Panchakajjaya and Ganesh Chaturthi Wishes!

Panchakajjaya

|| Mushikavaahana modaka hastha,

Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra,

Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra,

Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe ||

Wishing all the readers of Monsoon Spice and my blog friends, a very happy Ganesh Chaturthi! Wishing you all a happiness as big as lord Ganapati’s appetite, life as long as his trunk, trouble as small as his mouse and moments as sweet as his laddus :)

Panchakajjaya

Here is a quick, simple, hassle free and divine recipe of Panchakajjaya from my Ajji, my maternal grandmother, which then passed on to my Amma and now me! It is a speciality from Udupi/Mangalore and is prepared during every Ganesha Chaturthi festival. As the name suggests it uses five (Pancha) ingredients, dal, jaggery, coconut, ghee and cashew nuts. My Amma uses spilt moong dal and the heady aromas of roasted moong dal would envelope the whole house, and take us on a divine journey to heaven! If you are not too fond of biting into crunchy roasted dal, then simply grind them to course powder, like semolina, and proceed with the recipe. Ground or whole, the crunchy moong dal, sweet coconut and jaggery, nutty taste of cashews roasted in pure ghee in Panchakajjaya is sure to please lord Ganesha and your loved ones!!!

Jaggery and Coconut mixture for Panchakajjaya

Cashew nuts roasted in pure Ghee for Panchakajjaya

Panchakajjaya

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Panchakajjaya (Divine offering to Lord Ganesha made using Moong Dal, Coconut, Ghee, Jaggery and Cashew Nuts)

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Serves: 4-6 people

Spice Level: N/A

Recipe Level: Easy or Beginner

Recipe Source: Ajji, my maternal grandmother

Serving Suggestion: Usually served during Ganesha Chaturthi festival as an offering but can also be served as a nutty dessert

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Ingredients:
¾ cup split Moong Dal
1 cup grated Coconut, fresh or frozen
½ - ¾ cup Jaggery/Palm Sugar/Brown Sugar (Adjust acc to taste), powdered or grated
1 tbsp Ghee
10-12 Cashew Nuts

Panchakajjaya

Method:
Dry roast split moong dal, stirring continuously, till turns golden brown in colour, about 3 minutes, on medium to low flame. Transfer to a plate and keep it aside until needed.
Heat ghee in a pan and add cashew nuts to it. Roast them on medium flame till they turn golden brown in colour. Keep them aside until needed.
Next take coconut and jaggery in a mixing bowl and mix them well using your hands, making sure that no jaggery lumps are left behind.
To this coconut and jaggery mixture, add dry roasted split moong dal and ghee roasted cashews along with the leftover ghee and mix them well.
Serve this heavenly Panchakajjaya as an offering to God or as a light, crunchy dessert.

Panchakajjaya

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Sia’s Notes:

• A large pinch of cardamom powder or a nutmeg powder can be added to give it a hint of heat from aromatic spices.
• You can also grind the roasted dal to course powder, like semolina, and proceed to make Panchakajjaya.