What is Mumbai cooking for Naivedya platter?

In its true essence Naivedya in Sanskrit translates to a special offering to God With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner devotees are gearing up to prepare a holy feast as an offering to the Elephant God While each household has its own take on it a typical naivedya thali spans six flavours sweet salt bitter sour astringent and spicy on one single plateFor Anuradha Bhawar a community developer from Mumbai ndash the arrangement of food items on the thali is of immense importance Her offering to Lord Ganesha comprises a wholesome meal presented on Rangoli made with colours lentils wheat and grains ldquoThe way we place rice on the thali reflects our etiquette It should never be served at the centre nor should it resemble a chaotic mound Instead it ought to be presented carefully on one side of the thalirdquoThe composition of a Naivedya Thali can vary based on regional and cultural practices and it often reflects local culinary traditions To discover the essential elements that go into a naivedya thali Middaycom spoke to Mumbaibased chefs and dug out unique recipesHere are traditional recipes for essential items in a Naivedya thaliGulawaniGulawani is a traditional Maharashtrian dish made from jaggery and whole wheat flour Its similar to a sweet roti or paratha and is often enjoyed as a dessert or during festivalsIngredientsWhole wheat flour 1 cupA pinch of saltWater as needed to knead the doughGrated jaggery 12 cupCardamom powder 14 teaspoonGrated coconut 1 tablespoonGhee or oil for cookingMethod1 In a mixing bowl add whole wheat flour and a pinch of salt2 Gradually add water and knead the dough until its smooth and soft The dough should be pliable like the dough for chapati or roti3 Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 1520 minutes4 In another bowl mix the grated jaggery cardamom powder and grated coconut The cardamom powder adds a nice aroma and flavour to the filling5 Divide the rested dough into small equalsized portions and roll them into smooth balls6 Take one dough ball and flatten it slightly with your palms7 Place a small amount of the jaggery filling about a teaspoon or so in the centre of the flattened dough8 Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the jaggery filling to seal it completely Make sure there are no openings9 Gently flatten this filled dough ball between your palms10 Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little ghee or oil11 Place the prepared Gulawani on the hot griddle and cook until it turns golden brown on both sides Use a little more ghee or oil if needed12 Ensure the heat is mediumlow as the jaggery in the filling can burn easily13 Once the Gulawani is cooked and has a nice golden colour remove it from the griddle Serve hot Gulawani as a dessert or snackRecipe by Sangeeta Supkar Navi MumbaiAluwadiAluwadi is a savoury item made from colocasia leaves stuffed with a spiced gram flour mixture rolled sliced and shallowfriedIngredientsGram flour 1 cupCumin seeds 12 teaspoonSesame seeds 12 teaspoonAsafoetida 12 teaspoonColocasia leaves cleaned and stems removed 810Tamarind pulp 14 cupJaggery 1 tablespoonMustard seeds 12 teaspoonGrated coconut 2 tablespoonsWater as neededA pinch of turmeric powderA pinch of red chili powderSalt to tasteOil for greasing and shallow fryingMethod1 In a mixing bowl combine the gram flour turmeric powder red chili powder salt cumin seeds sesame seeds asafoetida and 1 tablespoon of oil2 Gradually add water while stirring continuously to make a smooth lumpfree batter The batter should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon3 Take the cleaned colocasia leaves and pat them dry with a kitchen towel4 Spread a leaf on a clean surface with the veined side facing up5 Apply a thin layer of the gram flour batter evenly on the leaf6 Place another leaf on top of it and repeat the process until you have a stack of 34 leaves with the batter in between7 Roll the stack tightly from one end to the other creating a cylindrical roll Repeat with the remaining leaves8 Steam the rolled colocasia leaves for about 2025 minutes or until they are cooked through Insert a toothpick or knife to check if it comes out clean9 In a small saucepan heat a little oil and add mustard seeds Once they splutter add sesame seeds and asafoetida10 Add tamarind pulp jaggery grated coconut if using and salt Cook this mixture until it thickens and the raw taste of tamarind disappears11 Once the steamed rolls have cooled down slice them into rounds12 Heat some oil in a pan and shallow fry the slices until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides13 Serve the Aluwadi slices hot with the prepared tamarind sauce for dippingRecipe by Ravi Wadkar GoregaonSpiced Vegetable ThalipeethThalipeeth is a flavourful multigrain pancake made by blending various flours spices and vegetables into a nutritious and flavourful batterIngredientsMixed millet flour 1 cupChickpea flour 14 cupRice flour 14 cupGrated zucchini 12 cupGrated carrot 12 cupFinely chopped spinach 12 cupFinely chopped green chilies 23Cumin seeds 1 teaspoonTurmeric powder 12 teaspoonRed chili powder 12 teaspoonGaram masala powder 12 teaspoonSaltOil or gheeWaterFresh coriander leaves choppedYoghurt or chutney of your choiceMethod1 In a mixing bowl combine the mixed millet flour chickpea flour rice flour grated zucchini grated carrot chopped spinach green chilies cumin seeds turmeric powder red chili powder garam masala powder salt and 1 tablespoon of oil Mix the ingredients well2 Gradually add water and knead the mixture into a soft pliable dough It should be easy to work with like a chapati dough3 Divide the dough into equalsized portions and roll them into balls4 Take a clean wet cloth and place it on your working surface This will prevent the dough from sticking5 Take one dough ball and flatten it on the cloth with your fingers to form a thin round disc You can wet your fingers to make this process easier6 Heat a nonstick griddle or pan and add a little ghee or oil7 Carefully transfer the flattened dough onto the hot griddle8 Cook on medium heat until the bottom side turns golden brown9 Flip the Thalipeeth and cook the other side until its also golden brown You can add a little more ghee or oil as needed10 Remove the cooked Thalipeeth from the griddle and repeat the process with the remaining dough portions11 Serve the Spiced Vegetable Thalipeeth hot garnished with chopped fresh coriander leaves and accompanied by yoghurt or your favourite chutneyRecipe by Dassana Amit SantacruzMasswadiItrsquos a special vegetarian treat made with coconut groundnuts white sesame garlic onions and a slew of spices coated with gram flour The preparation involves an intricate style of folding the wadiIngredientsCoriander seeds 5 gmCloves 2 gmStar anise 1 gmCinnamon 2 gmGreen cardamom 2 gmBlack pepper 3 gmCumin 5 gmRoasted and crushed peanut 10 gmWhite sesame seeds 10 gmPoppy seeds 5 gmGrated coconut 30 gmFinely chopped coriander 15 gmGram flour Besan 150 gmGarlic 10 gmFinely chopped onion 20 gmTurmeric 10 gmRed chilli powder 10 gmBlack pepper powder 5 gmOilsaltWater as requiredMethod1 Heat the pan and roast coriander seeds cloves star anise cinnamon cardamom and black pepper for a few minutes Set aside2 Now roast sesame and poppy seeds set aside3 Next roast dry coconut till itrsquos light brown and keep it aside4 In a hot pan add oil and then toss garlic and onion5 In a mixer jar tip in all the roasted items along with turmeric red chilli powder black pepper powder coriander and salt as per taste Grind to a dry paste6 Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the remaining coriander7 In another bowl add gram flour the remaining chilli powder turmeric and salt Mix it8 Knead into a dough by adding water Keep it aside9 Make small balls and roll them into discs10 Place the masswadi mixture in the middle of the disk and fold the dough over like you do for a gujiya11 Now you can deepfry steam or bake them12 Once done cut them into slices and garnish with coriander and fresh coconut to serveRecipe by Sonali Dhamanikar Navi MumbaiPuran PoliA popular treat often enjoyed during festivals in Maharashtra Puran Poli is a flatbread stuffed with chana dal split chickpeas jaggery and cardamomIngredientsChana dal 1 cupJaggery 1 cupCardamom powder 12 teaspoonWhole wheat flour 15 cupsWaterA pinch of nutmeg powderA pinch of saltGhee for cookingMethod1 Wash and rinse the chana dal thoroughly then boil it in a pressure cooker with enough water until its soft and wellcooked2 Drain any excess water from the cooked dal and let it cool3 Once the dal has cooled down blend it into a smooth paste using a food processor or blender4 Transfer the dal paste to a pan add jaggery and cook on low heat until the jaggery melts and blends well with the dal Keep stirring continuously5 Add cardamom powder nutmeg powder and a pinch of salt Mix well6 Cook the mixture until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan This can take about 1015 minutes Remove from heat and let it cool7 Once the puran is cool divide it into equalsized balls8 In a mixing bowl combine the whole wheat flour and a pinch of salt9 Gradually add water and knead the dough until its smooth and soft It should be pliable like the dough for chapati or roti10 Divide the dough into equalsized balls slightly smaller than the puran balls11 Take a portion of the dough and a portion of the puran12 Roll the dough into a small disc and place a puran ball in the centre13 Carefully seal the edges to completely enclose the filling Flatten the stuffed ball slightly with your hands14 Roll out the stuffed ball gently into a flatbread ensuring the filling is evenly distributed and doesnt spill out15 Heat a griddle or nonstick pan and cook the puran poli on both sides using ghee until its golden brown and cooked through16 Repeat the process with the remaining dough and puran balls17 Serve hot Puran Poli with a dollop of gheeRecipe by Anuradha Bhawar Malad