Ganesh Chaturthi: Try This Dhaniya Panjiri For Festive Spread
Image Credit: Image: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

One of the biggest festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi- the 10-day long extravaganza is here and devotees of Lord Ganesha just cannot keep calm. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India, especially in states of Maharashtra. The festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha will commence on August 31 this year, and will end with Ganesh Visarjan ten days later. During this time, devotees bring home beautifully sculpted and painted Ganesha idols, while huge pandals are also set with grand idols of the deity. Sweet shops are lined with delicious variety of sweet treats including modaks, barfis and ladoos.  

To mark the occasion, devotees shower their beloved deity with flowers, prasad, bhog, and sing hymns in the Lord's praise. And like every Indian festival, Ganesh Chaturthi too is incomplete without a host of delectable dishes. Through the 10-day extravaganza, devotees prepare bhog/prasad to please their beloved deity. While modak is one of the most common sweets, considering Lord Ganesha’s love for sweet dumpling, there are many other prasads that you can try on the occasion. Ever tried dhaniya panjiri? 

Dhaniya Panjiri is a Falahari dish also served on Janmashtmi, and is often relished during fasts. But the wholesome sweet of panjiri is a nutritional supplement made with wheat flour fried in sugar and ghee and is heavily laced with dried fruits and herbal gums, which can be a great offering during Vinayak Chaturthi as well. Since many people observe fasts during Ganesh utsav as well, panjiri can be a great addition to fasting menu, if wheat flour is replaced with coriander seed powder. The wheat flour panjiri is replaced because consuming grains is generally not allowed during fasting, hence coriander seeds. 

How to Make Dhaniya Panjiri 

Dhaniya Panjiri is made from coriander seed powder, sugar, ghee, chopped almonds, raisins, cashew nuts and mishri. This recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is absolutely free of sugar, and is made with a special powder which is roasted, ground, and mmixed with cooked seeds, nuts, dry fruits and coconut.  

Dhaniya Panjiri Recipe 

Serves: 4 

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes 

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes 

Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup roasted coriander seeds 
  • 4 tbsps Sugar Free Green Powder 
  • 3 tbsps ghee 
  • 3-4 tbsps chopped almonds 
  • 3-4 tbsps chopped cashew nuts 
  • 2 tbsps melon seeds 
  • 2 tbsps chironji 
  • ½ cup broken puffed lotus seeds (makhana) 
  • ½ cup grated dried coconut 
  • ½ tsp green cardamom powder 

Method 

  • Transfer roasted coriander seeds and green powder in a grinder jar and grind to a coarse powder. 
  • Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a nonstick pan, add almonds, cashew nuts, melon seeds, and chironji and roast till golden brown. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and allow it to cool. 
  • Heat the remaining ghee in the same pan, add puffed lotus seeds and roast on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Transfer it into the same bowl and allow it to cool.
  • Dry roast the dried coconut in the same pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add to the same bowl and allow to cool. 
  • Finally add the coriander seeds mixture, green cardamom powder and mix well. Serve.

Tip: Roasting the coriander seeds before grinding will impart better flavour to the final dish.