Treat your loved ones to these festive special dishes this Ganesh Chaturthi

Want to try out some simple but innovative Ganesh Chaturthi recipes this season? Take a cue from the chefs below and surprise your loved ones.

Modak

Executive Chef Anupam Banerjee, Club Mahindra Tungi shares a simple Modak recipe that you can try out at home.

Ingredients

•  Ghee 1 tsp

•  Coconut Fresh 1 cup

•  Jaggery 1 cup

•  Cardamom powder ½ Tsp

•  Water 1.5 cup

•  Salt1/2 Tsp

•  Rice flour 2 cup

•  Poppy seeds 2 tsp

Method:

Stuffing   

•  Grate the fresh Coconut and Jaggery in two seprate bowls and set aside.

•  In a pan take Ghee and add poppy seeds. Keep heat to a low. Fry for some seconds till the poppy seeds start crackling.

•  Then add 1 cup grated fresh coconut (100 grams) and 1 cup chopped jaggery (200 grams).

•  Mix well and cook this coconut-jaggery mixture on a low heat.

•  The jaggery will melt first. Cook on a low heat and stir often.

•  Stirring often, cook this mixture till the moisture from the jaggery begins to dry – about 7 to 9 minutes. Switch off the heat.

•  Don’t overcook as the jaggery then hardens. Keep this coconut-jaggery filling aside and let it cool completely. On cooling, the mixture will thicken more.

Make Rice Flour Dough

•  In a pan add 1.5 cups water, ¼ teaspoon oil or ghee and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep it on the stovetop. Let this mixture come to a boil.

•  Add 1 cup rice flour (150 grams). You can use Homemade Rice Flour or packaged flour. Make sure the rice flour is fresh and within its shelf period

•  Quickly stir and mix the rice flour with the water. Stir till all the rice flour is mixed with the water. Switch off the heat.

•  Remove the pan from the burner and keep on the workplace. Cover the pan with a lid for 4 to 5 minutes.

•  Now take all the dough in a plate or thali or in a bowl. Gather the dough together and begin to knead it.The dough will be hot when you begin to knead. So spread some water on your palms and knead the dough.

•  If you feel the dough looks dense or hard or dry, then just add a few teaspoons of warm water and continue to knead.

•  Take a ball and flatten it with your fingers or on your palms, to a round disc or a shallow bowl shape to a medium thickness. You can apply ghee or oil in your palms, while flattening. You can keep the edges slightly thin and the center can be thick.

•  Place a few teaspoons of the prepared stuffing in the center. Press the edges . You can also press the edges first and then place the stuffing.

• Bring together all the edges and join them. Remove the extra portion of the dough from the top, if any. Shape and taper the top of the modak with your fingers.

•  Place the shaped modak in the greased pan with some space around them. Steam it for 12 to 15 minutes remove and serve hot with Ghee

Millets Fruit Chaat

Chef Varun Inamdar gives a healthier twist to the regular fruit chaat by adding the magic ingredient of the day - millet. Here's how to make it.

Ingredients:

•  1 cup mixed sprouts

•  ½ cup kodo millets

•  2 cups Godrej Jersey Milk

•  ½ cup pineapple, cleaned and diced

•  1 orange, segmented

•  ½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds

•  ½ cup green grapes

•  ½ cup cucumber, peeled and diced

Dressing

•  4 tbsp lemon juice

•  ½ tsp chaat masala

•  ½ tsp pepper powder

•  ½ tsp black salt

•  ½ tsp salt

•  1 tbsp sugar

Method:

• Wash kodo millets twice in running water.

• Transfer in a pressure pan with Godrej Jersey Milk and ½ tsp additional salt.

• Cook under 6 whistles or till they are fork tender.

• The milk would have all been absorbed by now. If not cook it on high open flame till it does.

• In a bowl, transfer all the other ingredients including the ones for the dressing and toss it up. Your warm salad is ready to eat.

• If you wish to enjoy this at a lower temperature, refrigerate as per your choice.