Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: The 10-day festival of Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is here and devotees from all over the country are welcoming Ganpati Bappa to their homes with much enthusiasm and fervour to seek his blessings. Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations that begin on August 31 will conclude September 9 with Anant Chaturdashi or Ganesh Visarjan. (Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Delicious modak recipes to make on this day)
Lord Ganesha devotees can bring Ganpati home for 1.5 days, 3 days, 7 days, or 10 days. The festival is celebrated in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Goa and an elaborate spread of traditional dishes are prepared on this day to be offered as a bhog to Ganpati and savoured later by friends and family. Modaks, motichoor laddoos, puran poli, shrikhand, coconut rice are some of the popular dishes.
Here are healthy and delicious dishes to make at home for celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, as suggested by Prachi Shah, Clinical Dietitian & Consulting Nutritionist, Founder, Health Habitat.
1. Ragi Modak
Ingredients
Ragi flour - ½ cup
Nuts (Pista + Cashew + Almonds) - 2 tbsp
Jaggery (grated) - 1 tbsp
Desiccated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Method
• Take ragi flour and roast it.
• Meanwhile boil water and then add the hot water to the ragi flour little by little. Stir the mixture till it forms a dough and let it cool.
• Add the nuts, jaggery and coconut.
• Shape them into modak and grease them with little ghee.
• In a steamer add water and place the modaks. Steam them for 10-15 minutes and serve.
2. Dahi Poha
Ingredients
Thin poha flakes - ½ cup
Oil - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Curd - ½ cup
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds - ½ tsp each
Curry leaves - 4-5 leaves
Green chili - 1 small
Salt as per taste
Peanuts handful
Method
• In a pan take oil and sauté mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and peanuts.
• In another bowl take curd and add salt. Now add the above tempering to the curd and mix.
• Add thin poha flakes and coriander leaves. Mix well.
• You can also add handful of pomegranate seeds on top before serving.
3. Kesar badam milk
Ingredients:
Saffron (kesar) - few strands
Almonds 5-6 pc
Ground cardamom - a pinch
Dates (seedless) - 2-3 pc
Milk - 1 cup
Method
• Soak the dates in little milk till it becomes soft and mushy.
• In a blender add the dates, almonds and milk.
• Then warm the milk and add kesar to it.
• Lastly, add a pinch of ground cardamom and serve.
4. Masoor (whole) pulao
Ingredients:
Rice - ½ cup
Whole masoor (soaked) - 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 1-2 pc
Onions - 1 small
Tomatoes - 1 small
Red chili powder, turmeric, coriander seeds powder, cumin seeds - ½ tsp each
Bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, whole pepper cones - 1 pc, 1 pc, 1 small pc, 3-4 pcs
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Coriander leaves - handful for garnish
Method
• Take oil in pressure cooker and add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, whole pepper cones, cumin seeds and let them sputter.
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chili and onions and let them cook.
• Add tomatoes along with red chili powder, turmeric, coriander seeds powder and cook for a minute.
• Add whole soaked masoor and rice.
• Add water, salt and mix well.
• Close the cooker and wait for 2 whistles. Lastly, garnish with coriander leaves.
5. Foxtail millet laddoo
Ingredients:
Foxtail millet - ½ cup
Ghee - 1 tsp
Dates - 2 pc
Nuts powder (almonds + cashew) - 1 tbsp
Desiccated coconut - 1 tbsp
Jaggery (optional) - 1 tbsp
Method
• Dry roast foxtail millet and let it cool.
• Grind the millet into powder.
• In a pan take ghee and add the powdered millet. To it add the nuts powder, coconut, chopped dates and mix well.
• You can add jaggery to the mixture as well.
• Roll the mixture into laddoo and enjoy.
