Modak | Konkani Banana Modak Recipe | Kele Mulik

Modak is a very popular naivedyam recipe prepared for lord Ganesha (Ganapati) on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and Sankashti Chaturthi. Today's post is all about banana modak, also known as kele mulik, a traditional fried modak recipe from Konkani cuisine.

Check here for the Maharashtrian ukadiche modak recipe.

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• Modak
• Banana Modak
• Modak ingredients
• How to make Banana Modak (Kele Modak / Kele Mulik)?
• Tips
• More traditional Ganesh Chaturthi recipes
• Recipe card
• User Reviews

Modak

Modak is important in the rituals of Lord Ganapati. The term is derived from Moda and pramoda, which means joy, happiness, and delight that Lord Ganesha bestows on devotees.

During the puja and ganahoma on Ganesh Chaturthi, 21 modaks are offered as naivedya to the idol or deity, which is believed to be his favorite food.

This sweet is known as Modak in Marathi, Gujarati, and Konkani. In South Indian states, these are popular as mothagam and kozhukattai.

Traditional modak is prepared differently in different states. In India, ukadiche modak (Maharashtrian steamed modak) is very popular. Then you have rava, fried, kesari, chocolate modak, kozhukattai, etc.

In the Mangalore Udupi region, konkanis prepare with bananas called kele mulik or kele modak.

Banana Modak

Banana Modak also called kele modak is deep fried, flavorful, and soft inside and crispy outside. In Konkani household 21 Modak, Appo (appe or paniyaram) is offered as naivedyam (bhog) to lord ganapati on vinayaka chavithi.

To make this you need jaggery, grated coconut, ripe banana, and wheat flour. Traditionally, this is fried in ghee during festivals. This version is easy to prepare than ukadiche modak.

Check out traditional Ganesh Chaturthi recipes (vinayaka chavithi) prepared all over India. Some authentic Konkani Ganesh Chaturthi naivedyam / prasadam recipe includes

Modak ingredients

Wheat flour (atta): The batter uses atta as the base.
Ripe bananas: Makes the mulik soft, has a natural sweetness, and adds flavor.
Jaggery: Traditional Indian sweets generally use jaggery. Adjust based on the sweetness of the banana.
Grated coconut: delightful flavor to modak.
Ghee: Makes this sweet rich.
Poha and semolina enhance the overall texture.
Cardamom: All Indian sweets are flavored with cardamom.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Banana Modak (Kele Modak / Kele Mulik)?

• I have used 2 small ripe bananas. If using a long variety, just add one.
• Grind together banana, jaggery, coconut, poha, and semolina, adding very little water to form a thick, smooth paste.
• Transfer the ground paste to a bowl. Add the wheat flour, salt, ghee, and cardamom powder and mix well. Here, the amount of wheat flour you add may vary based on the water you have added while grinding. This batter should be medium thick, as shown below.

• Heat oil or ghee for frying. Once the oil is hot, drop a spoonful of batter 6 to 8 times based on the size of the pan and fry in medium flame till it becomes golden brown on all sides. Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
• Serve with desi ghee and enjoy. Ganapati bappa Moraya. 
• You can also make this on other days for a quick evening snack and serve with a cup of filter coffee or Indian chai tea. 

Tips

• The amount of jaggery you add may vary depending on the sweetness of the banana.
• Drop a small batter to check if the oil is hot. It should sizzle and come up. You should fry only on medium flame; otherwise, it will turn black soon.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. The amount you add may vary depending on the size of your pan.
• You can add semolina (suji rava) while grinding or along with wheat flour.
• Love the crunch, then add small pieces of cashews to the batter. 
• You can also check the video on making jackfruit mulik using rice rava as the main ingredient. 
• You can skip poha and add ¼ cup of grated coconut or vice versa.

More traditional Ganesh Chaturthi recipes

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Recipe card

Note: We originally posted this recipe in June 2019. It has now been modified in Aug 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.