Modak
All Maharashtrians believe that the way to Lord Ganesha�s heart, is through his stomach. Yes, it is true, the loveable elephant-headed God adores the Maharashtrian delicacy Modak. It is a sweet specially prepared to celebrate the ten-days of Ganeshotsav, when Maharashtrians bring Lord Ganesha into their homes. During the festival, a special sweet dish is prepared in offering to the God and then distributed as prasad to the members of the family and friends. But Modak, made of rice, with a sweet ball of coconut stuffing inside, is what Lord Ganesh is supposed love the most!

Ingredients:

2 cups rice,
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 tsp powdered cardamom
2 tbsps ghee
1 fresh coconut
30 almonds

Procedure:
Clean and soak rice in water for an hour or so. Wash 3 or 4 times and take out in a colander so that all the water is drained out. Spread on a piece of cloth and dry. Then pound finely and sift through a sieve.
Boil 3 cups of water in a big degchi. Add 1 tbsp of ghee and the salt to the water. Put in the rice flour in this water and go on stirring till the mixture becomes even. Lower the fire and cover the degchi for a few minutes. Remove the lid and stir the contents. Repeat this process one or two times more so that the rice flour cooks and forms into a nice lump.
Turn over the lump in a big metal plate. When it is tolerably cold, grease the palms with just a little ghee and knead it into a soft dough.
Grate coconut. Blanche and chop almonds.
Clean raisins.
Place a degchi on fire with 1/2 tbsp of ghee and put the coconut in it. Fry for a while, add sugar, cardamom powder, almonds and raisins. Fry till this mixture thickens. Remove from fire. Take out a small lump of dough and shape into a smooth ball. Make a hollow in the middle, place enough coconut mixture in the hallow, pressing it down gently. Pull up the sides and gather them at the top, giving it a conical shape.
When all the Modaks are thus made, steam them in a pressure cooker or in a colander, placed over a degchi of boiling water.
A little thickened milk and just a little saffron may also be added to the coconut stuffing to make it more sophisticated.