Must try delicacies on Ganesh Chaturthi

Kadubu

Karnataka has its own festive version of the steamed dumpling in Kadubu. Often prepared with a rice-flour exterior and a coconut-jaggery filling, it resembles the modak while reflecting the region’s own culinary traditions.

Karjikai

Karjikai is Karnataka’s crisp, fried festive sweet and is closely related to Maharashtra’s karanji. It typically has a pastry-like outer covering with a sweet filling, often featuring coconut and sugar or jaggery. It is a popular choice during festive celebrations.

Kozhukattai

In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the festival table features Kozhukattai, a steamed rice-flour dumpling that comes in both sweet and savoury versions. Sweet varieties often contain coconut and jaggery, making them a South Indian counterpart to the traditional modak.

Panchakajjaya

In parts of Karnataka, Panchakajjaya is prepared as an offering for Lord Ganesha. This traditional mixture combines ingredients such as roasted Bengal gram, coconut, sugar, ghee and sesame. Different regions and households may use slightly different combinations, giving the bhog its own local character.

Patoleo

Goa’s Patoleo brings a distinctive aroma to the Ganesh Chaturthi feast. Rice batter is spread over turmeric leaves, filled with a coconut-jaggery mixture and steamed. The turmeric leaf gives the sweet its characteristic fragrance and makes it particularly memorable.

Puran Poli

A festive favourite in Maharashtra, Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread stuffed with a mixture of cooked chana dal, jaggery and spices such as cardamom. It is traditionally served warm with a generous drizzle of ghee and is commonly prepared for festive occasions, including Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ukadiche Modak

Undrallu

Undrallu is a distinctive offering from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These steamed dumplings are made from rice and lentils and are generally savoury or only lightly sweetened, giving Ganesh Chaturthi bhog a flavour quite different from the usual sweets.