Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Moving away from modak, here are other favourites that make it to the offering platter

A gaggle of children going from door to door singing aartis and collecting lipsmacking naivedyas offerings made to god is one of the fondest memories 57yearold cookbook author Sudha Menon has of living in the Railway colony in Dombivli Like any other society in the city during 11 days of Bapparsquos visit this one too was a cacophony of beautiful chaos because bringing the elephant god home means pulling out all stopsPrabha Kini makes a special seviyan kheer that is part of the naivedya offered on the first day to Bappa PICANURAG AHIREldquoThe excitement of waiting for a dollop of the sweet gooey panchamrut to be plopped on your cupped hand is something elserdquo reminisces Menon ldquoA must in every naivedya thali it is presented to Ganpati Bappa before the kids polish it off My amma made one of the best panchamruts in the area everyone said she was giftedrdquo The Malayali who grew up in a quintessential Maharashtrian neighbourhood adds ldquoFor Appa who worked for the Indian Railways and headed a union bringing people togethermdasheither to listen to their grievances or for festivities meant a lot It was embedded in the hustle and bustle of middleclass life My siblings and I would be in a race to see who eats the last bit of the panchamrut firstrdquo she chuckles as she gets nostalgic over a phone call from Pune where she now livesThe Malayali panchamrut her mother made is different from the Maharashtrian version which has milk or curd Here overripe bananas are the hero of the dish Mandevli is a tiny neighbourhood in central Chennai that houses the famous Mundagakanni Amman Temple Here independent homes lined with trees are a usual sight This is where nutritionist and author Supriya Arun spent the formative years of her life ldquoOur home was not bigrdquo she says ldquobut it wasnrsquot as small as the apartments in Mumbai are and this time of the year it would be bustling with guests and the voice of my grandmothermdashwho ruled the kitchen with an iron fistmdashinstructing my motherrdquo Arun moved to Goregaon around 25 years ago and still lives therePanchkhadya made of freshly grated coconut and used as a superfood provides sustenance The version made with dried coconut right has a longer shelf life and makes for a healthy snackThe region has its unique take on what can be offered as naivedya to Ganpati Sugiyan was ironically invented centuries ago in Tamil households as a leftover snack during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations but found its way to Bapparsquos naivedya thali ldquoIn Mandevli Ganpati visits our home only for a day so that meant many visitors and thus heaps of leftover food especially medu wada batter So we add a pinch of salt and asoefatida and thin it down with water Then we shape tight balls out of the leftover modak filling dip it in the batter and deep fryrdquo explains Arun whose Maharashtrian neighbours are completely in love with the dish ldquoIt tastes like modak but also not like it leaving your palate confused Our neighbours call it medu wada modakrdquo she chucklesIn Karwar naivedya is incomplete without seviyan kheer Prabha Kini has been making it at her Santa Cruz home ever since she got married 45 years ago ldquoAt my husbandrsquos home this kheer is a must on the first day Four decades on I have continued that tradition albeit with my finishing touches Once the pooja is done I add a bit of vanilla custard powder to the kheer and keep it to chill in the fridge It makes the kheer thicker and gives it a phirnilike texture once it cools down I add a spoon of rose syrup to my bowl because I like it that wayrdquo she adds with a guilty cackleSugiyan is the Tamil offering made to Ganesha and is made with leftover medu wada batter and modak fillingIn Maharashtra panchkhadya is a must on the naivedyacha taat It is a blend of five ingredients starting with the Marathi alphabet lsquokhrsquo Khobra dried coconut kharik dried dates khus khus poppy seeds khadi sakhar rock sugar and khishmish raisins Cookbook author Roopa Nabar says ldquoIt was a superfood even before superfoods became a trendy term a beautiful amalgamation of five flavourful wholesome ingredients which according to Ayurveda rejuvenate revitalise and nurture potency and lean body mass from toddlerhood to late adulthood The recipe changes with regions and family traditions while keeping the abovementioned ingredients constant at the centrerdquoIn her recipe dry grated coconut is roasted with poppy seeds and almond slivers ldquoAfter coolingrdquo Nabar expands ldquoIt is coarsely ground with rock sugar dried date powder and cardamom powder and then mixed with finely chopped raisinsrdquo This kind of panchakhadya has a longer shelflife few days and can be prepared in advance ldquoAt our village in Shiroda Goardquo she adds ldquofreshly grated coconut is used It gives the energy and strength to carry on until pooja is over since meals are often delayed Like a true superfood it keeps everyone especially kids and elders satiated and nourished at the same timerdquo adds NabarFinally moong or chana dal and freshly grated coconut are roasted and mixed with jaggery cardamom powder and finely chopped cashews This is served in a dron plate made of dried leaves along with pieces of fruits such as chickoo banana pineapple and pomegranateIn sleepy coastal towns such as Alibaug Ganursquos arrival is also celebrated with much fervour Siddharaj Thale a lawyer and native documentator shares ldquoBappa is welcomed as a child here He is Goddess Gaurirsquos nephew and is believed to be visiting his grandmotherrsquos home He is made to sit on a banana leaf placed on a heap of rice and food and fed everything Gauri likes On the first day itrsquos modak bhirda on the second therersquos rushichi bhaji a dry curry with vegetables root vegetables and leafy vegetables on the third day there is maathachi bhaji on the fourth itrsquos bhendi and pumpkin Homemade sweets accompany each of these meals and kelache umber is a must on the fifth day the one on which he is taken into the sea for immersionrdquoKelache umber are sweet banana fritters and in Agri homes they are made from overripe bananas It is a part of the lsquoshidorirsquo or tiffin packed in a banana leaf for Bappa when devotees say goodbye Curd rice goes with it ldquoBaby Ganpati needs food on his journey back so you must not send him emptyhandedrdquo says Thale ldquoAnd in keeping with our reverence of the ocean whom we consider our mother the food feeds the fish and other marine life as the banana leaf unfolds in water It also signifies and reminds us to always give back to Mother Nature and help her stay nourishedrdquoSeviyan kheerIngredients1 cup of seviyan1 tsp ghee2 cups milkfrac12 cup sugarA few almonds raisins and cashewsMethodRoast seviyan in a pan with ghee and keep aside Add milk to the same pan and bring to a boil Add sugar and eventually add seviyan Bring it to a rolling boil for two to three minutes and then cover and simmer for a few minutesPanchkhadyaIngredients2 bananas sliced1 tbsp raisins5 dates deseeded chopped2 tbsp brown sugar1 12 tbsp honey18 tsp cardamom powderTiny piece of edible camphor1 tbsp sugar candy kalkandu1 tsp gheeMethodAdd all ingredients except sugar candy kalkandu to a bowl Mash well with your hands or using a masher Keep it coarse Add sugar candy and mix well Serve