Suji Manda Pitha/ Coconut stuffed Semolina Dumplings

Living away from my home state Odisha has made me grow fonder of its festivals, cuisine, traditions, ethnicity and people. I try to celebrate all Odiya festivals and stick to the traditions just to be in touch with our roots and remind us of the customs that are slowly being forgotten.

Raja is one of the quintessential festivals of Odisha which is a blend of rich tradition with fun and frolic.It is one of the major Agricultural festivals of Odisha which is celebrated in a grand way with jubilation amidst the first shower of the monsoons. The biological symbolism of the festival comes from moistening of the sun dried soil from the rains thus making it ready for productivity.

Odiyas celebrate Raja with an array of mouth watering delicacies being dished out from their kitchen, Poda Pitha being the exclusive Raja special delicacy. Apart from that the authentic Sijha Manda, Bhaja Manda, Kakara Pitha, Chitau Pitha,Kheeri, Aarisaa are also prepared to celebrate the three day festival.

This time I made the Bhajaa Suji Manda or deep fried Semolina dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery mix and my children gobbled them up in minutes. If you change the shape of the roundels and make it more flat like a Kachori it’s called a Kakara Pitha.

Suji Manda Pitha/ Coconut stuffed Semolina Dumplings

Print Recipe

Delicious and finger licking good Suji Manda Pithas, deep fried semolina dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery...authentic and traditional Pitha made in festivals and special occasions in Odisha.

• Coursesnack
• Cuisineodiya

Servings	Prep Time
15 piece	15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings Prep Time 15 piece 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Suji Manda Pitha/ Coconut stuffed Semolina Dumplings Print Recipe Delicious and finger licking good Suji Manda Pithas, deep fried semolina dumplings stuffed with coconut and jaggery...authentic and traditional Pitha made in festivals and special occasions in Odisha. Coursesnack Cuisineodiya Servings Prep Time 15 piece 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings Prep Time 15 piece 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups Rawa or Sooji or semolina
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsps ghee or Ghia
• 1 Cup sugar or Chini
• A pinch salt
• 2 - 3 cardamom or gujurati
• ghee or oil for deep frying
• 2 Cups coconut Grated ,fresh or Nadiya
• 1/4 Cup jaggery or Guda
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder or gujurati gunda
• 1 tsp black pepper crushed or kala maricha gunda
• 1 tbsp ghee or Ghia
• 2 tbsps Cashew and raisins and or kaju (optional)

Servings: piece

Instructions

1. For preparing the dough we need to take water, salt, sugar and cardamom in a heavy bottomed pan and boil till the sugar dissolves.
2. Add 1 tbsp Ghee, lower the flame and slowly add the Suji or Rawa stirring constantly so that lumps are not formed.Keep stirring till the mixture becomes a thick and lumpy mass and is sticky. This will take around 2 minutes and the hand starts aching due to continuous stirring.
3. Take it off from the flame and keep it aside till the mix is warm and easy to work on.
4. Meanwhile add 1 tbsp ghee to a heated pan and fry the fresh grated coconut on low flame till light brown.
5. Add the jaggery, cardamom and black pepper powder and fry till the jaggery melts and coats the coconut flakes.
6. Finally add the cashew and raisins and fry the mix for a minute and switch off the flame.
7. Take 1 tbsp ghee, add it to the warm outer covering mix and knead it to form a dough.
8. Make equal sized balls from the dough, flatten it on your Palm, make a depression and stuff some coconut filling in it.
9. Then close it from all sides making a ball, flatten it a little bit with the palm of your hand. If you flatten it more in the shape of a Kachori it is called a Suji Kakara.
10. Form Mandas with the rest of the dough and stuffing and deep fry them in hot ghee or oil till golden brown.

Recipe Notes

 

• While continuously stirring the Suji or Rawa for the dough you have to mix it fast as there's a chance of lumps being formed.
• Make sure you deep fry the rounders in medium flame till golden brown, continuously monitoring it .If you leave them in low flame for a longer time the crust tends to become hard.

Enjoy the Bhaja Suji Manda or Suji Kakras.

A very happy Raja to you all!!

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I have nostalgic memories of my Paternal grandmom making them with surprising expertise as she stuffed them with the coconut mix and shaping them into rounds with her palms. I repent not learning the tricks of the trade from her when she was very much with us. These Manda Pithas are a tribute to her and her love for authentic Odiya delicacies.