Mooga Panchkadayi

The word Panchkadayi is believed to be loosely derived from the word “Panchkajjaya” which means delicacy made from five ingredients. Panch meaning five and Kajjaya meaning delicacy. Five basic ingredients are a must in every version ..though extra ingredients like nuts etc can be added as per our individual preferences.My co-blogger friends have already added 2 varieties of panchkadayi which can be found in the Archives .Today am sharing one more version using green gram i.e moong or moogu(mugu).Panchkadayi are a must for us during pooja or any religious function which is first offered to our deity and then distributed as prasad.

Ingredients:–

• 1 cup of green gram /moogu
• 1 & 1/4th cup of freshly grated coconut OR freshly grated from half part of a coconut
• 1 cup of jaggery crushed or grated
• Tbsp of roasted black sesame seeds
• Tsp of cardamom powder

Method:

• In a pan add the crushed jaggery and water just upto the level of jaggery and heat it on high flame.
• Once the jaggery starts melting and bubbles appear lower the flame and keep stirring until all the jaggery melts.
• Simmer it till it slightly thickens ..stirring in between for 10-12 minutes approx.

• Once it is thickened,add the grated coconut ,cardamom powder and mix it well.
• Now simmer it and keep stirring it until it all comes together and becomes nice and sticky .
• Switch off at this stage and allow it to cool completely.

• Once both the moong powder and coconut jaggery mix have cooled completely..add the moong powder to the coconut mix along with the roasted til and mix till it blends well.

• Our Mooga Panchkadayi is ready to be offered to the deity for Naivedyam

• Here is a small video for better understanding of the stirring process….have shot it using one hand while I was stirring the jaggery coconut mix..so excuse the flaws.

Notes:

1. Take care while roasting the moong as too much roasting will make it bitter….roast not more than 10 minutes on low flame or until it slightly changes colour and imparts a nice aroma.
2. You can powder it slightly finer than shown in the picture as While mixing I felt it a bit coarse than what I wanted and pulsed it again.
3. Adjust the quantity of jaggery and coconut accordingly as per your preference and requirement .
4. Don’t stir the coconut jaggery mix too dry..retain some moisture so that after mixing the mung powder it soaks up and doesn’t dry up much .
5. This panchkadayi stays good for a day outside if handled well like using dry spoon and storing in an air tight container and good for 2-3 days in refrigerator.
6. I have used organic jaggery so I have not strained the syrup…you can do so after melting it if you prefer and then proceed to stir it further.
7. I have not checked the jaggery syrup consistency as I did not have to bind anything like we do for laddoos …just stirring it until it thickens is enough .