Prasadam for Ganesh Chaturthi

This is in continuation to my previous post on Ganesh Chaturthi. A little more about the puja before going to the recipes of the Prasadam or naivedyam I prepared.

Puja Procedure: We get up early in the morning, sanctify ourselves, the house and the puja area where we will be installing the Ganesh idol/murti. I took a big carton box and placed a book on top of it, covered with white cloth and this is our puja mandapam for the day. On top of the book placed some rice grains, made small rangoli, offered pasupu and kumkuma and placed the silver Ganesh idol on top of it. I prepared a Pasupu Ganapati (out of haldi/ turmeric), took a betel leaf, placed some rice grains and kept on top of it. On this day we offer different kinds of fruits, 21 types of patri including durva (Sanskrit word for 21 different variety of leaves) to God Ganesh. makes Undarallu which is his favorite food and we prepare so many varieties of prasadam that Ganesh will be seated in our home and will bless us. We first do puja for Pasupu Ganapati and then to the silver idol.or the installed idol.

Here in US it is difficult to get new idol, I kept the silver one for the puja. Performed as per the puja vidham written in the book and concluded the puja with ashtotaram, Vinayaka Chaviti Katha and followed my aarathi. Since childhood I am singing the same aarathi every year "Sukha karta dukha harta varth vignachi" a marathi one, I am so used to it. I feel its incomplete without this song.

On this day a small miracle happened, I bowed to Ganesha saying I will prepare eight varieties of prasadam for Ashtavinayaka on this event, when I placed everything in thali and started counting and to my astonishment they were nine in total. I was talking to my mother on phone about this and she told me that "We should offer odd no. of food items to the God not even no. May be Ganesha wanted this and made you prepare nine items instead of eight". I was so happy to hear this.

And we ate the prasadam, shared with our friends and in the evening perfomed aarathi and chanted few slokhas of Lord Ganesha and did nimarjana/visarjan (immersion) of God Ganesha in the late evening. "Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pucha Varshi Laukar ya" -Come soon next year!

Sri Siddhi Vinayak of Prabhadevi, Mumbai

Recipes for the Prasadam/Naivedyam I prepared on Vinayaka chavithi. Special care is taken when I prepare the food offered to God, I never taste, otherwise it cannot be offered. So it needs little experience in judging the amount salt n sugar goes in the food you are preparing. Hope you will enjoy making them and offer to the God. This post goes to The Yum Blog for their event on Vinayaka Chaturthi.

1. Malai Modaks/Pedas

Source : adapted from Keep trying

Cuisine: Maharashtrian, India
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes: 6 people
Ingredients:

15oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Strands Saffron
1/2 cup Sugar
Method:

• I almost followed the way its explained in the recipe from keeptrying.
• Only thing is I have not used the ghee as this sweet already contained lot of grease in it.
• I divided half of the dough and made pedas and modaks.
• Its really simple and very mush resemble like store bought.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
2. Kudumullu - rice flour dumplings with coconut and jaggery stuffing

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes: 6 people





Ingredients:
for the filling
1 cup shredded coconut fresh or frozen
1/2 cup jaggery, grated
1 tsp poppy seeds/khus khus, roasted
1 tsp rice flour, for binding
a pinch of elaichi/cardamom powder
for the outer cover
1 cup rice flour
1 1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp ghee/clarified butter
a pinch of salt
Method:

• For the filling:Combine and cook coconut, jaggery together on medium heat.
  
• Stir continuously add cardamom powder, poppy seeds and 1 tsp rice flour to it, cook for some time. The filling is ready now, remove from the heat and let it cool.
• For the outer cover: Next step is to make the outer cover. This has to be done very carefully. The dough should be neither too sticky nor too dry.
• Boil 1 cup of water. When bubbles rise on top, add ghee, salt and oil and immediately add rice flour. Stir well. Cover for some time. Remove the lid and stir again and again cover for a minute.
  
• Then remove from heat. Take all the mixture in a flat plate. Knead it properly while hot (You can use a flat bowl for kneading to keep the hands from burning). Make a soft pliable dough.
• Divide this dough into small balls. Roll each ball into 1.5 inch diameter circle. Hold it in a hand and make a small bowl of it. Put some coconut filling into this bowl shaped dough. Dip thumb and index finger in the oil and make 5-6 small pinches side by side on the edges of the bowl. Bring them together, join to form a peak. It should look like a whole garlic.
• Like this, prepare all modaks. Spread a damp cloth onto a flat round sifter and arrange all the modaks onto it. Place the sifter in a steamer and cover. Steam for about 15 minutes. Use a big size saucepan or pressure cooker if you don't have a steamer. Do not put the whistle if you use the pressure cooker.

Note: The proportion of water and rice flour for the cover should be accurate as written above. Also it is advisable to sieve the flour once.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
3. Uppu Undrallu- steamed salted rice balls

Method: I made the same way seeing from here
courtesy: Pravs of Simply spicy.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4. Pala Undrallu-rice flour dumplings in coconut, milk and sesame sauce

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes: 6 people





Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour, sieved
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh/frozen coconut, grated
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toast and coarsely grind
1/2 tsp elaichi/cardamom powder
Method:

• Boil 2 cups of water and once you can see a small steady bubbles coming, pour the rice flour ans stir for few seconds. Cover and let it cook for 2-3 mins more. Switch off the heat and leave it for another 2 mins. Let is cool but the dough should be still warm, shape into 1" diameter balls and keep aside. You will get roughly 17-20 balls.
• Heat sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup water in a deep, medium pan, add the grated coconut, cardamom powder and keep stirring till everything gets blended well.
  
• Add the milk and rice balls and stir for another 3-5 mins, you will see the syrup gets thick. Don't worry about the cracked balls, that will help in the consistency of the sauce. Stir in the ground sesame seeds and turn off the heat.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5. Semya Payasam/Kheer - vermicelli milk pudding

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes: 6 people





Ingredients:
1 cup vermicelli (I use Bambino brand)
3 cups of whole milk/2 % milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
few strands of saffron
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds powder
1/2 cups nuts of your choice (cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios)
2 tsp ghee/clarified butter for tempering
Method:

• Fry the vermicelli in a tsp of ghee/clarified butter till they turn golden brown and keep aside.
• Meanwhile heat 3 cups of milk in a pan, to this add cardamom powder and saffron. Let it come to a boil then stir in the fried vermicelli.
• Cook the vermicelli till it turns soft and constantly stirring it. By this time the milk is been absorbed by the vermicelli and you can see a the consistency will be thick.
• Add the sugar and heavy cream and cook for another 2-3 mins till the sugar dissolves. Payasam is ready
  
• Temper the nuts in ghee and pour over it.
  

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
6. Paramannam/ Chakkari Pongal - Long grain rice pudding

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep & Soaking time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Makes: 6 people

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice or any Indian rice
3 cups of whole milk/ 2% milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds powder
1/2 cups nuts of your choice (cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios)
1 tsp ghee/clarified butter for tempering
Method:

• Wash and soak the basmati rice for 15 mins. Drain and add to the milk and cook till the rice is soft, this will take around 30 mins.
• Add the cardamom powder and heavy cream, mix well and cover with lid.
• After 3-4 mins add sugar and mix till it dissolves.
• Temper with your favorite nuts and raisins.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7. Pulihora- Tamarind sesame flavored rice

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Makes: 6 people






Ingredients:
3 cups of sona masoori rice or any Indian rice
big lemon size tamarind
7-8 green chillies, slit lengthwise
2 inch ginger, chopped finely
1.2 tsp of turmeric powder/haldi
2 tsp grated jaggery
1/2 cup toasted and grd sesame seeds
4-5 dried red chillies
1/4 cup peanuts
2 tbsp chana dal/bengal gram dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal/black gram dal
5-6 curry leaves
1/2 tsp asafeotida
3 tbsp of oil
salt as per taste.
Method:

• Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water for about an hour, mash and squeese the pulp out of it.
• Heat a tsp of oil add the freshly made pulp, let it cook for 4-5 mins, then add jaggery, turmeric powder, asafeotida, salt and cook further till the pulp gets thicken.
• Pour it over the cooked rice and mix well.
• Heat oil and add the dry ingredients and fry for 2-3 mins, then add the green chillies, chopped ginger and curry leaves, add a pinch or turmeric and mix in the grounded sesame seeds. Mix well combine everything with rice.
  

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
8. Pachi chengapappu vadalu - bengal gram patties

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
soaking time: overnight or 3-4 hrs
Makes: 6 people




Ingredients:
2 cups of chana dal/bengal gram dal
4-5 green chillies
1 inch ginger
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
salt as per taste
oil for deep frying
Method:

• Soak the dal over night or for 3-4 hrs, coarsely grind with very little water, chillies, ginger and salt. You should end up with patties like dough
• Add cilantro and make flat patties shape.
• Deep fry in oil.

Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9. Guggullam - sauted chick peas

Source : My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Cooking time: 5 mins
soaking time: overnight or 3-4 hrs
Makes: 6 people





Ingredients:
2 cups of chick peas, soaked
a pinch of turmeric powder/haldi
1 tsp salt
for tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 tsp black gram dal/urad dal
3-4 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
2 tbsp grated coconut
a pinch of asafeotida
salt to taste
1 tsp oil
Method:

• Soak overnight chick peas and pressure cook it with salt and turmeric for 3-4 whistles. Drain and keep aside
  
• Heat a tsp of oil in a sauce pan, to this add the tempering ingredients one by one, let the mustard seeds temper before you add the grated coconut.
• Mix in the boiled chick peas, add salt and the guggullum is ready.
  

Phewwww! this was more tough to write than cook....and lastly check in the browsers for any formatting errors. I k now many of you might saw the incomplete post. But I hope there will be no more formatting now :)
Click here to check other sweets and prasadam 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9