The first of the season’s festivities have begun and Ganpati Bappa has arrived! Ganesh Chaturthi, like every other auspicious day, is incomplete without something sweet. Traditional or unconventional, these truly promise a happy ending to the day.
From the celebration-apt modak (with a twist) to basundi, halwa and more — check out five sweet dish recipes that are simple to make and are synonymous to the day.
Chocolate modak
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There’s no Ganesh Chaturthi without modak. While the steamed ukdechi modak is the traditional go-to for the day, there are many other versions you can try. Less than 30 minutes, and with a dash of chocolate — this modak recipe is one you can batch cook and gorge on through the week.
Ingredients:
For modak-
- Grated mawa: 1 large cup
- Grated milk chocolate: 1 small cup
- Grated white chocolate: 3-4 tablespoons
- Sugar: 2 tablespoons
- Cardamom powder: ½ teaspoon
- Ghee: 2 tablespoons
- Modak moulds
For garnishing-
- Finely chopped almonds: 2-3
- Finely chopped pistachios: 3-4
- Saffron strands: 1 teaspoon
Recipe:
- Grease the modak moulds and keep aside. If you don’t have modak moulds, shaping the modaks by hand works just as well
- In a non-stick pan, add the grated mawa and start cooking it on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning
- In about 2-3 minutes, you’ll notice the mawa beginning to melt. Stir lightly and add sugar. Mix well and cook for another 1-2 minutes
- Now, add the grated milk and white chocolate and give all the ingredients a good mix
- Keep stirring until the mixture is thick
- Add cardamom powder and cook until mixture has turned into a soft dough and does not stick to the sides of the pan
- Switch off the flame and transfer the mix to a large plate
- Let it cool before you start shaping the modaks
- Place them on a plate and garnish them
Basundi
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Lighter than kheer, but more than flavoured milk, basundi fits in perfectly in the light desserts category. Sweet, flavourful and very festive, This quick and easy drink and dessert is best served chilled during late-night addas.
Ingredients:
- Condensed milk: 200 gm
- Full fat milk: 1 litre
- Cardamom powder: 1 teaspoon
- Nutmeg powder: ½ teaspoon
- Cashew: 8-10
- Raisin- 8-10
- Pistachio: 8-10
- Almonds: 8-10
- Saffron strands: ½ teaspoon
Recipe:
- In a deep-bottom pan, add milk and the condensed milk and mix well
- Place the pan on the oven and keep the flame low to medium. Keep stirring at regular intervals and cook for 25-30 minutes till the milk begins to thicken
- Add nutmeg, cardamom powder and saffron strands
- Add cashew, raisin, pistachio and almonds once the milk is of the desired consistency
- Cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the oven
- Serve luke warm or chilled
Shrikhand
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The creamy yoghurt-based dessert is an indulgence, and really easy to make. Savour bowlfuls of the treat or fry up hot puris and have a festive meal of shrikhand-puri. Either way, this one should be featuring on the dessert menu for sure.
Ingredients:
- Hung curd, fresh: 1 kg
- Powdered sugar: 9-10 tablespoons
- Cardamom powder: ½ teaspoon
- Saffron strands: 1 tablespoon
- Finely chopped pistachios: 8-10
- Finely chopped almonds: 8-10
- Finely chopped cashews: 8-10
- Warm milk: 2-3 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Mix half of the kesar strands with some milk in a bowl, stir well and set aside
- Add hung curd in a bowl and add the powdered sugar. Gently fold and mix the two ingredients together
- Add the saffron milk and the cardamom powder
- Beat until smooth and light using an electric beater or using your hands
- Add the nuts and refrigerate. Serve cold
Shakkarpara or shankarpali
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Shakkarpara, more commonly called shankarpali, are crispy sweet nuggets ideal for the munchies, and for quickly-made sides on your plate of prasad
Ingredients:
For the dough-
- Maida or all purpose flour: 1 cup
- Semolina (suji): 1 tablespoon
- Ghee: 2-3 tablespoons
- Powdered sugar: ½ cup
- Full fat milk: ½ cup
- Salt: A small pinch
- Vegetable oil
For sugar syrup-
- Sugar: 1 cup
- Water: ½ cup
- Whole cardamom: 2
- Saffron strands: 1 teaspoon
Recipe:
- Add maida and ghee in a bowl and mix well. The maida should hold shape when clumped together and break easily as well
- Add milk and knead into a tight, but slightly soft dough
- Roll out the dough to about the thickness of a paratha
- Cut into diamond shapes and deep fry till golden brown
- Make the sugar syrup when you are almost done frying all the shakkarparas
- The sugar syrup has to be sticky and have a thread-like in consistency
- Add all the fried shakkarparas to the syrup
- Place the sugar-dipped shakkarparas in a plate and let it cool so the sugar forms crystals on them
- Store them in an airtight container and munch away
Tip:
- Add the shakkarparas to the sugar syrup once they have come to room temperature
Moong dal halwa
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If there’s a dessert that's #SoulFood, it is perhaps halwa in any shape or form.
P.S. If you want to add a twist to the halwa and have readymade tart shells at home, then add dollops into the shells, garnish with slivers of nuts and dig in.
Ingredients:
- Moong dal: 1 cup
- Ghee: ½ cup
- Whole cardamom: 2
- Cardamom powder: ½ teaspoon
- Full fat milk: 1 cup
- Condensed milk: ½ cup
- Salt: Small pinch
- Broken or chopped cashews: 10-15
- Milk soaked raisins: 10
- Chopped pistachios: 8
- Chopped almonds: 8-10
- Water: ⅓ cup
- Saffron strands: 1 teaspoon
- Powdered sugar: 4-5 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Soak the moong dal overnight. Drain water and make a smooth paste, using ⅓ cup water. Remember, the batter cannot be too runny
- Take a deep pan and add ghee. Melt ghee and add the cardamom pods and the lentil paste
- Start cooking in low flame, stirring frequently
- Cook the moong dal until the raw smell is gone, there are no lumps, and the colour is golden
- Meanwhile, in another pan, add milk, condensed milk, cardamom powder, saffron strands, powdered sugar and cook on low heat. Bring to a full boil and turn off the heat
- Add the milk to the moong dal and give one good mix
- Cook in low flame till the dal has absorbed the milk and the mix is not sticking to the side of the pan. The halwa should be soft in texture
- Add the nuts and salt. Mix well
- Check seasonings and texture and turn off the heat
- Serve hot with toppings of your choice
