Gouri -Ganesha Festival Special Dishes.

Happy Gouri -Ganesha Festival to all. 
Gouri Ganesha Festival is celebrated in all most all parts of India. Ganapati/Ganesha, being the vighna vinashaka means he solves all the problems whatever it comes. He should be prayed first in any function takes place. This year Ganesha festival is on Thursday 17th of September. The previous day will be Gouri festival. Many people do bring Gouri-Ganesha statue which is made of mud. After the pooja and prasadam people do visit Ganesha kept in other places. Ganesha festival day many  dishes are  prepared to offer at pooja as prasadam and distributed to people who comes to see Ganapa/ Ganesha/ Vinayaka /Vignesha. It is said that what ever you prepare must be 21 in number. People do 21 namaksarass, seeing 21 Ganesha statues etc.
 Feast means number of dishes cooked and served and a heavy meal at the end of the pooja is enjoyed with the whole family. People do many dishes like Laddus, Chakli, Kadubu and kajjayas, Holige and Karchikai/ karanji etc etc.
Here are some simple recipes one could enjoy your meal fully in a healthy way. 

Shavige Kheer- Harive soppina Huli - Patrode and Kai kadabu

First day is the Gouri pooja and ladies pray for the health of their husband and the people of the house. Bhagina (Haladi -Kumkum) is given to ladies. Then only the cooking starts. It will be some easy recipes on that day. Our Udupi side people do preparation with leaves and some payasam. There is a story behind this, since the parents of Parvathi were very poor and could not offered much they could only prepare the leaves (which you get in plenty during this time of the year) dishes and payasa.
Gouri Festival day : Special Dishes

1. Harive Soppina Huli (Amaranth leaves curry)

Things needed :

Amaranth leaves/Harive soppu  : 1 bundle
Toor/ Moong dal : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 3 Tablespoons.
Coriander seeds/daniya seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilli " 5 to 6
Tamarind : a small marble size.
Salt : to taste
Mustard splutter with urid dal, ingh, curry leaves

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal. Let it cool.
2. Wash and cut harive soppu and cook till they turn soft.
3. Grind coconut, raw coriander seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind with little water till paste consistency.
4. Now keep a big pan on the fire and add cooked dal, leaves, salt and turmeric powder. Mix it well. Let it cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add ground coconut-coriander mixture and mix it well. Let it cook on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Shift the ready curry and add mustard splutter with ingh and curry leaves.
7. The curry is ready to serve.

2. Patrode ; Kesu patrode :

Things needed :

Kesu /Colocasia leaves : 8 to 10.
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Toor dal :1/2 cup
Raw rice : 2 cups
Red chilly 6 to 8
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Tamarind : a small lemon size
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : to taste

Method :

Wash all the leaves and remove the stem behind the leaves and keep it aside. Soak rice , urid dal, toor dal. methi seeds for 2 hours and grind them with coconut, daniya seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind.
Add jeggary, salt and grind at the end and remove from the mixi jar. Add salt and mix it well.
Just spread one leaf and spread the dough on it nicely. Add one more leaf on the top of the first one and spread the dough. Repeat the same on one more leaf.  (not more than 4 leaves ).
Fold the sided to the center and roll them like chapati roll.
Arrange them on a plate and steam cook in Idly cooker or pressure cooker for 25 to 30 minutes.
Prick it a knife edge to know that is cooked well. Patrode is done if the dough does not stick to the knife edge.
Patrode is ready to serve.

3. Shavige Kheer

Things needed : 

Shavige/thin noodles : 1/2 Cup
Milk : 2 Cups
Sugar : 2 To 3 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Tablespoon
Dry Fruits : 2 Tablespoons : (Cashew Nuts and Raisins).

Method :

Fry Shavige/thin noodles on a low flame with a teaspoon of ghee.
Add boiled milk and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add sugar and stir well.
Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
Fry cashew nuts and raisins in a teaspoon of ghee and add it to the kheer.
Shift the kheer to a serving bowl and add powdered cardamom.

Note : Use of more or less sugar is optional. You can use more dry fruits and add almonds to the kheer. Frying should be done on low flame.

Ganesh Festival : Special dishes

1.Kadale Pancha Kajjaya 

Pancha Kajjaya is a sweet dish , pancha means five and kajjaya is some thing sweet. Kadale/Channa dal Pancha kajjaya is prepared using Channa dal or whole channa.

Things Needed :

Channa/Bengal / Kadale bele : 1 Cup
Sugar or Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Ghee : 1 Teaspoon
Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Cardamom : 3 to 4 pods.

Methid :

Dry roast channa/ kadale bele and leave it for cooling.
Powder cardamom and sugar/jaggery in a mixi jar.(dry grinder).
Dry roast coconut on low flame and dry grind it.
Dry grind roasted channa dal coarsely and remove from the jar.
Put powdered channa, dry ground coconut, jaggery/sugar in  a big bowl.
Add a spoon of ghee and mix all the ingredients nicely and put it in a serving dish.

Kai Kadubu (Sweet coconut jaggery stuff).

Things needed : 

Rice flour : 2 Cups
Water : 4 Cups
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 1 Cup (fresh and grated)
Cardamom : 4 to 5 pods.
Salt : a little

Method : 

Powder cardamom and grate coconut. Dry grind coconut with cardamom seeds and keep it aside.
Now keep a pan on the fire and add jaggery and dry ground coconut.
Mix it nicely on a low flame and to a slightly thick consistency.
They should be mixed together and the water content should disappear. Remove from the pan and keep it aside.
Now keep water for boiling on the fire.Once the water boils add rice powder and mix it thoroughly..
Mix it nicely and stir continuously till it gets thick.
It starts leaving the pan. Mix it well again and remove from the pan.
Now mix it well once again and take a small size of cooked dough and prepare Kai kadabu.
Spread the dough in circle shape. Place a spoon full of jaggery coconut mixture in the middle and  fold both sides like a boat shape or half moon shape. Prepare kaikadabu and arrange in the plate.
To give a modaka shape : touch little ghee and take a small lemon size of rice flour dough. Spread it on the palm like a circle shape. Keep a teaspoon of coconut jaggery mixture and bring up all the sides on the top and turn it like a top.
Steam these kai kadubu and modakas in a pressure cooker or idli cooker for 10 to 15 minutes.
Arranging them in pressure cooker: arrange the modak/kaikadabu in a small plate. Put some water to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place a big bowl upside down. Place a plate above the bowl. Keep the  Kai kadabu or Modaka arranged tray or plate on the top of the plate. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. (Do not use weight while steaming).
Modakas/Kai Kadabu  are ready for Naivedyam.

Note : You can prepare kova modakas, just mixing sweet kova and little chiroti rava together, add a teaspoon of ghee and prepare a ball size and give a shape of modaka. You can also prepare dough with rava and maida and keep some sugar and nuts mixture and give a shape to modaka and fry them till they turn brown. Crsipy modakas are ready to serve.

Veggy Modak..

Veggy Modak is a snack ..and you can have them as break-fast or  as evening snack.

Things Needed:
Rice powder: 2 cups
Carrot : 1 cup
Beans : 1 cup
Capsicum:1 cup
Green chilly : 2
Coriander Leaves : 2 Table spoons.
Salt : to taste.
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8 leaves.
Oil: 1 Tea spoon
Method:
Wash and cut all the vegetables, Green chillies and coriander leaves  in to small pieces and keep it aside.
Take a pan and keep it on fire and heat. Put 1 tea spoon of oil . Put mustard seeds and urd daal. let the mustard seed spurt.  Add curry leaves and cut vegetables . Mix well and  cook on low flame adding little water. Add little salt to it. Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes until the water disappear. Put cut coriander leaves and remove from the pan.
Now take an another pan and put  4 cups of water and add little salt to it. .  Bring to boil and  add rice powder little by little while the water boiling. Mix it well and stir the dough for at least 5 minutes. The dough gets thickens .Stir well and remove from the pan and keep it aside. Make balls when the dough when it becomes cool and flatten them with your palm place a spoon full of  vegetable dry curry prepared and close them with your finger giving it Modaka shape. Prepare this kind of modakas placing vegetables in it.  Arrange in a  steam cooker  or pressure cooker and steam them  for 10 minutes and serve hot Modaks with Coconut chutney and a spoonful of pure ghee on hot Modakas.

Mote : Wet your hands while making balls . So that it will be easy to make Modakas. Can add Green peas to the vegetables also.

You can use Maida flour instead of rice powder. ( Roast Maida flour and leaving for cooling . Add plain water and mix as chapati dough and  kneed well and make small balls and then flatten them one by one add the filling and prepare Modakas).
Note on  steaming Modakas in a steamer or Pressure cooker:  Add 2 glasses of water put a small bowl ( any pressure cooker container will do or similar vessel). upside down.  Place a plate on it and arrange the Modakas on the plate and cover the pressure cooker and cook for  10 minutes.

10 to 15  Modakas can be prepared. 

Modaka ( With Rice Flour )

Modaka is a special dish prepared on God Ganesha Festival.......This Modaka is  a healthy sweet dish and can have it even as Break fast.

Things Needed:
Rice  Flour : 2 cups
Water : 2 cups
Jaggery : 1 cup
Coconut : 2 cups .( Fresh and grated)
Cardamom : 5 to 6 seeds.
.
Method:
Grate coconut . Powder the cardamom and keep it aside. Keep a pan on the fire and heat . Put grated coconut and jaggery . Mix thoroughly and stir until the moisture disappear from the coconut mixture. Add cardamom and leave it for cooling.
Now boil water in a  bigger pan.  Pour  rice flour in a bowl and add boiled hot water slowly and mix the flour like chapati dough. Mix it well and Knead the dough thoroughly.  Now apply little oil or ghee to your palm take a ball size of rice flour dough and pat it and spread little and place a spoonful of coconut jaggery mixture and cover from all side and bring it to ball shape. ( You can bring up the top of Modaka little longer too).  Repeat and prepare modakas from remaining dough.  Arrange all the modakas in a tray or plate.
Keep a pressure cooker on the fire . Put some water (1 to 2 cups )  in the pressure cooker and place a small vessel down and  keep the arranged modakas on the top of that vessel and steam it for 10 to 15 minutes.  Modakas are ready to serve.
Note: Mix rice flour with required water.  So that the dough will be easy to prepare Modakas. You can also use idli stand to steam the Modaka. ( Same as idli prepared) . Do not use weight while steaming . Can cover the hole of pressure cooker with a glass.
15 to 16  Modaks can be prepared .

Modaka & Karchi Kayi. ( With Nuts )

Ganesha Festival is nearing. Some tasty Prasadam should be prepared for Lord Ganesha as Naivedyam..

 Ganesha is Modaka Priya, priya means likes and modaka is one of the traditional dish done either steamed or fried.
I have tried simple and healthy way of Fried modakas which are very crunchy, filled with jaggery,dry nuts and little jaggery. It is easy to prepare and nice to have them for festivals. In our place we do prepare this modak

Things Needed :

Chiroti Rava /Thin variety of Rava : 1 Cup
Maida (  Refined wheat flour) :1/2 Cup
Jaggery : 1/2 cup
Dry  Coconut: 1/2 cup
Dry nuts : 2 Tablespoons
Oil : 1 cup ( For frying )
Ghee: 1 tablespoon
Cardamom : 3 to 4
Salt : a pinch
Mixed Nuts :  2 Tablespoons ( Almonds, cashew nuts and raisins).
Poppy seeds : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

 1. Take a big bowl, add maida, ghee, chiroti rava, salt, and mix it well. Add water and mix the dough nicely. ( Take care while adding water. Add water little by little).

2. Dry grind almonds and powder it. Cut cashews into small pieces.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Powder cardamom and keep aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and coconut. Let it mix well. Add dry ground almonds and 

 raisins.

.

5. Mix it well. Add cashews and poppy seeds and let all the moisture from coconut. No need to be mix till it gets thick. Keep the pan down and put off the fire. Let the sweet mixture get cool.
6. Kneed the mixed flour nicely and divide them into small portion.

7. Turn the small portion and turn as a ball shape and roll it flat with roller.
8. Now place a teaspoonfull of sweet conten/Hurana on flattened pooris.

9. Bring all the sides and give a shape of modak or karchikai/sweet fried kadabu.

 
10. Arrange the modakas in a plate or tray.

11. Keep a pan and heat. Put oil and heat. ( Low flame).

12. Fry the modaks one by one on low flame till they turn golden brown.

13. Take it from oil once it is done, put it on a kitchen tissue.

14. Repeat the same with remaining dough and stuffing.

15. Healthy and yummy Modakas are ready to serve.

Note :

Do not stir the sweet content till thick. Let the moisture disappear. Stirring coconut - jaggery mixture helps the ingredients to bind well. Use of more maida is optional. Remember use of chiroti rava/Thing variety of semolina is always better and healthy. Use of sugar instead of jaggery is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 12 to 15 Modakas/Karchikais can be prepared.

Modaka & Kai Kadabu

Modaka is a sweet dish and it is mostly done during Ganesh Chaturthi. Fried or steamed Modakas are prepared with different ingredients. Traditionally it used to be prepare with rice or wheat flour and used jaggery or sugar. But now a days people have tried with chocolate and prepared chocllate modakas, kova modakas, paneer (cottage cheese) modakas etc.

Here is a traditional way of preparing modaks and kaikadubu which is also done during this Ganesha festival. 

Things Needed : 

Outer layer : 

Rice flour : 1 Cup 

Water : 2 Cups 

Salt : a pinch

Hoorana (to stuff it inside)

Coconut : 1 Cup 

Jaggery : 2 to 3 Tablespoons

Cardamom:  2 to 3 pods. 

Method :  

1. Keep water for boiling in a pan or bowl.

2. Add rice flour when the water starts to boil and stir well. Let the flour mix well with water and turns thick

3. Stir continuously til it starts to leave the pan. 

4. Put off the fire and mix the thick dough nicely by just touching the water. ( The mixture will be very hot). 

5. Keep another pan and put jaggery and 1 tablespoon of water. 

6. Let the jaggery melt nicely. Sieve the content with tea strainer. 

7. Grate coconut and dry grind it with cardamom seeds. (remove the seeds from pods and add it to coconut).

8. Keep the cleaned jaggery content and add dry ground coconut. Stir well and let the coconut mixture turn thick.

9. Now take a small size of rice dough and  shape as ball. Flattened the rice dough on your palm. 

10. Keep a teaspoon of coconut jaggery mixture in side and bring up all the sides of the modaka upside. Let it be like a stick shape.

11. Prepare all the dough the same way and then arrange them in a tray or idli cooker. 

13. Keep the modaka plate/ tray on the top of the bowl. Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.

14. Check the modakas that done with a knife edge. (just prick the knife and if the dough does not stick to the edge, modakas are done).

15. Keep the modakas for naivedya (samarpan) and serve as prasadam.   

 Note : The consistency of the dough should not be water or too hard. You can also use modaka mould to prepare modakas. Just place a small size of spread dough and then place the sweet content. close it. The mould helps to fold and gives a good shape. Add jaggery according to your wish. (more /less). Do not add any maida or rava to the dough.
Time :40 minutes
20  Modakas can be prepared.