After Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami, the country is now getting ready to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam. One of the biggest festivals among Hindus, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with much enthusiasm, especially in Maharashtra. The 10-day-extravaganza marks the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha - the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
This year, Ganesh Mahotsav will begin on August 31, and will culminate with Ganesh Visarjan on the 10th day of the festival. During this period, devotees bring the idol of Lord Ganesha home and worship him for prosperity and a good future. Huge pandals are set up to celebrate the festivities, devotees chant to mark the arrival of Bappa, and prepare different prasads to offer to Lord Ganesha.
Food, like in every Indian festival, plays a major role in Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations too. More so, because it is believed that Lord Ganesha loved mithai, especially modak, which remains common in every bhog thali. Devotees prepare delicious sweet dishes to offer as bhog to him.
A sweet dumpling - prepared with rice flour, coconut, jaggery, and more - modak also has several variations that range from the classic Maharashtrian Ukdiche Modak to the fried ones. Then, there are modak varieties that come with different fillings - chocolate, kesar, and more. Did you know that there’s another dish that is widely relished alongside modak during this time of the year? It’s called nivagrya.
Nivagrya is a disc-shaped, bread-like spicy dish, which is usually prepared with the leftover rice flour that is used to make modak. Popular in the Konkan region of Maharashtra, nivagrya is commonly eaten alongside modak to balance the sweet and spicy flavours. But a lot of people also pair it with their cup of evening chai. While it is quintessentially a Ganesh Chaturthi dish, it is so easy to make that people can relish it at any time. All you need are just a handful of ingredients at home.
The recipe is pretty simple as you just need some leftover rice flour, cumin seeds, green chillies, oil, water, and salt. First, boil water with salt and oil, lower the flame and add rice flour to it. Mix continuously until you get a soft dough. Shift the dough to a plate and add green chillies and jeera to it. Then, add some salt, if needed. You can experiment with the spices and herbs, and also throw in some freshly chopped coriander leaves to it. Mix everything together and make small discs out of the dough. Steam these discs in a momo-steamer or an idli maker.
Once done, let it cool down, and then serve with curd or a dollop of ghee on top. Isn’t this delicious, simple and quick? Try this at home and celebrate the festivities with your close ones.