Modak for Ganesh Chaturthi

Rice Modak is a special dish for Vinayaka Chavithi. It is customary to offer twenty-one or hundred-and-eight modaks to Lord Ganesh.





Ingredients:

1. 3 cups rice flour
2. 6 cups, water
3. 6 tsp of oil
4. 4 cups of grated coconut
5. 2 cups of sugar or powdered jaggery
6. a little milk

Procedure:

1. For the outer covering, bring the water to a boil, add oil into it. Take off heat.
2. Now add the rice flour, little by little to avoid lumps from forming, cover the mixture and let it cool.
3. When cool, knead it well into a dough with a smooth finish.
4. The dough should glisten, then you know it's right.
5. For the stuffing, take the coconut and jaggery / sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan.
6. Add milk.
7. Keep on low flame with stirring.
8. Stir and take off heat.
9. The mixture should be fairly dry and turn a shade darker.
10. Now make balls with the (covering) dough.
11. Flatten them on the palm or on a surface into a circle.
12. Place the stuffing in it and cover it completely with the dough.
13. The edges folding and tapering to the centre.
14. Steam cook the modaks in a cooker for 15 minutes until done.

Tips:

1. If using your palms, apply some oil, or you could be in a sticky mess.
2. Use milk to bind edges.

[Kudumulu, Undrallu, Vundrallu, Kari Kadabu]

Payasam - Bengal Gram Dal

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup bengal gram dal
2. 2 cups jaggery powdered
3. a few pods cardamom, powdered
4. 1/2 cup ghee
5. 2-3 cups milk
6. A few cashew nuts and raisins

Procedure:

1. Soak the bengal gram for an hour. Cook in cooker.
2. Keep a kadai on the fire, add half a cup of water, add jaggery, mix thoroughly until it melts.
3. To this add the cooked bengal gram dal, ghee, cardamom powder.
4. Mix well, add a quarter-half cup water, continue to cook, stirring all the while.
5. Add the milk, stir, and take off fire.
6. Fry raisins and cashew in a little ghee and add to the payasam.

Tips:

1. Serve hot

[Payasa, Payasamu, Payas, Payes]

Halwa - Moong Dal

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups moong dal
2. 1 1/2 cups kowa
3. 1 litre milk
4. 1 cup sugar
5. Powdered cardamom
6. 8 tbsp ghee

Procedure:

1. Soak moong for an hour and grind it.
2. Fry the moong in a pan to which ghee has been added till the mix turns golden brown.
3. Add milk and cook.
4. Now add kowa and cook on a low flame, stirring all the while.
5. When the mix is a smooth blend, take off the fire. Keep aside.
6. Now get the sugar syrup ready, add saffron and powdered cardamom.
7. Add the fried dal to this andmix thoroughly.

Tips:

1. Serve hot Moong Dal Halwa.
2. Hot halwa with ice cream is good combination.

[Halva, Haluva, Haluwa]