Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival in India celebrated around August or September. This festival celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is said to be the God of new beginnings and remover of obstacles as well as the God of wisdom. The placing of a Lord Ganesh idol privately or Publicly in elaborate pandals (temporary stage/mandir) marks the beginning of the festival.
As a offering many types of sweets and fruits are set around the idol which is distributed as prasad (gracious gift from god) to the worshipers. Few of the sweets are variety of modak and ladoos. Many people prefer making the sweets at home as a sign of devotion. The men and women of the house come to gather to make them.
This weekend I stayed at my sisters place. They get a Lord Ganesh idol in their house. For the offering we made around 200 ladoos.

Preparation time: 2hr

Ingredients:

1 kg – Wheat flour
100 g – Samolina (rava)
500 g – Jaggery
200 g – Desiccated coconut
1/2 cup – Sesame seeds (white til)
1/2 cup – Poppy seeds (khas khas)
Oil and ghee as required.
Salt to taste.

Method:

Step 1:

On a pan Dry roast the rava for a few min. In a big bowl, put 1 kg wheat flour. Add the rava and salt. Mix oil little by little until the wheat flour is crumbly. Check the Mixture by taking a hand full flour in your hand. Close the 4 fingers towards the palm and press hard. If it binds and stays that way the mixture is done. If not then add a little oil.
In a pan, Heat water. Pour water little by little into the wheat mixture. Mix properly so there is no lumps. Mix until dough like consistency.

Step 2:

In a pot heat oil. Make small oval shaped balls from the dough. Deep fry them until reddish brown. Let them rest for few minutes until they cool down. In a mixer, grind the wheat balls until fine crumbly mixer. Put it in a bowl. Sieve the mixture if you are not sure that it is fine.
In a pan heat 1 tbsp ghee. Roast sesame seed in it. Cool it then grind it. Put it in the bowl of wheat mixture. In same pan heat 3-4 tbsp ghee. Roast desiccated coconut in it. Cool it and add it to the wheat mixture. Add poppy seeds. Mix it all well.

Step 3:

Roughly chop Jaggery. In a pot, Heat around 1 cup ghee. Add chopped jaggery in it. Stir until the jaggery melts. Pour jaggery mixture in the wheat coconut mixture. Mix it well.
Check the Mixture by taking a hand full flour in your hand. Close the 4 fingers towards the palm and press hard. If it binds and stays that way the mixture is done. If not then add a ghee little by little until it binds.

Step 4:

Finally Make them in ladoos form and put it as an offering to the idol.

Happy munching!🍡🍯🍘🥠🥄

Ganpati bappa Morya.

Like and comment if you like this colorful festival and would love to try out the ladoos.