Ganesh Chaturthi & Modak

    We are in the month where we will be welcoming Lord Ganesha! Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu Festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parbat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesh clay idols privately in homes and publicly by Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak in Pune in the year 1893 on elaborate pandals. Observations include chanting of Vedic hymns and Hindu texts such as, prayers and vrata (fasting). Offerings and prasada from the daily prayers, that are distributed from the pandal to the community, include sweets such as modaks as it is believed to be a favourite of Lord Ganesh.

Story Of Modak

    Lord Shiva once visited Anusuya, the wife of an ancient Rishi (sage) named Atri, at their home in the forest. Lord Shiva was hungry and asked to be served food at the earliest. Anusuya, however, said that she would serve Lord Shiva only once Bal Ganesha’s hunger had been satiated.

     Lord Shiva, irked by this, controlled and waited to eat while Bal Ganesha was served wide array of food items. Lord Ganpati ate everything he was served but he still didn’t feel full. His mother, Goddess Parvati, too was stunned to see this.

    Upon realising that Lord Shiva would not have anything left to eat due to Ganpati’s insatiable hunger, Anusuya served the little lord a single piece of sweet. Ganpati let out a loud burp when he ate this, hence indicating that he was finally full. Surprisingly enough, Lord Ganesha’s burp was accompanied by Lord Shiva’s 21 burps!

    Goddess Parvati was curious to know what this sweetened food item was that instantly filled Bal Ganesha’s stomach. When she learnt that it was a modak, Goddess Parvati expressed her wish that Lord Ganpati’s devotees must offer modaks to him, which has carried on across generations ever since.

Modak Recipe

Ingredients

For the shell:

- 1 cup water

- 2 tsp ghee

- 1 cup rice flour

For the filling:

- 1 cup coconut (grated)

- 1 cup jaggery

- A pinch of nutmeg

- A pinch of saffron

Method

1. Add the grated coconut and jaggery to a heated pan.
2. Keep stirring for around five minutes. Add nutmeg and saffron and mix well.
3. Keep cooking for another five minutes and keep on the side.
4. Boil water with ghee in a deep dish. Add flour and mix well.
5. Now cover the dish and cook till its half done.
6. Put some ghee on the base of a steel bowl and knead while the dough is still hot (exercise caution).Take some dough and roll it into a ball. Place the flattened dough into a mould or make a flower-shaped pattern with your hands.
7. Put a spoonful of the filling inside the dough and seal it.
8. Place the dumplings in a muslin cloth and steam them for 15 minutes. Alternately, these can be fried too.
9. Serve with ghee!