Ganesh Chaturthi: Healthy Ways Of Preparing Lord Ganesha's Favourite Food Modak

Ganesh chaturthi: Make your modak healthier by preparing it with coconut and jaggery

One of the biggest festivals of India, Ganesh Chaturthi is finally here! The ten day long festival is commemorated with Ganpati's birth anniversary. The festival celebrations are incomplete without Lord Ganpati's favourite food, the very delicious modak! This is one of the well-known sweets prepared especially during the Vinayak Chaturthi. Modaks are exotic sweet, fried dumplings offered to the elephant-headed God and his devotees as prasad. The sweet is generally made up of corn flour or rice flour, grated coconut, ghee and jaggery. Some people even add aromatic spices to enhance the flavour of these little dumplings. 

This is one of the well-known sweet prepared especially during the Vinayak Chaturthi.
Photo Credit: iStock

But you need not worry as Lord Ganesha's favourite delicacy is not just delicious but also rich in nutrients. 

Also read: Stick To A Healthy Diet This Ganesh Chaturthi

Here's how you can prepare some healthy modaks this Vinayak Chaturthi:

1. Fruits and nuts: You can prepare modaks by adding lots of healthy nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts and fresh fruits. Nuts, as we all know, contain unsaturated fat, omega-3 and vitamin E, all of which are good for heart. This is because they prevent development of plaques in arteries. Fruits, on the other hand, contain high amount of fibre. With such high nutritious value, modaks can actually be good for your health. Of course, portion control needs to be kept in mind. 

2. Oats stuffed modaks: Another method of preparing healthy modaks can be done by using oats as stuffing. Oats are rich in antioxidants. They control cholesterol and contain beta-glucan fibre. So, in case you are worried about the ghee-fried modaks, you can prepare them with oats. It helps eliminate risk of increasing cholesterol levels.

3. Coconut: An immediate source of energy coconuts help prevent obesity by speeding up metabolism. They also reduce sweet cravings and thereby slow down any rise in blood sugar levels. Coconut is utilized by the body by producing energy rather than storing it as body fat. Therefore, adding coconut to modak can make it healthier.

Also read: Coconut Water Or Coconut Milk; Which One Is Healthier?

4. Jaggery: Though a sweetener, jaggery is a healthy alternative to white sugar. Jaggery is a more complex form of carbohydrate than plain sugar. For years, jaggery has been used as a lung, throat, and respiratory tract cleanser and for curing cold and coughs. Jaggery boosts immunity, keeps the body warm and controls the temperature of the body due to its wealth of nutrients. Jaggery is also beneficial for people who are trying to lose weight. Hence, you can eat these sweet modaks guilt free. 

Healthy ways to prepare modak this ganesh chaturthi
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2018: Healthy Prasads For Vinayak Chaturthi

Hope you enjoy these modaks and wish you a happy healthy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.