The joy of celebrations is always meant to flow far and wide, even if you are at home sending greetings to someone kilometres away. And nothing decodes these festivities like Indian sweets and the auspicious Ganesh Chaturthi is no different. As we gear up to celebrate this festival, the sweetness of the festivities engulfs us through the making of traditional sweets. From the ancient times of considering mithai as a junction of all things good, these sweets find a place in everything auspicious. As people prepare to welcome Lord Ganesh in their homes, they are gearing up to fill the fixation of Indian mithai. Nowadays, some revamped versions of these sweets have become synonymous, owing to the global palate and health reasons. Hence for this Ganesh Chaturthi, we have handpicked some of the country's best chefs' decadent recipes of traditional sweets however with some twists in exotic flavours and ingredients to celebrate this thread of togetherness from all over.
Chef-Approved Revamped Traditional Sweet Recipes For Ganesh Chaturthi
1. Instant Kalakand
(Recipe By Chef Ranveer Brar, Brand Ambassador of Go Cheese)
What's better than home-made kalakand for Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ingredients:
1 and a half cup of condensed milk
1 cup of crumbled paneer
ADVERTISEMENTOne-fourth tsp of cardamom powder
One-fourth of a cup of chopped mixed nuts (Pistachios, almonds)
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Method:
Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium flame. Add condensed milk and cook till it is warm.
ADVERTISEMENTNow add in crumbled paneer and mix well. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
After few minutes, it will turn to a thick mass and will begin to leave the sides of the pan. This is the time to turn the flame off.
Take a greased plate and transfer the kalakand mixture to the greased plate, spread it to three-fourth inch of thickness.
Smooth the top evenly and top up with chopped nuts, pat lightly.
Refrigerate the kalakand for 2-3 hours. After chilling cut into desired shapes and serve.
2. Chocolate Modak
(Recipe By Chef Arvind Rai, Executive Chef, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi)
With rich and delicious flavours of chocolate, this chocolate modak recipe makes it an excellent treat for Ganesh Chaturthi
Ingredients:
Khoya : 150 gm
Sugar : 50 gm
Elaichi Powder : 1 gm
Chocolate Compound : 25 gm
Method:
Grate Khoya and mix together with grated chocolate, sugar and Elaichi powder.
Divide the mixture into small equal-sized roundels.
Put the roundel into modak shaped mould and set the shape.
Take out and serve with a garnish of chocolate sticks.
3. Boondi Rabri
(Recipe By Andie Rawat, Corporate Chef, Noor Mahal, Karnal)
Boondi Rabri tends to have the perfect blend of flavours that makes it a must-have for festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi
Ingredients:
Milk (Full cream) - 1 litre
Pista - 7-8 (Chopped)
Sugar (Powder) - Half cup
Readymade Shahi Boondi (Colourful) - 1 cup
Method:
Bring the milk to boil in a large non-stick pan and stir it occasionally in low flame.
After 15 minutes, add sugar.
Once a layer of cream is formed over the milk, stick it to the sides of the pan.
Repeat the gathering of cream to the sides of the pan.
Repeat the process at least 4-5 times or till milk reduces to one-third.
Transfer the hot rabri to a bowl and let the rabri remain cool at room temperature.
Spread the readymade Shahi boondi in a deep vessel/bowl.
Pour the Rabri over boondi bowl and add chopped pista with silver paper.
Serve it cold
4. Vegan Rasmalai Cake
(Recipe By Chef Sahil Sharma, Executive Sous Chef, Fairmont Jaipur)
For the ones on the radar of conscious and healthy eating, this recipe is a dairy-free spin on the popular Bengali dessert - Rasa Malai.
Ingredients
For the Malai:
1/2 cup of raw cashews
1 tbsp of raw pistachios about 6-7
1 cup water. (Use scant cup)
3 -4 strands of saffron
5-6 tbsp of sugar.
1/8 tsp salt
1 cardamom pod, seeds
For the Malai Cake:
1/2 cup of raw cashews
1 tbsp of corn starch or tapioca starch
1 cardamom pod seeds
3-4 saffron strands
1/2 cup of almond flour
1 big pinch of salt
3 tbsp of vegan cream cheese
2 tsp of vegan butter or use oil
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
For Garnish:
1 tbsp of almond slivers
1 tbsp of chopped raw pistachios
Method:
For the Milk:
Soak the cashews and pistachios overnight, or at least 4 hours. Then drain well and add to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and blend until the mixture is really smooth. It will look like milk, and that's okay. Taste and adjust Sweet and set aside.
For the Malai Cake:
You want to convert the cashews into flour, so add the cashews, cardamom, corn starch, and saffron in a blender, and blend for 15 seconds, then start pulsing every few seconds. Use a spoon to move the mixture around so there are no cashews lurking in the corners, and pulse a couple of times more until the mixture is a fine meal. If there are any cashew pieces left, remove them, or try to pulse them in by pulsing a couple more times, and then remove any remaining large cashew pieces from the mixture.
Transfer to a bowl; add the almond flour, salt, cream cheese, butter, and sugar and mix. Press and mix with a spatula, or use your hands to make dough.
Grease a shallow baking dish, and press this dough onto the dish into a square or rectangle, less than half an inch thick, and even out the edges.
Bake at 275 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture feels completely dry on top, and has lightened in colour.
Take the pan out and let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then slice the cake into an inch or inch and a half big squares, and slightly separate it out. The centre will feel very soft, so separate out only if it's not breaking into pieces.
Pour the entire sauce mixture all over to submerge the cake.
Garnish with pistachios and almond slivers, and let this mixture chill for at least a few hours before serving.
5. Churmaa Laddoo
(Recipe By Chef Rajendra Kumar, Sterling Resorts, Manali)
This is a traditional preparation by the people of Himachal. For the tribes, it's very auspicious to use certain key ingredients in all religious ceremonies. Well, isn't it a perfect fit for Ganesh Chaturthi?
Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 400 gms
Desi ghee - 200 gms
Almond - 10 gms
Pistachio - 10 gms
Jaggery - 300 gms
Method:
Take flour in a deep bowl add Desi ghee and knead into a stiff dough, divide the dough into a small bowl. Press with your finger in a centre of each portion to make an indentation.
Heat desi ghee in a non-stick kadhai and deep fry the dough portion on a medium flame for 90 mins.
Ensure the dough is constantly stirred until it turns golden brown.
Cool the dish for approximately 20 mins or until it hardens.
Then break the hardened dough into smaller pieces and blend in the mixer until it's a powder.
Add the powder back into the kadhai and heat on a slow flame.
Add the remaining 3 tabs desi ghee and Jaggery for approximately 2-3 mins.
Add dry fruits into the mixture and let it simmer for another 1-2 mins on low heat.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 15 mins.
Then divide the mixture into equal portions and roll into small/medium round shapes.
Garnish with finely chopped pistachio and almonds before serving the ladoos.
6. Orange Rasgulla
(Recipe By Chef Kanakadri N, Go Native, Bengaluru)
Rasgulla is a staple in Indian festivities. Well, you can't leave your chance having these delicious softballs on Ganesh Chaturthi too.
Ingredients:
Orange juice - 1 cup
Orange rind - 1tbsp
Khandhari sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 1 litre
Method:
Start with boiling the milk until it reaches boiling point.
Add lemon juice to curdle the boiling milk.
Once the milk curdles, strain and keep the extracted cottage cheese aside.
Use your hands to make small softballs of cottage cheese.
Boil the balls in sugar syrup.
Make a syrup with khandhsari sugar, orange juice & orange rind.
Soak the rasgullas in the orange syrup. Serve warm and fresh!
7. Quinoa Modak
(Recipe By Amrita Pandey, Nutritionist, Organic India)
An innovative sweet but healthy one - quinoa modak is one dessert that will let you have all the fun of Ganesh Chaturthi festivities in a fit style.
Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa flour
2 tbsp of cashew nut powder
1 cup of jaggery powder
2 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of dried coconut
3 tbsp of ghee
Method:
First dry roast Quinoa flour in a nonstick pan.
After roasting add cashew nuts powder, Jaggery Powder, honey, desiccated coconut and mix it nicely and make dough.
Then roll a ball from the dough and give Modak shape by hand. Followed by making lines on modak by hand for design.
Let it cool before serving.
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