DIY Sweets & Snacks Recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi, Vinayak Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is a Hindu festival, celebrated with fanfare in Maharashtra and its neighboring states. This festival is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi symbolizes hope and prosperity, and festivities last for 10 days.

During this 10-day extravaganza, homes, temples and pandals are beautifully decorated, and one can feel the cheer and happiness in the air all around.

Like any Indian festival, Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete without sweet and savory delicacies. Food is an important part of these festivities. Many dishes are offered to Ganpati Bappa (Lord Ganesha) as Bhog and then distributed amongst the devotees.

In this blog, we have listed recipes of some loved, easy-to-make sweet and savory dishes that are enjoyed during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations

Modak

Modak is an Indian sweet loved by Lord Ganesha. These days different types of modak are prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi, but the most loved modak is the simple steamed modak called Ukadiche Modak. It is made from rice flour and is stuffed with a sweet coconut and jaggery filling.

Ingredients:

For Filling:

For the Dough:

Method:

For Filling:

1. In a pan, add the grated coconut and allow it to cook on medium heat, till it becomes thick and the moisture evaporates. This takes 6-7 minutes.

2. Add the poppy seeds, cardamom powder, chopped cashews and raisins. Mix and cook it for 2 minutes.

3. Turn off the stove, transfer the filling to a plate and allow it to cool.

For the Dough:

1. In a pan, bring the water to a boil, add ghee and heat on medium-low flame.

2. Add the rice flour, and keep stirring to avoid lumps. It will form a dough.

3. Cover the pan with a lid, cook for 2-3 minutes, and stir 2-3 times in between.

4. Turn off the stove, transfer the dough onto a plate and allow it to cool.

5. Once it is lukewarm, start kneading. Make the dough smooth and lump-free.

6. Grease your hand with ghee and take one dough ball.

7. Using your other hand, slightly press the ball to make a small disc, shape this to make a 3-inch circle.

8. Add 2 tsp feeling in this circle and pinch off the edges to make pleats of the dough. Carefully pinch all the pleats together to seal. Cover the modak to avoid drying.

Modak-making molds are also available in the market, they make shaping the modak easier.

Steaming:

1. Prepare a steamer. Allow the water to boil.
2. Brush all the modaks with water.
3. Arrange a banana leaf or parchment paper on the steamer thali. Arrange modaks on this.
4. Steam for 15 minutes on medium heat.
5. Let it cool to touch.
6. Remove and place on a plate, drizzle ghee or saffron milk.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Many variations of modak are available these days, like fried modak, rava modak, chocolate modak, mava modak, mango modak etc.

Puran Poli

Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread, stuffed with a sweet lentil stuffing. It is a popular Maharashtrian dish enjoyed during Ganesh Chaturthi. This dish requires a little more effort, but the taste and texture are all worth it. It is also a popular breakfast dish as it happens to be very nutritious.

Ingredients:

For Dal Stuffing:

• •1 ½ cups chana dal
• •¼ tsp turmeric
• •½ tsp ghee
• •3 cups water
• •1 ½ cup jaggery
• •1 tsp ghee
• •½ tsp cardamom powder

For Outer Covering:

• •2 cup wheat flour
• •1 cup maida
• •¼ tsp turmeric powder
• •¼ tsp salt
• •2 tbsp oil
• •Water, for kneading

Other ingredients:

• •Maida (all-purpose flour), for dusting
• •Ghee, for roasting

Method:

For Dal Stuffing:

• Soak chana dal for 1 hour.
• Drain the water and transfer the dal to a cooker. Add the turmeric powder, ½ tsp ghee and 3 cups of water to the cooker.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles on medium flame.
• Open the cooker and drain the water.
• Transfer the dal to a large kadhai. Cook on medium flame.
• Add jaggery and mix it well. Once jaggery melts, smash the dal until it forms a smooth paste. (You may use a mixer grinder to do the same as well.)
• Continue cooking till the mixture thickens and holds shape.
• Add 1 tsp ghee and cardamom powder and cook until the mixture separates in the pan.
• Transfer onto a plate and allow the mixture to cool. Make small balls of the stuffing and keep it aside.

For Outer covering:

• In a large bowl, add wheat flour, maida, turmeric powder, salt and oil.
• Mix them well, until all ingredients combine.
• 3.Add water and knead into a dough.
• 4.Grease the dough with oil and cover and let the dough rest for 1 hour.
• 5.Pinch into a ball, flatten and add the stuffing into the dough, close without pleat and cracks.
• 6.Dust with maida and roll into a thin roti, note that the filling is uniformly distributed.
• 7.Cook the puran poli on hot tawa on medium flame, flip it over to cook both sides with ghee.
• 8.Serve hot, enjoy with ghee or milk.

Alu Vadi

Alu (or arbi (Colocasia)) vadi is a popular Maharashtrian dish, it is stuffed and rolled Arbi leaves which are tempered. This dish is referred to as Patra in Gujarati and Pathrode in Karnataka.

Ingredients:

For Alu Vadi Rolls:

• •20 Arbi leaves
• •2.5 cups besan (gram flour)
• •1 small ginger and 2 chillis, made into a paste
• •1 tsp coriander powder
• •½ tsp red chilli powder
• •½ tsp turmeric powder
• •1 tsp cumin powder
• •½ tsp oil (optional)
• •Salt to taste
• •3 tbsp jaggery powder
• •¼ cup tamarind water: this can be made by soaking 1.5 tbsp seedless tamarind in ¼ hot water for 20 minutes.
• •For Tempering:
• •2 tbsp oil
• •1 tsp mustard seeds.
• •12 curry leaves
• •¼ tsp hing
• •2 tsp white sesame seeds.
• •¼ cup grated fresh coconut
• •2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:

For Alu Vadi Rolls:

• 1.In a bowl, add besan, ginger chilli paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, oil and salt to taste.
• 2.To this, add jaggery powder and tamarind water.
• 3.Stir and mix into a thick batter or paste. Set it aside
• 4.Rinse Arbi leaves in water and pat dry with a kitchen napkin.
• 5.Remove the stalk from the base of the leaves.
• 6.Remove thick veins of the leaves, from the centre and the sides too.
• 7.Place the largest leaf on a plate with its veins facing down and tip towards you. Apply the prepared besan mix.
• 8.Stack the next leaf, vein facing down, with the tip in the opposite direction. Apply besan mix on the leaf.
• 9.Similarly place the third leaf, with the tip facing towards you and apply the mix.
• 10.Keep alternating the tips of the leaves and applying the besan mix. Make 2 stacks of 10 leaves.
• 11.Now fold the leaf stack inwards from the side and spread the batter mix on the fold. Do the same on the opposite side.
• 12.Continue folding on all sides and applying besan mix, till it becomes a roll.
• 13.Prepare a steamer and place the rolls in it.
• 14.Steam for 20 -25 minutes.
• 15.Once cooked, rolls will hold shape and become firm.
• 16.Cut the rolls in ½ inch spirals once cooled.

For Tempering:

• Heat oil in a kadhai on medium-low heat.
• Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
• Add curry leaves, hing and white sesame seeds. Allow curry leaves to become crisp.
• Add the sliced alu vadi rolls. Saute on low heat till crisp and golden.
• Turn off the stove.
• Add the freshly grated coconut and coriander leaves.
• Stir and mix.
• Serve hot, serve with a chutney of your choice.

Other dishes associated with Ganesh Chaturthi

Many sweets like coconut laddu, besan laddu, halwa, kheer and others are also enjoyed during Ganesh Chaturthi. Savoury dishes and snacks enjoyed during this time also make a long list, some popular dishes include sabudana vada, aloo pakora, puri bhaji, Maharashtrian kadhi and Kothimbir Vadi.

Surya Masale provides a range spices and materials for daily cooking. Visit the website to order from the comfort of your home and enjoy yummy delicacies with your family.

For more traditional sweet ideas, explore our post on Besan Ke Ladoo and Coconut Ladoo recipes.