Maha Laddu Recipe

for Ganesha festival and for Brahmotsava

We used 56 cups of besin ( 20 lb. besin is enough – made it in 4 batches of 14 cups each – got 11 large laddus, 87 medium large laddus and 860 small laddus.

Need 32 man/woman hours total – if everyone is contributing and it is planned out well.

Ingredients (all cups are 8 oz. measure)- for Boondi

Besin flour                          56 cups(20 lbs)

Water                        24 cups

Baking soda                        15 teaspoons

Turmeric                             2 teaspoons

Salt                                        2 teaspoons

       Butter - 4 lbs of butter made into ghee (Costco or sams butter please)

Do not buy store made ghee

Almonds                              3 lbs

Cashews                              2 lbs

Raisins                                     2 packets (sams or Costco)

Oil                                               5 gallons

Ingredients(for syrup)

This syrup recipe is for one batch of boondi made from 14 cups(total for 4 batches would be 96 cups)

96 cups sugar = 45 lbs. of sugar

Ingredients:

Sugar                     96 cups

Water                   40 cups

Saffron                 5 gms

Cardamom          4 tablespoon

Tips:

• 1.       Make sure you put at least 1 cup of ghee into the oil that you are using for frying boondi

2.       You can have one short session where 2 or 3 people come and make ghee, chop the nuts and roast the nuts and raisins in ghee

• 3.       One group of volunteers comes early and makes the boondi and syrup – the laddu making group joins 2 hours later

Shopping list for the above quantity:

Besin flour: 20 lbs

Sugar: 45 lbs

Oil: 5 gallons

Ghee: made from 4 lbs of butter from sams or Costco

Almonds: 3 lbs

Cashew nuts: 3 lbs

Raisins: 2 packets

Saffron: 1.25 gms

Cardamom: 1/4 cup powder

Baking soda: 1 packet

For Ganesha Maha laddu for auction:  let us make 1/2 the quantity of the above recipe28 cups of besin flour)

That will also give you some laddus for keeping in front of ganesha for decorating.

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Modaka & Karjeekayi recipe for Ganesha festival

(Sahasra Modakas for homa and Karjeekayi for garlands)

This recipe is sufficient for 1008 small Modakas and 350 large Karjeekayis for garlands

Susalu

The filling: Ingredients:

Roasted Chana: 14 oz. – 3 packets(42 oz total)

Poppy seeds: 7 0z. -4 packets (28 oz total)

Shredded coconut: 14 oz. – 4 packets (56 oz)

Sesame Seed: 14 oz – 2 packets (28 oz)

Brown sugar: 14 cups

Process:

• 1.      Slightly roast coconut and sesame seed

• 2.      Powder all the ingredients

• 3.      Mix brown sugar in thoroughly

Outer Cover

Ingredients:

Maida (all-purpose flour) – 40 cups(8 oz. cup)

Fine sojee – 5 cups (8 oz. cup)

Oil – 5 cups (8 oz. cup)

If you don’t have enough help and if you are not able to do the entire job at one setting, you may need to split up the above quantity into half and do it 2 times.

Ideally, some volunteers should gather and make the filling on one day.

These volunteers should come one hour before asking all the volunteers to come to make the dough and then you can start the rolling, filling and frying.

This way you can be efficient and not waste anyone’s time.

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Dosadatha and Annadatha guidelines & recipes(revised June 20, 2014)

Click here for volunteer sign-up page

"Athithi Devo Bhava"

General Checklist for Annadathas & Dosadathas

1. Even if attendance is sporadic, please stay until 3 pm unless you run out of food.
2. The gas valve should be turned on (vertical is closed, horizontal is open) to light the pilots for each of the appliances. They are behind each appliance. They should then be turned off when the cooking is done. The gas range with multiple burners, it is imperative that all the switches are in off position once the gas is turned on..   
3. There can be cooking only under the hood with the exhaust system turned on.
4. Please make sure that all the leftover food is properly disposed of.  If you used oil for deep frying, you can dispose it off in a drum right outside the kitchen under the deck. 
5. Wipe down all the tables with wet cloth so it is ready for next day’s lunch.
6. Take all garbage out including garbage in bathrooms and put it inside the garbage receptacle (in front to the left of the Temple as you drive in) and close the lid.  Otherwise, raccoons will tear up the bag and spread the garbage all over the lawn.
7. Before you leave the facility, make sure that:                                            
   1. All the gas valves to appliances are turned off in the kitchen
   2. The exhaust  switch is turned off in the kitchen
   3. All toilets are flushed and no valves are leaking
   4. All lights are turned off throughout the facility.
8. After Sunday lunch, please fold and put away the tables and chairs so that the floor can be cleaned by other volunteers.                  

Thank you for your Seva to the temple.

Annadatho Sukhi Bhava

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Saturday & Sunday Lunch: All you wanted to know

Every thing you need to serve Saturday or Sunday lunch(Dosa batter, Vada dough, Yoghurt, Extra long grain rice, Sona Masoori rice, oil, dhal, tomato cans, onions, potatoes, all the spices, cilantro, curry leaves, chillies, ginger, mango pulp, milk, etc) will be available at the temple.  We encourage you to donate $200 to the temple to defray expenses if you wish.  But, it is not required.  

Sri. Badari Narayana or Sreehari Bhattacharya, our priests can help you if you have any questions regarding the appliances or anything to do with the kitchen.  They can be reached at 309-671-5668 at the temple,  at home at 687-5534 or on mobile at 732-429-3620 or 309-340-0339. You can also call Ratna Babu at 208-3788.

Please see below detailed instructions and recipes for both Saturday and Sunday lunch.  We also have folders with this information available at the Temple kitchen for you to reference.

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Checklist for Saturday Dosadathas

(Other than cooking)

1.      Set up the tables and chairs

2.      Wash and fill the water dispenser outside and keep water cups by it

3.      Fill two dishpans with water and few drops of soap for soaking dirty dishes – one plastic tub for plates and one small stainless tub for spoons

4.      Very Important – please do not accumulate dishes – wash them as they come – volunteers need to rotate washing dishes constantly

5.      Please wipe down the tables before, during and after lunch

6.      After the lunch, please be sure you put away all the washed dishes and tools in their places – Nothing should be on the floor(per health department)

7.      Please take both the garbage bags(kitchen and banquet hall) to the dumpster in the front of the temple on the left side.

8.      Make sure that all the gas switches in the back are shut off – they should be up or down – perpendicular to the pipe

9.      Also, be sure to turn off the black electric soup pot that keeps sambhar warm(switch is on the pot itself) and empty the water that is under the pot.

10.  Please turn off all the lights in the banquet hall

11.  Leftover Dosa Batter should be Put Away in the Freezer

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Potato filling for Masala Dosa:  

 (Temple cannot use leftover Potato filling – please distribute any leftover filling to volunteers at the end of the lunch)

Ingredients:(for serving 150 people – please use only 1 small scoop per dosa)

Potatoes(soak, scrub, wash, boil, peel and mash)                25 lbs

Onions  (chopped)                                                                20 lbs.

Chillies(minced)                                                                   80 chillies(approx.. ¼ lb)

Ginger(Finely grated or chopped)                                        1 lb(please use one pound)

Curry leaves – finely chopped                                              1 bunch

Coriander leaves – finely chopped                                       4 bunches

Mustard seeds                                                                       ¼ cup

Cumin seeds                                                                         ¼ cup

Whole Red Chillies                                                              4 whole chillies hand crushed

Channa dhal(washed)                                                           2 cups

Urad dhal                                                                              ½ cup

Turmeric                                                                               2 tablespoons

Salt                                                                                        ½ cup

Lemon juice                                                                          ¼ cup

Cooking oil                                                                           4 cups

Process:  Soak potatoes in hot water, scrub and clean them well; cut them into 4 pieces each and Cook the potatoes in the steamer with trays that have holes in them for 30 to 40 minutes.

1.       Peel and Mash potatoes

2.       Peel and chop onions in food processor(please wash and assemble processor immediately so that parts don’t get lost or damaged)

3.       Stem, wash and mince green chillies

4.       Chop  or grate finely 1 lb of ginger (do not mince)-this helps digest the potatoes

5.       Chop 1 bunch curry leaves & 4 bunches of coriander leaves finely

      6.   Wash channa dhal- this keeps channa dhal from turning red or black right away

      7.   Place the steel pan that is wide and shallow on the stove

      8.   Measure 4 cups(8 oz. cup) of oil into this pot

      9.   Season - Pop mustard seeds, add cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, washed channa dhal, urad dhal and immediately add the minced green chillies and then add the chopped onions

It is critical that you sautee the onions for a long time on medium heat so that it is fully cooked and not watery – don’t be in a hurry.  Keep stirring to keep it from burning and resist the temptation to add more oil.  4 cups is more than enough

     10.  When the onions are golden brown, add turmeric, salt and stir it in well

     11.  Add the mashed potatoes and mix it thoroughly into the onion seasoning

     12. Cook while continuing to mix for 10 minutes over very low heat.

     13. Turn the stove off; mix in the finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon juiceScoop potato filling into 2 deep steel bowls(not shallow trays) and put an ice cream scoop(the small scoop) into each bowl – each dosa gets exactly one scoop of filling(we have 2 identical scoops)

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Sambhar for Saturday Masala Dosa  – A to Z

If Sambhar is left over on Saturday, please put it in refrigerator and it can be used for Sunday lunch(cover it properly)

Ingredients:(Gather all the ingredients first)

Canned Crushed tomatoes – 1 large can(6 lbs 6 oz  OR  102 oz)

Canned Diced tomatoes - 4 small cans

onions –  6 large onions - medium cubes chopped by hand

Toor Dhal – 5 cups(8 0z. measuring  cup) – cooked in 12 cups water for 60 minutes in steamer

Cilantro – 3 bunches  finely chopped stem and all

Curry leaves – 1 bunch

Oil – 1 cup

Mustard seeds – 3 tablespoons

Whole red chillies – 2  whole chillies

tamarind paste – 1/8 cup

salt – 7 tablespoons

Turmeric – 1tablespoon

water(we have a clear, marked measuring pitcher) – 8 quarts

Process:

Cook 5 cups of dhal with 12 cups of water(8 0z measuring cup ) for 60 mts in steamer

Meanwhile:

Take a large pot – Heat 1 cup oil, pop 3 tablespoons of mustard seeds, 2 whole red  chillies & chopped curry leaves and 1 tablespoon of turmeric

Add chopped onions into this and sautee until golden brown over medium heat – don’t be in a hurry –onion needs to be sautéed not cooked in water

Add can of crushed tomatoes

Add half of the  sambhar powder(recipe and quantity below) now

Add 1/8 cup of tamarind paste

Sautee for 5 to 10 minutes

Add cooked dhal(do not mash the dhal)

Add 8 quarts of water

Add 7 tablespoons of salt

Add the remaining half of sambhar powder now

Bring to boil, simmer for 5 minutes

Turn stove off

Add finely chopped coriander leaves

Taste before serving(adjust salt and sour if needed)

Sambhar powder needs to be made fresh each time sambhar is made

Sambhar powder recipe is given below.

Sambhar powder Recipe:

Ingredients:(Do not mix all the ingredients together until they are roasted)

Coriander seeds                    ½ cup

Red Chillies                         30 whole chillies

Channa dhal                         3 tablespoon

Urad Dhal                            2 tablespoon

Cumin                                  2 tablespoon

Methi                                   1 tablespoon

Process:

1.       Dry Roast Coriander seeds and whole chillies together

2.       Next Dry roast channa dhal alone

3.       Next Dry roast urad dhal, cumin and methi together

4.       Mix all of the above together and powder it

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Chutney A to Z: (for 100 people for Dosa) –

Please serve small amount to avoid wastage – people can ask for more if they want

Ingredients:

Frozen Coconut                                4  packets

Sams Roasted Peanuts                      ½  of the can we have

Green Chillies                                   50 chillies

Red chillies                                       2

Coriander Leaves                               2  bunches(stem and all)

Curry leaves                                       1 bunch

Mint Leaves                                        2 bunches

Tamarind paste                                   1/4cup

Ginger                                                 small piece – 2 inch long

Salt                                                     3  tablespoon(to start – please taste and adjust as needed)

Water                                                  Exactly 3 ½  quarts or 14 cups

Process:

1.       Take out the coconut packages from the freezer as soon as you arrive at the temple at 9 AM and let it thaw

2.       Then roast green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and mint leaves together with one teaspoon of oil

3.       Empty that into a large bowl

4.       Roast the thawed grated coconut well and empty that into the same bowl  with the roasted chillies, etc. and cool it.

5.       Add the canned peanuts into the above bowl

6.       Add the tamarind paste and salt

7.       Mix it all up reasonably well

8.       Grind it in the blender – use exactly 3 1/2  quarts of water for right consistency

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Mango Lassie:

Ingredients:

Mango Pulp:                      3 cans

Yoghurt:                            1.5 gallon

Milk:                                 1.5 gallon

Sugar:                                3.75cups

Process:

You can either put it in the blender or mix it really well by hand in a deep stainless steel pan and then put it in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

We serve it in the same cups that we use for water

Please put leftover Lassie in the refrigerator for use on Sunday(please cover it well)

Savory Lassie(spicy):

Grind into paste the following:

Ginger

Green Chillies

Coriander leaves

Curry leaves

Cumin seeds

Process:

Make buttermilk from yoghurt.  Add salt to taste  Add as much of the above paste as needed for taste

Thank you for your Selfless Seva

Left overs

Any leftover dosa batter should be transferred to a smaller plastic bucket and put in the freezer for use the following week.(Please cover all food that goes into the refrigerator of freezer)

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                                       Sunday Lunch Information

Checklist for Sunday Vadadathas

(other than cooking)

1.     Wash and fill the water dispenser outside and keep water cups by it

2.     Fill the dishpans with water and little bit of soap for soaking dirty dishes – one for plates and one small one for spoons

3.     Very Important – please do not accumulate dishes – wash them as they come – volunteers need to rotate washing dishes constantly

4.     Please wipe down the tables before, during and after lunch

5.     After the lunch, please be sure you put away all the washed dishes and tools in their places – Nothing should be on the floor

6.     Please place all the leftover vadas in shallow trays, cover them well with Plastic Saran wrap(NOT Aluminum foil) and put in the refrigerator.  These will be made into Dahi Vadas.

7.     Please take both the garbage bags(kitchen and banquet hall) to the dumpster in the front of the temple on the left side.

8.     Make sure that all the gas switches in the back of the appliances are turned off – they should be up or down – perpendicular to the floor

9.     Also, be sure to turn off the black electric soup pot that keeps sambhar warm(switch is on the pot itself) and empty the water under the pot

10.   Clean the tables, fold the tables and put away the tables and chairs

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Sambhar  for 100 people for Sunday vada lunch – A to Z

A cup is always 8 oz measuring cup

Ingredients:

Onions – 9 large onions(sam’s size) – medium diced(not sliced)

Crushed tomatoes – 1 large(102 oz) + 4 small cans of diced tomatoes

Toor Dhal – 8 cups(8 0z. measuring  cup) – cooked in 2 separate trays( cook 2 trays with 4 cups dhal and 10 cups of water each for 60 minutes in steamer)

Cilantro – 4 bunches  finely chopped stems and all

Curry leaves – 2 bunches chopped

Oil – 1 cup

Mustard seeds – 4 tablespoons

Whole Red chillies –5 whole

Tamarind paste – ¼ cup

Salt - 12 tablespoons (or ¾ cup)

Turmeric – 1 tablespoon

Water - 16 quarts (we have a clear, marked measuring pitcher)

Process:

In 2 trays, Cook 4 cups of dhal with 10 cups of water(8 0z measuring cup ) for 60 mts in steamer

Meanwhile:

Take a pot – add 1 cup oil, 4 tablespoons of mustard seeds, 5 whole red  chillies, chopped curry leaves and 1 tablespoon of turmeric

Add chopped onions into this and sautee until golden brown(don’t be in a hurry as onion needs to cook in oil and not in water) over medium heat constantly stirring

Add can of crushed tomatoes + 4 small cans of diced tomatoes

Add half of the sambhar powder(recipe and quantity below) now

Add  ¼ cup of tamarind paste

 Sautee for 5 to 10 minutes

Add cooked dhal

Add 16 quarts of water

Add ¾ cup of salt plus 2 more tablespoons of salt after tasting if needed

Add the remaining half of sambhar powder now

Bring to boil, simmer for 5 minutes

Turn stove off

Add 4 bunches finely chopped coriander leaves(not minced in blender)

Taste before serving

Sambhar powder needs to be made fresh each time sambhar is made

See Sambhar powder recipe in the back of this page

Sambhar Powder Ingredients:(for 10 cups of dhal – for 100 people)

Do not mix these ingredients together until you have roasted them; they need to be roasted  separately in certain Combinations.

Coriander seeds                    ¾  cup

Red Chillies                         40  whole chillies

Channa dhal                         4 tablespoon

Urad Dhal                            3  tablespoon

Cumin                                  3 tablespoon

Methi                                   1 tablespoon

Process:  

On Low heat,

1.       Dry Roast Coriander seeds and whole chillies together

2.       Next Dry roast channa dhal alone

3.       Next Dry roast urad dhal, cumin and methi together

Mix all of the above together and powder it

Cycle time:  1 ½ hours

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Lemon Rice for Sunday Lunch(use sona masoori rice)

(Need 4 trays of Sona Masoori rice  - 5 cups in each tray-20 cups rice total)

Step 1:  Make Rice(this quantity will serve 100 people)

Measure 5 cups(always 8 0z cups) of Sona Masoori rice into each tray(4 trays)

Wash the rice and add 11.5 cups of water into each tray

Add 1 tablespoon oil into each tray

Cook in steamer for 30 minutes

When cooked, take it out of the steamer, check the bottom of the tray to make sure the rice is cooked properly , then dump each tray of rice into separate  large shallow trays we have and let it cool Fully.

When the rice is fully cooled(otherwise it gets sticky), mix it with the lemon rice mix(recipe below)

Temple Lemon Rice Mix Recipe: Ingredients(Mix is for 20 cups of rice)

Gather all the ingredients, measure, wash and chop before starting the seasoning

Oil:                                         2.5  cups

Mustard                               ¼ cup

Channa dhal                       1 cup(washed and drained)

Urad Dhal                            ½ cup

Turmeric                              3 tablespoons

Whole Red chillies           24 chillies hand crushed

Curry leaves                       3 bunches – finely chopped

Frozen Carrots&peas     4 packages(12 oz. each)

Green chillies                     50 chillies – minced in grinder

Salt                              12 tablespoons total - but add only 8(into the seasoning) + 4  tablespoons(while mixing the rice)

Bottled lemon juice        2 cups from bottle)(1/2 cup for each tray of rice)

Fresh lemons                     4  lemons(juice of 1 fresh lemon for each tray of rice)

 Coriander leaves             4 bunches – finely chopped(Use the chopped stems in seasoning) and the finely Chopped leaves to mix into the lemon rice.

Process: Heat oil in pan; pop mustard seeds; add channa dhal(washed and drained), urad dhal and sautee for few minutes; then add hand crushed red chillies, finely chopped curry leaves, minced green chillies; add frozen carrots and peas into it and sautee them; add turmeric; mix in the finely chopped stems of the coriander leaves(save the very finely chopped leaves for mixing directly into the rice), 8 tablespoons of salt. Turn stove off and let mixture cool.

Mixing the Rice and the Lemon rice Mix  - Process

As soon as you take the rice out of the steamer, dump each tray into the larger shallow trays we have and let it cool fully(spread it out using a fork/spoon)

Make sure that the mix is fully cooled.

Divide equally the seasoned mix into the 4 parts and put over each tray of rice; distribute evenly the finely chopped coriander leaves into each tray; squeeze  1 fresh lemon into each tray;  Take bottled lemon juice, shake well and put ½ cup of juice over each tray of rice; put 1 tablespoon of salt over each tray; mix well.  Taste and add salt and lemon juice only if needed.(most likely you should not need to add any if you have measured accurately).

Serve 1 scoop of lemon rice per plate

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Yoghurt rice A to Z - Saturday and Sunday

Macro Ingredients:((per each tray of rice – we need  2 trays of rice )

Extra Long Grain Rice(per tray)                             6  cups(8 0z cups) per tray

Water for cooking rice(per tray)                            12 cups(8 0z cups – 1 to 2 ratio)

Yoghurt                (for 2 trays)                               10  quarts(for 2  trays)

Milk                                                                        2 quart(for 2 trays)

Water (for mixing into cooked rice)                       4 cups (for 2  trays)

Seasoning Ingredients :(for  2 trays of cooked rice – 12 cups total)

Oil                                                  1 cup

Mustard Seeds                                 3 tablespoons

Whole Red Chillies                          15 chillies hand crushed

Channa dhal                                    1/2  cup(please wash and drain the channa dhal – this will keep channa dhal from turning red or black when you put it into the oil)

Urad dhal                                            1/4  cup

Curry leaves(finely chopped)               2  bunches

Green Chilli – sliced lengthwise           9  sliced lengthwise

Ginger(finely chopped or grated)             ½  lb – please use all of 1/2 lb

Coriander leaves(very finely chopped)     2 bunches – stem and all

Salt                                                                         6  tablespoon)

Seasoning - Process:

Put 1 cup of oil in a pan and heat the oil

Pop mustard seeds; after mustard seeds pop, add washed channa dhal, urad dhal, crushed red chillies

Then add sliced green chillies,  finely chopped ginger and chopped curry leaves

Sautee for a minute or two

Pour this seasoning into cooked  rice(to which you have stirred in cold water and milk) and mix

Process for mixing yoghurt rice:

Put 6 cups raw rice into each shallow tray, wash and add 12 cups of water to each tray(2 trays total)

Cook in steamer for 30 minutes(please check rice on the bottom of each tray to ensure that rice has cooked well)

As soon as you take out the cooked rice from the steamer, pour 2 cups of cold water over each tray of cooked rice and stir it in gently

Next, Pour 4 cups of cold milk over the cooked rice in each tray and stir it in gently

Do not mash the rice at any time

Do the seasoning at this time(see recipe/ingredients/quantity/process above)

Pour  these trays of rice into large bowl

Add  chopped coriander leaves to this

Add 6 tablespoon salt to this

Add 10 quarts of yoghurt into the same bowl and mix well.(Do not mash rice)

Taste and add salt if needed

Always taste for salt and sour(if it is sour, add milk and/or sugar to make it less sour) before serving and during the lunch, if the rice solidifies, add some more yoghurt or milk to loosen the yoghurt rice – do not serve it dry and tight.

Please distribute any leftover Yoghurt rice to volunteers and devotees at the end of the lunch

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Mango Lassie:

Ingredients:

Mango Pulp:                      3 cans

Yoghurt:                            1.5 gallon

Milk:                                  1.5 gallon

Sugar:                                 3.75 cups

Cardamom powder            1 teaspoon

Process:

You can either put it in the blender or mix it really well by hand and then put it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Please put leftover lassie well covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator.  It stores well without loss of quality.

Savory Lassie(spicy):

Grind into paste the following:

Ginger

Green Chillies

Coriander leaves

Curry leaves

Cumin seeds

Process:

Make buttermilk from yoghurt.  Add salt to taste  Add as much of the above paste as needed for taste

The Temple Thanks the Devotees for their Seva

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