Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival celebrating Modakapriya Ganapati, is a time of joy, devotion, and culinary delights. As we come together to offer prayers and sweets to the beloved lord, why not infuse a touch of health into our festive feasts? In keeping with the spirit of celebrating traditions with a modern twist, we present a selection of sweet and savoury recipes that incorporate a dose of health into your celebrations.
- Modak: Modak is synonymous with Ganesh Chaturthi; how could we not start with that? This version uses low GI rice flour for a healthier twist.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Deccan Mudra low GI rice flour
- 1/2 cup grated jaggery
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp ghee
- A pinch of salt
- Water
Instructions:
- Heat ghee in a pan and add grated coconut. Saute for a few minutes until it turns slightly golden.
- In a separate pan, dissolve the jaggery in a little water to make a syrup.
- Mix the rice flour, cardamom powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Gradually add the jaggery syrup and knead it into a smooth dough.
- Take small portions of the dough, flatten them, and stuff them with the sauteed coconut mixture.
- Shape them into modaks and steam them until they are cooked.
- Undrallu (Rice Dumplings) Undrallu is a traditional Andhra dish made during Ganesh Chaturthi. Replace the traditional white rice with low GI rice for the same taste with a longer-lasting feeling of satiety.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Telangana Sona low GI rice
- 1/4 cup grated coconut
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- Water
Instructions:
- Wash and soak the rice for a few hours. Drain the water.
- Grind the rice coarsely with grated coconut, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and salt. Add water as needed to make a thick batter.
- Form small dumplings from the batter and steam them until they are cooked through.
- Chana Dal Modak: Bored of the regular modak? Try this variation of modak made with bengal gram to make your offering memorable.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Deccan Mudra low GI rice flour
- 1/2 cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
- 1/2 cup grated jaggery
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp ghee
- A pinch of salt
- Water
Instructions:
- Pressure cook the chana dal until it becomes soft. Drain any excess water.
- Grind the cooked chana dal with grated jaggery and cardamom powder to make a smooth mixture.
- In a separate pan, heat ghee and add the rice flour. Roast it for a few minutes.
- Mix the roasted rice flour with the chana dal mixture to form a dough.
- Shape the dough into modaks and steam them until they are cooked.
- Kara Kozhukattai Kara Kozhukattai is a savoury version of the traditional modak, filled with a flavorful mixture of spices and coconut.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Telangana Sona steamed rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoon Deccan Mudra Cold Pressed sunflower oil
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon chana dal
- 1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
- 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
Instructions:
- Soak the rice for 3 hours. Drain the water from the soaked rice. Grind the rice with water to a really smooth fine paste. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the chana dal. Wait for the chana dal to turn golden.
- Add in the curry leaves, ginger, onions and green chillies. Add in the salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are cooked and slightly starting to brown.
- Add in the ground rice mixture and stir with a spatula. The rice mixture will immediately thicken up into a mass of dough. Set aside.
- Let the dough cool slightly. When the dough is still warm, dip your hands in cold water and take a small lemon size ball of dough. Press the dough a little to form oblong shaped dumplings. Set aside.
- Place the dumplings on an idli plate or any flat plate and steam it for 15 minutes on a medium flame.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney
Recipe adapted from Suguna Vinodh’s recipe. Check out the original recipe here:
https://www.kannammacooks.com/kara-kozhukattai-kara-kozhukattai-recipe/
- Amini Kozhakattai: This popular savoury dish is often made as an easy add on whenever the sweet kozhakattai or modak is made. But you can always make a batch of this delectable dish to enjoy all on its own.
For the Dough:
- 1 Cup Deccan Mudra Low GI Rice Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Wood Pressed Sunflower Oil
- Hot water as required
For the Coconut Mix:
- 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
- 10-12 Fresh Curry Leaves
- 2 Fresh Green Chillies
For the Seasoning:
- 2-3 tbsps Wood Pressed Sunflower Oil
- 2 Sprigs: Fresh Curry Leaves
- 1/4 tsp Hing/Asafoetida
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Chana Dal
- 2 Whole Dry Red Chillies: Broken
- 2 Fresh Green Chillies: Slit
Instructions:
- Blend all the ingredients for the coconut mixture coarsely to form a nice greenish white mixture. Set Aside for its later use in the cooking process further.
- Prepare the rice flour dough as in the modak recipe. This time, there is no filling. Just make tiny balls from the dough and steam them like idlis.
- Once that’s done, transfer them into a separate plate and start on with the process of tempering the same: Heat up a frying pan over the medium-high flame- Add in the tempering ingredients to it and allow it to splutter and turn aromatic.
- Add the Coconut Mixture, sauté until it’s just lightly browned and add the prepared Kozhukattais into it. Give it all a really good mix until nicely combined and well incorporated. Cook for another couple of minutes or so.
- Take it off the heat and serve it with a spicy chutney.
This Ganesh Chaturthi, let's celebrate with a blend of tradition and health. These recipes, incorporating Deccan Mudra's low GI products, offer a delightful way to enjoy the festivities while making mindful choices for our well-being. May Lord Ganesha bless us with good health and happiness!
