35+ Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes (Maharashtrian)

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is also known as ‘Vinayak Chaturthi’ or ‘Vinayaka Chavithi’ in other regions of India.

It is celebrated in honor of Bhagwan Ganesha for 10 days. During this Mahotsav, few sweets and savory dishes are made and offered to Ganpati Bappa as a prasad(bhog). Then distributed amongst the devotees.

So here I am sharing the complete list of sweet and savory Maharashtrian Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes. All the recipes are easy to make, beginner-friendly with step-by-step photo instructions and much-needed expert tips.

12 Modak Recipes

Modak is Lord Ganesha’s most favorite food. Hence it has special importance in worship. Traditionally, modak has sweet stuffing made from coconut and jaggery. There are many variations and nowadays there are many fusion versions are also made. Below is the list of modak recipes from the blog.

1) Ukadiche Modak - This is the classic, traditional and must-have for this festive season.

Ukadiche Modak (Steamed Modak)

This steamed modak recipe makes soft, melt-in-your-mouth kind outer layer stuffed with chewy, sweet coconut filling. They have the perfect combination of flavors and textures.

2) Fried Modak – easy to make pleat and gives beautiful looking without any fuss.

Fried Modak Recipe

Fried modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The crispy, flaky and fried outer cover is stuffed with sweet coconut-jaggery filling

3) Chocolate Modak – it takes only 30 minutes (from cooking to shaping)

Chocolate Modak

Easiest chocolate modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi! The festive season doesn’t get any better than this with the ultimate fusion version.

4) Rava modak - No expertise in shaping modak? No worries, this requires mould.

Rava Modak (Suji Modak)

The perfect rava modak recipe without steaming method! Smooth, velvety outer layer made from semolina (suji) and milk then stuffed with coconut-jaggery sweet stuffing.

5) Mawa modak (stuffed) -  the outer layer is rich, sweet made from 2-ingredients only and stuffed with naturally sweetened stuffing mixture.

Stuffed Mawa Modak (Khoya Modak)

Mawa modak stuffed with dates and nuts mixture is a perfect modak recipe for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival! In Maharashtra, these are known as ‘Khavyache modak’.

6) Modak peda - It’s quick to make. Total 20 Minutes required (10 mins cooking + 10 mins for shaping).

Kesar Modak Peda

Modak Peda - perfectly easy to make yet it’s always a showstopper at Ganesh Chaturthi bhog. It’s made with 4-ingredients only.

7) Coconut Modak - It is a no-cook recipe. Just mix and shape. Easy-peasy, right?

Coconut Modak (Chocolate Covered)

Easy coconut modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi. It’s sweet, chewy, full of coconut flavor, made with just 2-ingredients (plus dipped into chocolate. optional) and ready in just 10 minutes or less!

8) Malai modak (paneer modak) - super easy to make and tastes fantastic. Don't have mould? Shape into ladoo.

Malai Modak (Paneer Modak)

This delicious tasting malai modak is made with 2-ingredients and ready in 15 minutes! The main ingredient is paneer, so these are also known as paneer modak.

9) Dry Fruits Modak - It is no-cook recipe. Just blend and shape.

Dry Fruits Modak {No-Cook, 10 Mins Only}

This incredibly easy dry fruits modak is so QUICK to make. You’ll need a handful of ingredients and a food processor.

10) Til modak - it tastes just like chikki but the texture is soft.

Til Modak (Sesame Seeds Modak)

Til modak are a nice variation to the traditional modak. It is easy to make with 4 ingredients only.

11) Kaju Modak - It tastes just like kaju katli in a shape of modak.

Kaju Modak

This kaju modak is super easy to make, beginner-friendly and perfect for Ganesh Chaturthi bhog. It’s made with 4 ingredients (plus, water) and it’s nothing but a modified version of kaju katli turned into the modak shape.

12) Mango modak - It is like a mawa modak with a flavor of mango.

Mango Modak

This is easy to make mango modak recipe for Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It’s perfectly sweet, rich, creamy with full of mango flavor.

14 Other Sweets (Prasad Ideas)

After Modak, Bappa's second most favorite food is ladoo. So many different versions of ladoo are made and served during this festival. Apart from modak and ladoo, few more traditional sweets are also made and offered to god which I have shared below.

1) Panchamrut - A must item in your pooja thali.

Panchamrut Recipe (Panchamrit, Charnamrut)

Panchamrut (or panchamrit) is a holy and sacred traditional ayurvedic recipe that is made with 5 ingredients. It is used for the spiritual purpose (offering to god during pooja) as well as for medici

2) Coconut Ladoo - It requires only 6 ingredients (2 of them are main, rest are optional)

Coconut Ladoo (With Condensed Milk)

My favorite coconut ladoo recipe with condensed milk (aka Indian coconut balls)! These are not to be missed. It has full of coconut flavor with a perfectly sweet taste.

3) Rava Besan Ladoo - similar to besan laddu but it has some texture from semolina.

Rava Besan Ladoo

Rava besan ladoo is a delicious Maharashtrian sweet and is made during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, etc. These are similar to besan ladoo but with slightly different texture.

4) Boondi Ladoo - time consuming but the joy of making it homemade is something!

Boondi Ladoo

The only homemade boondi ladoo recipe you will ever need! These turn out deliciously sweet, soft with perfectly round boondis every time. Plus they’re so easy to make.

5) Churma ladoo - Tradition ladoo made by baking muthia in the oven instead of deep frying in ghee.

Churma Ladoo {Without Frying}

This no fry churma ladoo is perfectly sweetened with jaggery and has a rich, soft and melt-in-your-mouth kind texture with nuts and raisins in every bite.

6) Besan Ladoo - very easy to make and hard to mess up.

Besan Ladoo

The BEST Besan Ladoo Recipe! Easy to make and deliciously sweet! These ladoos are soft, creamy yet you can taste the granular feel from the besan.

7) Sheera (Sooji Halwa) - you'll need 3 ingredients + 20 mins.

Rava Sheera

Sheera - A classic Indian sweet (dessert) made on special occasions or festivals. This is a simple, quick and easy dish made with minimal and basic ingredients.

8) Banana sheera - very popular prasad made for Hindi pooja.

Banana Sheera Recipe (Satyanarayan Prasad Sheera)

The BEST Banana sheera recipe!! Also known as Satyanarayan Prasad Sheera. It is sooji halwa with banana aka banana sooji halwa.

9) Puran poli - a must-have for Maharashtrian festival.

Puran Poli (Vedmi)

Puran poli is a traditional Indian stuffed bread with sweet lentil filling. Learn how to make vedmi at home with this no-fail recipe.

10) Karanji - the outer crust is cripsy, flaky with sweet stuffing.

Karanji

This Maharashtrian karanji recipe makes crispy and flaky (khuskhusit) outer cover with sweet coconut stuffing. A must-have sweet snack for festivals

11) Basundi - Sweetened and thickened milk with chopped nuts, flavored with cardamom and saffron.

Basundi

This is the BEST basundi recipe you’ll get around the internet. It is super creamy, rich, perfectly sweet with the crunch of nuts in every spoon.

12) Shrikhand - 2 methods are shared. One is instant and second is time consuming.

Shrikhand (With Greek Yogurt + Traditional)

Shrikhand Recipe - it’s silky, smooth, creamy with a hint of saffron flavor and crunch of nuts. It gets ready in 5 minutes or less (when made with greek yogurt)!

13) Shankarpali - sweet, crispy yet melt in your mouth texture, deep fried, whole wheat flour biscuits.

Shankarpali (Shakkar Para)

Shankarpali recipe or shakkar para recipe - sweet, crispy yet melt in your mouth textured, whole wheat flour biscuits.

14) Besan Burfi - Simple version made with 4 ingredients only.

Besan Barfi (No Sugar Syrup)

The easiest way to make besan barfi at home, and it’s ready in no time! This burfi is perfectly sweet with great texture.

12 Savory Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes

Not only sweets but the whole feast it offered to the god. The feast is served on a banana leaf. The feast contains sweets, savories, and panchamrit. Below is the list of savory dishes from the blog.

1. Batatayachi bhaji - dry potato subzi made with boiled, cubed potatoes with very minimal spices
2. Poori recipe - The popular Indian deep-fried and puffed bread made from whole wheat flour, salt, and water.
3. Varan bhaat (maharashtrian style) - Healthy, delicious dal recipe made from toor dal and served with cooked rice.
4. Moong dal khichdi - made with moong dal and rice with very minimal whole spices.
5. Poori bhaji recipe - dry potato sabzi served with puffed pooris. This is a popular Maharashtrian breakfast.
6. Amti recipe - flavorful dal recipe made from toor dal with a touch of sourness and flavored with goda masala
7. Matki usal - made from sprouted moth beans, boiled potatoes and flavored with goda masala.
8. Katachi amti - This is thin soup like made from strained water after boiling the dal and served with puran poli.
9. Sabudana khichdi - made by sauteeing the soaked tapioca pearls with crushed peanuts and boiled potatoes.
10. Sabudana thalipeeth - a savory pancake made from tapioca pearls. This is also eaten during fasting or vrat.
11. Batata poha - quick breakfast dish made from flattened rice with potato.
12. Sabudana vada - made from tapioca pearls, peanuts, and potatoes. Shaped into small discs and then deep fried.

Wishing You Happy Ganesh Chaturthi !