sprinkle a couple more teaspoons of the sugar mixture over half the semicircle and fold over once more.
- This folding and sprinkling of coconut mixture have to be done immediately after frying when the puris are soft. Once it gets cool, it becomes hard and crisp.
- Repeat this process for the rest of the remaining portions of the dough.
