Oriya Semolina Manda (Suji Manda Pitha) – Semolina Fritters

Thank you for sharing!

Last Updated on December 14, 2020 by Chef Mireille

 
Suji Manda Pitha

Oriya Semolina Manda (Suji Manda Pitha) – Semolina Fritters stuffed with coconut are the perfect Indian festival or tea time treat.

 

Oriya cuisine is the food from the Northeastern Indian state of Odisha, formerly known as Orissa.  Just about every blog/website that focuses on Oriya food includes a recipe for this. After consulting many, I came up with this one that worked really well.

This is a very traditional food of the region to serve for religious festivals, but it tasted just as good for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

Before we get to today’s recipe, let’s take a look at some other Indian snacks you can enjoy during tea time – both sweet and savory options.

Indian Tea Time Snacks

IN THE MAKING – HOW TO MAKE ORIYA SUJI MANDA PITHA

 

Suji Manda Pitha

Not overly sweet.  They’re crispy on the outside and soft porridge like consistency on the inside with the delicious coconut filling.  This was such a new concept to create a dough out of semolina porridge, but it has filled my head with so many ideas.  With this technique, I can experiment with different fillings.  So step out of your comfort zone and try cooking a new cuisine today!

I did it and so can you!

Print Recipe Pin it for later!
No ratings yet
SAVE THIS RECIPE

Oriya Semolina Manda

Coconut Stuffed Semolina Fritters infused with lots of cardamom flavor. Perfect tea time snack.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups semolina
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar divided
  • 3 teaspoons ground cardamom divided
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 1 cup frozen grated coconut or freshly grated coconut

Instructions

  • In a large pot, boil water.  Once it is boiling, add the salt, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the cardamom. Turn the heat on low and slowly add the semolina, stirring constantly.  Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly, until thickened.
  • Leave to rest until it is cool enough to handle.
  • In a skillet, melt the ghee.  Add coconut and sugar. Toast until golden. Turn off the flame and add the cardamom. Stir to combine.
  • Divide the filling into 6 equal portions.
  • With wet hands, knead the semolina for a few minutes and divide into 6 large balls. Make a well in each ball and place one portion of the filling inside. Cover to seal. Form back into a ball and then flatten into a disk, about 1/2" thick.  Make sure the filling is well sealed and the outside is nice and smooth.  Otherwise, it can open during frying and then it just becomes a big mess in the oil. Keep on wetting your hands as necessary, while filling and sealing.
  • Heat enough oil or ghee for deep frying. (ghee is traditional) Fry until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
  • Remove to paper towels to drain excess oil.  Serve hot. 
  • To reheat, warm them up in the toaster oven so they can retain the same texture.

Notes

whenever recipes call for freshly grated coconut, I always use frozen grated coconut,  defrosted.  Here in New York, I simply find it an easier alternative.  However, if you have the time and patience to crack open a fresh coconut and grate it, by all means, go ahead for a more authentic version.
Did you make this recipe? Let me see!Tag me on Instagram @chefmireille so I can see yours!
Is this recipe on my You Tube channel?Find out and subscribe to my channel here!

Do you know anyone else who likes learning about international food, culture, history and travel? Bring them over here to join the party! Don’t forget to use those share buttons! 

Start Here to find out how the Schizo Chef can help you with your cooking, travel and other needs!

If you like this recipe, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#25

…linking to New Indian Cooking

Thank you for sharing!

Join the Global Kitchen Travels community!

Sign up for updates!

Thanks! Keep an eye on your inbox for updates.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Forget stuffed puri, I have not even tried the basic puri yet :D! Thanks to your foccacia, I lost the fear of yeast 🙂 and hopefully I will losse the fear of deep frying too soon 🙂

    Great pithas and hats off to the awesome effort!

  2. This is very new to me Mir. And I love the way you have taken the pains to search and put up the recipe with step by step pics. Great job! And with that coconut filling I am sure it was very delicious…

  3. Mir, thanks to you I read on a authentic recipe, kudos on your courage and never giving up spirit!..I am so impressed with you!..That seriously looks wonderful, it looks yum enough to be tried!

  4. That s a wonderful dish you made and looks so tempting. Kudos to you for trying all these traditional recipes. And keep on trying those stuffed puris one fine day you will sure get master s in making puris.:)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.