Ganesha’s Favourite Foods

One of the most fascinating aspects of India is the wide variety of religious beliefs and cultures that call the sub-continent home. You can see this diversity reflected throughout the country in the festivals, the places of worship, the traditions, the diet and the exciting cuisine that brings elements from many cultures together with the mouth-watering natural ingredients of this magical part of the world. 

Amongst this wonderful melting pot, Hinduism is the religion more deeply associated with India than any other, due to the fact the greatest proportion of the population are followers. The holy deities and avatars of Hinduism are steeped in legend and are recognisable throughout the states. You may be familiar with images that include: the many-armed Vishnu, protector and presever; Shiva with his third eye, the destroyer and transformer; Kali, the dark goddess of time, power and destruction; and the elephant-headed god, Ganesha. 

Ganesha is one of the most beloved and worshipped deities in India with devotees that include Buddhists and Jains as well as Hindus. He is believed to be the remover of obstacles, the god of new beginnings, and his intellect and wisdom are revered throughout the sub-continent. On auspicious occasions and festival days, you will find worshippers visiting temples to present Prasad –offerings of special foodstuffs – to this elephant-headed god in the hope that he will bestow success, protection and prosperity upon his followers. 

But what sort of food do you prepare forGanesha? A quick flip through the menus of London’s best Indian fine dining restaurants will presents an endless option of suggestions. Will spicy vegetable curries appease this deity? Or will his head be turned by a coconut-infused stew?  

Although either of these dishes sound like a tasty treat worthy of the heavens, it is believed that skipping the savoury and flipping to the dessert menu might be a more popular choice… Yes, Ganesha is known to delight in Indian desserts –and here are his favourite foods to be offered as prasad: 

1.    Modak

By far Ganesha’s top rated food offering is thought to be modak. These tasty dumplings are a variation of ladoo; a dough is created from flour and twisted into a little parcel, stuffed withsweet jaggery and freshgrated coconut. The dumplings are then either steamed or deep-fried until crisp. During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, steamed modak served warm with a dollop of ghee is one of the most widely distributed sweets. 

2. Boondiladoos

There are many depictions in Hindu art that portray Ganesha happily sitting beside a bowl full of scrumptious ladoos. These deep-fried treats are shaped into small balls and soaked in a sweet, sugary syrup. The crunchy textures blend perfectly with the crystallised sugar to form mouth-watering bites of heaven. 

3. Peda

This traditional sweet is a favourite offering to the gods, particularly in the northern states. Peda boasts a soft, fudge-like consistency from the milk solid khoya, a chewy texture from the dried fruit and a crunchy bite from the crumbled nuts that are usually incorporated, too. 

4. Puranpoli

Last but not least, puranpoli is made from chana dal, jaggery and rich ghee. Vaguely resembling a chapati, this snack is stuffed with all manner of fillings and presented to Ganeha with hot ghee or milk.