When Ganesh Chaturthi arrives, homes across India fill with the fragrance of coconut, jaggery, saffron, and ghee. It’s a season where the kitchen becomes a temple, every dish a prayer, and every sweet a blessing for Lord Ganesha, our beloved Modakpriya (lover of modaks).

Cooking for the Ganpati festival is not just about food, it’s about tradition, family bonding, and joy. Whether you’re making Ukadiche Modak for the first time or preparing your grandmother’s Puran Poli, every recipe is a celebration in itself.

Here’s your ultimate guide to 10 must-try Ganesh Chaturthi recipes, complete with ingredients, step-by-step methods, expert cooking tips, and fun family activities to keep the festive spirit alive.

10 Traditional & Tasty Recipes You Must Try This Ganesh Chaturthi

1. Ukadiche Modak: The Divine Favourite

The most iconic Ganesh Chaturthi prasad, Ukadiche Modak, holds a special place in every devotee’s heart. These delicate steamed dumplings, made from soft rice flour dough, are lovingly filled with a fragrant mixture of freshly grated coconut and rich, earthy jaggery, gently kissed with the warmth of cardamom.

As the steam rises, the modaks release an aroma that fills the home with a sense of devotion and anticipation, making them not just a sweet offering to Lord Ganesha but a symbol of love, tradition, and togetherness.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour

• 1 cup grated fresh coconut

• ¾ cup grated jaggery

• 1 tbsp ghee

• ½ tsp cardamom powder

• 1 cup water

• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Heat 1 cup water with salt and 1 tsp ghee.

2. Add rice flour, mix well, cover, and steam for 2 mins.

3. For filling, heat ghee, add coconut & jaggery, cook till melted. Add cardamom powder.

4. Knead warm rice dough till smooth.

5. Shape modaks with mould or by hand, fill, and seal.

6. Steam for 10–12 mins.

Cooking Tip: Keep dough covered with a damp cloth to prevent cracks.

Fun Family Tip: Have a “prettiest pleats” contest, it’s fun and challenging!

Also read: 11 most celebrated festivals in South India

2. Fried Modak: The Crunchy Twist

This crispy, golden version of the beloved modak is a delightful twist on the traditional steamed treat. With its flaky outer shell and sweet coconut-jaggery filling, it offers a satisfying crunch with every bite.

Not only does it stay fresh longer than its steamed cousin, making it perfect for gifting to friends and family, but it also carries the same spirit of devotion, each piece a little bundle of joy meant to be shared during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat flour

• ¼ cup semolina

• 2 tbsp ghee

• Filling: Same as Ukadiche Modak

• Oil for frying

Method:

1. Mix wheat flour, semolina, and ghee. Knead into firm dough.

2. Roll discs, fill with coconut-jaggery mixture, seal well.

3. Fry on medium heat till golden.

Cooking Tip: Use medium flame for even cooking.

Fun Family Tip: Let kids arrange fried modaks in beautiful patterns on prasad plates.

3. Puran Poli: The Festive Hug

A tender, aromatic wheat flatbread enveloping a luscious filling of sweet chana dal and molten jaggery, gently roasted on a hot griddle and brushed with fragrant ghee, Puran Poli is the very definition of comfort food for Bappa.

Every bite melts in your mouth, carrying the warmth of tradition and the sweetness of devotion, making it a cherished highlight of Ganesh Chaturthi feasts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chana dal

• 1 cup jaggery

• 2 cups wheat flour

• ½ tsp cardamom powder

• Ghee for roasting

Method:

1. Boil chana dal till soft, drain, mash.

2. Melt jaggery, add dal & cardamom, cook till thick.

3. Make wheat dough, rest for 30 mins.

4. Stuff puran into dough balls, roll gently, roast with ghee.

Cooking Tip: Don’t overcook puran, it should stay moist.

Fun Family Tip: Have a “perfect round poli” challenge in the kitchen.

4. Mawa Modak: Royal Indulgence

A luxurious treat crafted from velvety khoya, delicate sugar, aromatic saffron, and crunchy nuts, Mawa Modak is the epitome of indulgence during Ganesh Chaturthi.

Unlike its steamed cousin, this no-steam delight is quick to prepare yet rich in flavour, making it a perfect offering when time is short but devotion runs deep. Each bite feels like a royal blessing, both for Bappa and for those who savour it.

Ingredients:

• 250g khoya

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

• Few saffron strands

Method:

1. Lightly roast khoya till soft.

2. Add sugar, cardamom, saffron. Mix well.

3. Shape into modaks using moulds.

Cooking Tip: Cool mixture before shaping to avoid cracks.

Fun Family Tip: Decorate with edible silver leaves for a royal prasad look.

5. Karanji / Karjikai: Half-Moon Delight

A golden, flaky pastry shell embracing a fragrant blend of freshly grated coconut, rich jaggery, and nutty sesame seeds, Karanji (or Karjikai) is a festive favourite that combines crunch with melt-in-the-mouth sweetness.

Each half-moon parcel is lovingly shaped and fried to perfection, making it not just a delicious treat but a nostalgic reminder of family kitchens buzzing with Ganesh Chaturthi preparations.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour

• ¼ cup semolina

• 2 tbsp ghee

• Filling: 1 cup coconut, ¾ cup jaggery, sesame seeds, nuts

Method:

1. Make dough with flour, semolina, ghee, water. Rest.

2. Roast coconut, sesame, nuts, add jaggery.

3. Roll dough, fill, fold, seal.

4. Fry till golden brown.

Cooking Tip: Seal edges firmly to prevent filling leakage.

Fun Family Tip: Kids can make decorative fork patterns on edges.

Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi Travel Destinations in Maharashtra Beyond Mumbai

6. Panchakajjaya: Karnataka’s Nutty Offering

A humble yet divine blend of freshly grated coconut, nutty roasted gram dal, golden jaggery, toasted sesame seeds, and a drizzle of warm ghee, Panchakajjaya is simplicity wrapped in sanctity.

Prepared in minutes yet rich in flavour, this sacred offering carries the essence of devotion, making it a cherished part of Ganesh Chaturthi rituals, especially in Karnataka households.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated coconut

• ½ cup roasted gram dal powder

• ½ cup jaggery

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp ghee

Method:

1. Dry roast coconut & sesame separately.

2. Mix all ingredients in warm ghee.

Cooking Tip: Use fresh coconut for authentic flavour.

Fun Family Tip: Pass the big mixing bowl around - everyone gets a turn!

7. Shrikhand & Amrakhand: Chilled Bliss

Silky-smooth yogurt whipped to perfection, infused with the golden warmth of saffron and the gentle fragrance of cardamom, that’s the magic of Shrikhand. Add the lush sweetness of ripe mango pulp, and it transforms into Amrakhand, a fruity, festive delight.

Chilled and irresistibly creamy, these desserts bring a touch of cool indulgence to Ganesh Chaturthi feasts, offering a refreshing contrast to the richer, ghee-laden sweets.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hung curd

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

• 2 tbsp mango pulp (for Amrakhand)

Method:

1. Whisk hung curd till smooth.

2. Add sugar, cardamom, mango pulp (if making Amrakhand). Chill.

Cooking Tip: Hang curd overnight for thick texture.

Fun Family Tip: Set up a toppings station, nuts, saffron, fruit.

8. Basundi: Sweet Milk Comfort

Milk, gently simmered for hours until thick, creamy, and irresistibly rich, forms the heart of Basundi. Infused with the golden hue of saffron, the warm aroma of cardamom, and the crunch of finely chopped nuts, this decadent dessert is a labour of love.

Served chilled or warm during Ganesh Chaturthi, each spoonful feels like a slow, sweet blessing from the festive kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 litre full-fat milk

• ½ cup sugar

• Saffron strands, cardamom powder

• Chopped nuts

Method:

1. Simmer milk till reduced by one-third.

2. Add sugar, saffron, cardamom, nuts. Cook for 5 mins.

Cooking Tip: Stir constantly to avoid sticking.

Fun Family Tip: Let kids sprinkle nuts before serving.

9. Sweet Poha: Quick & Light

Soft, tender flakes of flattened rice gently tossed with freshly grated coconut, earthy jaggery, and a sprinkle of crunchy nuts come together to create Sweet Poha, a humble yet deeply sacred prasad.

Light on the palate yet rich in tradition, this simple preparation carries the warmth of home and the purity of devotion, making it a beloved part of Ganesh Chaturthi offerings.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup poha

• ½ cup grated coconut

• ½ cup jaggery

• Nuts, cardamom powder

Method:

1. Wash poha, drain.

2. Mix with coconut, jaggery, cardamom, nuts.

Cooking Tip: Warm jaggery for easy mixing.

Fun Family Tip: Everyone makes their own small bowl to offer to Bappa.

10. Coconut Ladoo: Orbs of Joy

Golden spheres of joy, Coconut Ladoos are made from freshly grated coconut and rich jaggery, bound together with a hint of ghee. Soft, aromatic, and brimming with natural sweetness, they’re as easy to make as they are to store, perfect for sharing with family, friends, and of course, offering to Bappa.

Each bite is a little taste of tradition, carrying the essence of Ganesh Chaturthi in its simplest, most heartfelt form.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated coconut

• 1 cup jaggery

• 1 tbsp ghee

• Cardamom powder

Method:

1. Roast coconut lightly in ghee.

2. Add jaggery & cardamom, cook till thick.

3. Shape into ladoos while warm.

Cooking Tip: Wet palms before rolling to avoid sticking.

Fun Family Tip: Host a “ladoos rolling race”, winner gets first prasad!

Also read: How to Celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi? A Guide to Millenials and GenZs

So, tie that apron, call the family together, and let the aromas of tradition fill your home.

Ganpati Bappa Morya! Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya!