Besan Laddoo

This gram flour sweet is fragrant with the flavor of celebrations in India. Be it Diwali, Dusshehra or Ganesh Chaturthi, Besan Laddoo is a delicacy that hardly anybody hasn’t had the opportunity of tasting. Here’s what you need to do in order to prepare delicious Besan Laddoos at home:
Ingredients:
4 cups Besan
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2 cups Ghee
2 tsp Elaichi Powder
4-6 Drops Saffron Color

Procedure:

Mix the sugar and saffron colour together. Leave it aside.
Melt ghee in a kadhai and cook the besan over low flame.
Stir continuously till the besan becomes light brown in color.
Mix the elaichi powder and stir again.
Remove from the flame and pour it on a thali. Let it cool slightly.
Now mix this with powdered sugar.
Divide it into equal parts and give the shape of laddoos.
Besan Laddoo is ready to be served!

Choco Coconut Modak

Traditionally, Modak is a sweet that probably no Maharashtrian can afford to not have tasted – such is the power of the delicacy! Here’s how you can prepare a choco-coconuty version of the traditional Modak:
Ingredients:
1 cup Chocolate Chips
3 cups Desiccated Coconut
1 cup Condensed Milk
8-10 Walnuts (finely chopped)
Silver Warq as required (cut into half inch squares)

Procedure:
In a big bowl, take chocolate chips, desiccated coconut, condensed milk and walnuts and mix well.
Divide into little portions and press them in modak mould.
Wrap the modaks with silver warq and refrigerate till set.
Serve the Choco Coconut Modak as and when required!

Moong Misal

Moong Misal is nutritious, easy to prepare and a filling Kohlapuri dish. Ganesh Chaturthi is never complete without Moong Misal. Here’s what you need to do to try it at home:
Ingredients:
4 cups Moong Beans
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Ground Cumin
Chili Powder as per taste
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
1 Cucumber (finely chopped)
1 Large Tomato (finely chopped)
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup Plain Yogurt (beaten and strained)

Procedure:
Boil the moong beans in salted water until soft.
Drain and mix with the spice powders and sugar.
Add the chopped vegetables. Let the mixture cool.
Add 1 cup of the yogurt to the vegetables. Refrigerate.
Add salt and chilli powder to taste and serve cold or at room temperature.
Moong Misal is ready to be served!

Thalipeeth

Wholesome and healthy, Thalipeeth is a traditional Maharashtrian dish that is usually served during Ganesh Chaturthi. Thalipeeth is nutritious and can easily be had any time of the day. Here’s the way you can make it at home:
Ingredients:
1 cup Rice Flour
1 cup Bajra Flour or Corn Meal
1 cup Gram Flour
1.5 cups Wheat Flour
250 g Spinach (Palak) or Methi (Fenugreek leaves) chopped
3 - 4 green Chilies (chopped)
2 Onions (chopped finely)
1 inch Ginger
1/2 cup Coriander leaves (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Sugar
A pinch of Asafoetida
Salt and Pepper to taste

Procedure:
Mix all the ingredients together and use warm water to prepare dough.
Grease a tava or a flat pan. Press the dough on it to form a roti.
Apply a little oil on hand to press the roti.
Cook one side of the roti, turn it over and pour a teaspoon of oil. Cook it till golden brown.
Remove it from the flame and serve with a dollop of butter or chutney.

Murukku

Commonly known as Rice Chakli, Murukku is a traditional Maharashtrian recipe that can just not be given a miss during Ganesh Chaturthi. The snack is ubiquitous in Maharashtra during the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Read on to know how to make Murukku at home:
Ingredients:
340 gms Rice flour
115 gms Gram flour
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
1 tbsp Til seeds
2 tbsp Butter
3 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Procedure:
Mix the rice flour and gram flour with asafoetida, chilli powder, butter and salt.
Wash 1 tbsp til seeds and add them to the flour mixture.
Pour water and knead to make soft dough.
Heat oil in a kadhai and press bits of dough through a mould.
Fry the chakli in the oil till crispy and brown.
Drain with a perforated spoon and remove.
Murukku is ready to be served!

Shankarpali

Sweet and crispy, Shankarpali is offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi. The crispiness of the Shankarpali lends its flavour to the festivities that take place during the ten days of Ganesh Chaturthi, and no home can think of giving it a miss! Here’s how to make the snack at home:
Ingredients:
5 cup Wheat Flour
3 tbsp Rice flour
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Milk
1-1/4 cup Sugar
Oil
Pinch of Salt

Procedure:
Mix the milk and water together.
Beat unsalted butter and sugar till it turns fluffy.
Add the flours and salt. Mix them well.
Knead it to soft dough with the help of the milk-water mixture.
Divide the dough into three balls. Roll out thick chapattis.
Cut them into diamond shaped pieces.
Heat oil. Deep-fry the pieces till done.
Shankarpali is ready to be served!

Peda

The sweetness of this popular Indian sweet is best experienced during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. Homes in Maharashtra go generous with the sweet during Ganesh Chaturthi, and Peda is loved by all – young and old alike. Here’s how you can prepare the sweet:
Ingredients:
2 Cups milk powder
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Chopped pistachio nuts

Procedure:
Prepare sugar syrup of one thread consistency.
Add unsalted butter to the sugar syrup on medium flame.
Stir till the butter melts.
Mix cardamom powder and milk powder to it.
Stir till it turns to cake-like batter.
Keep it for cooling.
Make balls from this batter.
Adorn with chopped nuts.
The Peda is ready to be served!

By Ananya Bhattacharya