Kache Papaye Che Modak

Ganapati Bappa Morya.

Wish you all a happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Modaks have a special significance during Ganesh festival,  as it is believed to be the favourite food of Lord Ganesha, due to which he is called Moniker Modakapriya (the one who likes modak) in Sanskrit.  Originally in some parts of Indian Modaks are made with rice flour and jaggary coconut stuffing  which are steamed. There are fried Modaks too. Now a days there are different varieties of Modaks available like Mava, Chocolate, Cake, Dry fruit Modak etc.

Today I have made raw papaya Modak for Ganesha... 

A recipe with love from my Kitchen. 

Ingredients 

1 cup Raw Papaya cut into cubes 

100 grams Khoya

1/2 cup Cashew / Almond powder

3 tbsp Hot Milk

2 pinches of Saffron 

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder 

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup Sugar 

2 tbsp Ghee

Method 

Take a pot. 

Add 2 cups of water and papaya cubes into the pot. 

Simmer it for 2 minutes. 

Drain the water out. 

Add saffron into the hot milk and keep it aside. 

Blend the papayas in a blender into a paste. 

Add a tbsp of ghee into a pan or a pot. 

Add the papaya paste, stir it on a low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add the cashew or almond powder. Continue to stir occasionally. 

Add salt, cardamom powder and khoya. Keep stirring on low flame till the khoya incorporates well with the other ingredients. 

Add the saffron milk and sugar. 

Stir and cook the mixture on a low flame until it starts to form a dough. 

To check, take a small portion and roll it. It should form into a ball. 

Switch off the flame.

Let it cool a bit.

Take a modak mould.

Apply ghee into the mould. 

Take a big lime size portion.

Place it into the mould to give it a shape.

Repeat the same process to make the other modaks.

Take few strand of saffron to garnish the modaks.

Pepper Plastic Chutney....

As chutney is a part of a Bengali meal, here is an unique type of Bengali chutney which is served in functions and ceremonies with papad bhaja. 

  It's a very easy and simple recipe with the two main ingredients - green raw papaya and sugar. It's called plastic chutney because of it's looks. The papaya after cooking in sugar syrup turns translucent and looks like plastic. 

Ingredients

2 cups Kacha Peppe / Raw Papaya sliced into small thin pieces like chips

1 tbsp Raisins

3/4 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

2 tsp Lime juice

1 1/2 cup Water

Method

Take a pot or a pan.

Add water and the papaya chips.

Let it simmer on low - medium flame for 10 minutes.

Add salt and sugar.

Let it continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the raisins.

Let till continue to simmer till the papaya chips become translucent and the syrup thickens.

Add the lime juice and simmer it for another minute.

Switch of the flame.

It's ready to be served.