Sonali Dhamanikar’s memories of Ganesh Chaturthi are coloured by the spirited hubbub of a sarvajanik celebration in her native village, Dhamani, in Pune district. In the 10 days that Bappa makes himself at home, each family in the community takes turns to cook up a feast for the Elephant God. 

“Every day, new delicacies are whipped up at home,” shares Dhamanikar, an advocate who started her restaurant Sasarwadi, in Seawoods, to offer urban diners a taste of the traditional recipes of her grandmothers and aunts that she grew up relishing. While each naivedya spread is different, she decodes what goes into a typical platter in her gaon, most of which she also serves up at Sasarwadi.