Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: Know Why Ganesha Loves Puffed Rice!
Image Credit: Ganesha loves muri and there is a famous tale behind it

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that is marked by joy, fun, and celebrations throughout the country. People in different parts of the country celebrate the festival and welcome Ganpati Bappa into their homes with hopes that he will bless them with wealth, peace, happiness, and prosperity. They prepare his favourite foods and sweets and offer him gold and silver too. All this is done with devotion and purity in their hearts.

But it is well known that Lord Ganesha is a loving and benevolent god who only wishes for love from his disciples. Materialistic things might depend on the wishes of an individual, but Ganesha gets easily satisfied and happy with minimal efforts. He just wants sincerity, and he blesses people with everything that they ask for. This is also the reason why Lord Ganesha loves puffed rice, which is a major part of the prasad offered to him. Let us know about the mythological tale behind this tradition.

Recipe - Cook With Parul

Everyone in Devaloka, the land of gods, knew how much Ganesha loved to eat. Lord Kuber, the God of Wealth, decided to invite Ganesha to his palace for a meal. But his intentions were not pure. He wanted to show off his wealth and show Ganesha how luxurious his life was. He prepared a lot of delicious meals with sweets, snacks, drinks, and everything else that Ganesha liked. When Lord Ganesha arrived at Kuber’s palace, he was offered everything. 

Now, Ganesha started eating everything that was in the palace, from bananas to laddus to kheer and modak. He not only finished what was offered to him; he also finished every single food item available in the palace. Yet Ganesha was not satisfied. Tired of everything, Kuber went to Lord Shiva for help. Then Shiva told him to feed Lord Ganesha just one handful of puffed rice, but with love and pure intentions, not to boast about his wealth. Kuber understood his mistake and gave Ganesha plain puffed rice. Finally, he was satisfied, and he thanked Kuber for the meal. This is why puffed rice is offered to Ganesha as a symbol of devotion.

Only a handfull of muri with love could satiate Ganesha | Freepik

Here is a puffed rice laddu or murmura laddu recipe that you can make this Ganesh Chaturthi to please Ganpati.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of puffed rice (murmura)
  • 1 cup of jaggery (gur) or sugar
  • 1/2 cup of unsalted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder (optional) 
  • A pinch of salt

Method 

  • Heat a pan over medium heat.  
  • Add the unsalted peanuts to the pan and dry roast them until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes).  
  • Let the peanuts cool, then remove the skins and roughly chop them.  
  • In the same pan, combine jaggery (or sugar), ghee, and a pinch of salt.  
  • Heat the mixture over low-medium heat, stirring continuously until it forms a syrup (about 3-4 minutes). 
  • Check the syrup by dropping a small amount into a bowl of water; it should form a soft ball.  
  • Turn off the heat and quickly add puffed rice and chopped peanuts to the syrup.  
  • Optionally, add cardamom powder for flavour. 
  • Mix thoroughly to coat the puffed rice and peanuts evenly with the syrup.   
  • While the mixture is warm, grease your hands with ghee.  
  • Take portions of the mixture and shape them into round laddus. You can make them any size you prefer, pressing firmly to hold their shape.  
  • Continue shaping laddus with the entire mixture. Reheat the mixture slightly if it cools and becomes hard to shape.  
  • Let the puffed rice laddus cool and set at room temperature for a few hours until firm.  
  • Once cooled and set, store the laddus in an airtight container. They can be kept at room temperature for several days.