For Ganesha's sweet tooth

Part I: Tempting Lord Ganesha

Lord Ganesha is reputed for his sweet tooth.

Yesterday, we offered you some recipes to tempt the Lord Of Auspicious Beginnings.

Today, we suggest some more ideas.

Pudi Kolukattai

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour
1 cup jaggery
1 coconut, shredded
1 tsp salt

Method

Heat the rice flour in a dry skillet until lightly roasted. Then spread it out on a tray or tabletop to cool.

Sprinkle a little water on it. Add the salt, jaggery and coconut. Mix together, adding water as needed.

When it is well-kneaded and firm, pinch off from the dough as many lime-sized balls as it will make.

Roll into balls and pinch from one end to create a fist-shaped kolukattai (modak) in the shape of a fresh fig.

Boil water in an idli steamer. Arrange the kolukattais in it, so that they don't touch each other. Steam until the balls are a light brown in colour.

Arrange on a banana leaf or tray and offer Lord Ganesha.

Channa Dal Kheer

2 cups split yellow gram or channa dal

1 cup sugar

1 litre milk

½  cup cashewnuts and raisins, mixed

1 tsp ghee

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

¼ cup almonds

2 drops almond essence

Lightly fry the channa dal in ghee until it browns.

Fry the raisins in a little ghee and keep aside.

Soak the fried dal in 3 cups of hot water for 2 hours.

Soak cashews and almonds in enough milk to cover them.

Grind the dal and soaked cashewnuts and almonds into a smooth, fine paste.

Pour milk into a thick-bottomed pot. Add the ground paste and heat over low flame. Stir the mixture continuously until the milk is reduced to almost half its volume.

Take off the gas and add sugar, cardamom powder and raisins.

When slightly cool, add the essence and mix well. Serve hot or refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve chilled.

Payasam

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati rice, washed
10 cups thick (heavy cream) milk
1 cup sugar
A dash of cardamom powder
1 tbsp cashewnuts, thinly sliced
Ghee for frying

Method

Fry the cashewnuts in a little ghee and keep aside.

Boil milk in a heavy-bottomed pot with 2-3 cups of water.

Put half the milk into another vessel. Add the rice to remaining milk and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rest of the milk gradually. Continue to stir constantly.

When the rice is cooked and mashed well, add sugar and stir till it is dissolved.

Remove from heat. Add cashewnuts and cardamom powder. Serve warm or well chilled.

Part I: Tempting Lord Ganesha

Share your favourite Ganesh Chathurti recipes with us. The last date for sending in recipes is September 14. Don't forget to add your name, where you are from and your contact number.