Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all of you!

I have some awesome recipes waiting for you to try on this day (or tomorrow. It doesn’t really matter. Does it?).

I remember my Mom getting up early morning on this special day every year and preparing all the goodies, which the household savors the whole day – Yummy! Yummy! Today I tried to repeat the same feat and got up very early 4 AM (hope you guys believe me!) and started cooking the following offerings for Ganesh.

1. Pappulo Undrallu (I call it Moong Dal-Undrallu Sweet in english)
2. Chalimidi-Vada pappu
3. Pulihora / Lemon Rice

This will be a long post with all the items in single post as “Ganesh Chaturthi Special.”  Do try them and let me know your feedback.

Moong Dal-Undrallu Sweet (Pappulo Undrallu)

Ingredients:

• Moong dal – 2 cups
• Jaggery – 2 cups
• Rice flour – ¾ cup
• Water
• Cardamom powder – 1tbsp

How to cook Moongdal-Undrallu Sweet:

1. Cook two cups of Moong dal with 2 cups water.
2. Boil one cup of water and transfer half cup Jaggery into it and prepare diluted syrup.
3. Prepare dough with rice flour by adding the above syrup.
4. Mix the dough well and prepare very small laddus (of chick pea size).
5. Cook the above laddus on steam.
6. Transfer these laddus into Moong dal pan and cook for a while.
7. Add the remaining Jaggery and cook well, till it gets concentrated.
8. Sprinkle cardamom powder over it for flavour.
9. Moong dal-Undrallu sweet is ready for Ganesh Nivedyam.

Chalimidi-Vada pappu:

Chalimidi and Vada pappu have to be prepared separately and offered together in a bowl for nivedyam.

Ingredients to prepare Chalimidi:

• Wet rice flour – 1 cup (freshly prepared)
• Jaggery – 1cup (grounded)
• Water – 2 cups
• Moong dal – 1 cup
• Water – 1cup

How to prepare Chalimidi-Vada Pappu:

1. Boil water and transfer half cup Jaggery into it and prepare diluted syrup.
2. Prepare dough with rice flour by adding the above syrup.
3. Mix the dough till it becomes semi-solid. Keep it aside.
4. Wash and soak Moong dal for 3 hours. Drain water from the bowl.
5. Transfer the above chalimidi in to a bowl, make a round, shallow hole in the middle.
6. Pour ghee in that hole.
7. Transfer soaked vadapappu around the chalimidi in the bottom.
8. Chalimidi-Vada pappu is ready for Ganesh Nivedyam.

Paanakam:

Paanakam is an important offering in all Hindu pujas. Mix well 1 glass of water, Jaggery (3 tablespoons), 1 tbsp pepper and 1 tbsp of Cardamom powder in a bowl.

Pulihora / Lemon Rice:

Ingredients:

• Rice – 3cups
• Lemon juice – 4 lemons
• Salt to taste
• For tempering:
• Chana dal – 2 tbsp.
• Urad dal (Minapappu) – 1tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1tbsp
• Red chillies – 6
• Ground nuts – 2tbsp
• Cashew nuts – 2tbsp
• Green chillies – 6 (chopped long)
• Ginger – cube (chopped)
• Curry leaves – few
• Oil – 4 tbsps.
• Turmeric powder – a pinch
• Sugar powder – 1tbsp

How to cook Pulihora / Puliogare / Lemon rice:

1. Wash and add 3 cups of Rice, turmeric powder, one spoon of salt to six cups of boiling water and cook well.
2. Transfer cooked rice into large plate.
3. Add one spoon of oil, curry leaves – mix well and let it cool.
4. Fry ground nuts, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, cashew nuts and red chillies in oil.
5. When mustards starts spluttering add green chillies, ginger pieces, curry leaves and fry well.
6. Put off the flame and add tadka to the rice and mix well.
7. Squeeze fresh juice from lemons, add some salt and 1 tbsp. sugar powder to it. Dissolve completely, add to the rice and mix well.
8. Tingy tingy lemon rice or pulihora is ready for Ganesh nivedyam.