Elephant God Ganesha is a hearty eater with a special liking for high calorie treats! Besides Modaks & Laddoos mentioned earlier, Ganesha is also partial to pedas or dry milk sweets made with sweetened, reduced milk and moong lentil halwa, a dense, sweet dessert of mung beans cooked in ghee.
In modern times, not all sweets are made at home, with more women entering the work force. Sweet shops fill in the need and constantly innovate with their wares to grab customers’ attention.
While Ganesha is obviously inclined to sweetmeats, he’s not partial to salted snack foods either. Maharashtrians, who keep open house during Ganesh Chaturthi, prepare various sweets and savories for each day of the festival. Chaklis are a popular tea-time snack, made with rice flour and gram flour, deep-fried until crunchy.
Southern India has its own set of goodies to satiate Ganesha’s appetite. Modaks are a must, of course. Additionally, a Tamilian home would prepare sundal or chick peas flavored with grated coconut and tempered with mustard seeds, red chilies and curry leaves. Others might offer a bowl of sweet pongal, a rice-and-lentil mash cooked with jaggery. Accompanying this is vada, a doughnut shaped, deep-fried savory made of urad dal. Ganesha rounds off this sumptuous repast with a bowl of rice payasam or kheer (rice cooked in sweetened and reduced milk)
Ganesha is also fond of fruits, with bananas, mangoes and guavas being his favorites.