“Vakratunda Mahakaaya, Suryakoti SamaprabhaNirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva, Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada”
Meaning: Lord Ganesha has a curved trunk with a powerful body. He has the brilliance of a million suns. May the Lord, remove all the problems from the actions I aim to achieve.
“HAPPY GANESHOTSAV” & “SHUBH DASLAKSHNI/PARYUSHAN PARV”
Ganesh Utsav,the great Ganesha festival, is a spectacular festival, honoring Lord Ganesha. The elephant-headed god is worshiped for 10 days from Bhadrapada Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi. It is celebrated all over India, but the maximum grandeur is witnessed in Mumbai and across Maharashtra.
Whereas Daslakshn/Paryushan Parv is observed by Jains, which also falls at this time and which is all about self discipline, self awareness, meditation and fasting.
These ten days are so pious,blissful and divine.
Being born and raised in Delhi hence, I’ve not seen Ganpati Utsav being celebrated as grandly as on the Western side of India.
But World is just a touch away, all thanks to Mass Media. Sitting in the comforts of my home I’m enjoying all the festivities ongoing in Mumbai.
As we all know Ganpati n Modak( The special kind of sweet offered to Ganpatiji) are synonyms. I’ve never made Modaks but I really got tempted to try out these divine beauties.
From the traditional recipe to its newer avatars, I was thinking which recipe to try to make this sweet blessing at home.
My experimental mind pushed me to make something different so I tried this MEETHE CHAAWAL KE MODAK AKA SWEETENED RICE MODAK
I just enjoyed making these Modaks and my family loved them. This whole batch was finished in 5 mins.
I’ve added Strawberry crush to give Pink color n Mango pulp to give Yellow color.
INGREDIENTS:
Rice- 1.5cup
Sugar- 1.5cup
Desiccated Coconut(I’ve used fresh one)- 1 cup
Milk- ½ cup
Ghee- 1tbsp
Cashews- 5 sliced
Almonds- 5 sliced
Pistachios- 5 sliced
Cardamom- 5 ( only seeds)
Strawberry Crush- 2 tbsp
Mango Pulp- 2 tbsp
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the rice till the water runs clears of the starch.
Soak for half an hour.
In a big pan boil 6-7 cups of water.
Drain the soaked rice and add to boiled water.
Cook till fully done.
When fully done strain the cooked rice and keep aside.(It’ll yield about 5 cups of cooked rice).
Keep it covered.
In a pan put 1tbsp of Ghee,Coconut, sugar and all nuts.
Coarsely ground the seeds of cardamoms and add.
Sauté for 2-3 mins.
Sugar will melt and all the ingredients in this coconut mix will incorporate well.
Now add cooked rice to this mix.
Next add the milk.
Let it cook.
Keep mashing the rice gently with the back of the ladle.
In about 6-7 mins all milk will be soaked by rice.
Rice should be of slightly mushy texture.
Now divide this Rice mix in three parts.
In a pan put one part from the divided three parts.
Add strawberry crush.
Cook for 2-3mins.
Keep it aside.
In a pan put the second part of rice.
Add mango pulp.
Cook for 2-3mins.
Keep it aside.
Let the rice come to room temperature.
Now we’ll make Modaks with our prepared colorful rice.
Take a portion of rice, place it on one side of the modak mould. Close it tightly.
Remove the excess rice mixture from the sides n demould the Rice Modak from the mould.
Your sweet cute Modaks are ready.