Maharashtrian Dishes to Try on Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the grandest festivities in Maharashtra. It is dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is a 10-day-long celebration where food is believed to be one of the most important parts. Every day a different delicacy is made and offered to the deity. Since, during the pandemic, mass gatherings are not possible, cooking and eating sweet and savoury dishes at home is probably the best way to enjoy. Staying safe and healthy should be the priority but it does not mean cutting down on all the fun.

If you are planning to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi the Maharashtrian way, remember that what makes it more special are the traditional delicacies below which you should try to include in your menu. You may give these your own touch and experiment with the recipes.

Modak

Lord Ganesha is served some delicious ‘bhog’ and treats which are later distributed to the devotees. And, modaks are an unmissable sweet. There are several varieties of modaks prepared these days, including chocolate ones, the fried variant, kesar flavour, coconut crunch, and the dry fruit edition. While modaks are a must-have in this festival, here are some of the other Maharashtrian delicacies you must try:

Puran Poli

Puran Poli  is a very popular Maharashtrian sweet. It is a sweetbread with a filling made of chana dal, jaggery, cardamom powder and lots of ghee. It is offered as bhog to Lord Ganesha and is an essential part of the puja.

Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth is a savoury dish. It is a multi-grain snack made using a combination of jowar and rice flour. It is easy to make, nutritious, and tasty. It is regularly made in every Maharashtrian house and is a great breakfast option. Try having them with pickles of your choice.

Karanji

Karanji is very similar to gujiya made in North India. It is a fried pastry that contains sweet stuffing of coconut, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, raisins, cardamoms, nutmeg powder, sugar and ghee. The outer part is crispy and made from flour, milk, ghee and salt. This sweet is offered to Lord Ganesha and loved by all. 

Sabudana Vad

It is a traditional prasad item that is prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is a deep fried snack, made of sabudana which is soaked overnight and mixed with boiled potatoes, roasted peanuts and spices to make a delicious treat.

Boondi and Besan Laddoo

We all know that Lord Ganesha is fond of ladoos. Homemade boondi and besan ladoos are so easy to make and taste divine. These ladoos are soft and melt in your mouth.

Rava Sheera or Sooji Halwa

Rava sheera is a classic Indian sweet. It is made on a regular basis at home but it is also made on special occasions or festivals. This is a simple and easy dish made with minimal and basic ingredients, but has a lovely taste when topped with nuts.

Besan Barfi and Kaju Barfi

These two Indian sweets are easily made at home. These are perfectly sweet and have a great texture.

Kesari Shrikhand

Ganesh Chaturthi is incomplete without some kesari shrikhand. It is a special dish made in Maharashtra during this festival. The simple sweet is made with Greek yoghurt, sugar, salt, cardamom, chironji and kesar or saffron. One can add his/her favourite fruit flavours to enhance the taste and even try preparing almond and pistachio shrikhand, aam shrikhand or apple walnut shrikhand.

Apart from these, there are also dishes like varan bhaat, a healthy, wholesome meal made from toor dal and served with cooked rice; moong dal khichdi made with moong dal, rice and whole spices; and sabudana khichdi.

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