Prasad is an offering that is returned to the devotees after a puja. Food offerings are made to God and then distributed among those present. It is believed that the offering is accepted by God and by distributing it, you are transferring the blessings to the devotees. Another reason for giving prasad is to selflessly share food with the community.

During any big pooja in Goa, prasad is distributed in small leaf bowls called “doney”. The main two components of doney are kanik and panchkaath. Kanik is made with semolina, milk, ghee and bananas. Satyanarayan Pooja is another occasion where Kanik is made especially with a measurement of “sava (1 1/4) kilo”. Panchkaath on the other hand is a coconut and jaggery based offering. Besides these two items, fruits, dry fruits, and mithai are added to the dono.

My grandparents had a temple within their home compound. So poojas took place all the time and we would visit them often. What excited me as a kid was the dono and what would be given as part of it. LOL. Another thing I loved doing is helping make the doney with all of my cousins and aunts. While the elders would make the kanik and panchkaath and cut the fruits, we kids would each be in charge of adding one item to the dono. For the little me it was such a big responsibility! 

During Ganesh Chaturthi, on the day of visarjan, the uttar puja is done and the fruits on the matoli are removed. These fruits are added to the doney and shared with everyone who comes to do the last aarti. Doney are an integral part of the Goan culture. These tiny bowl made usually with jackfruit leaves still can be seen passed around in temples on special occasions. Making this dish for the blog brought back so many fond memories and I felt like a kid enjoying a dono after many years. 

Panchkaath-What you will need:

How to make it:

• Add ghee to a vessel.
• Add the coconut along with grated jaggery, cardamom powder, cashew nuts, and raisins.
• Saute until the jaggery is melted and incorporated well with the coconut. 
• Cook for around 10 minutes. Set aside. 

Kanik-What you will need:

How to make it:

• Add ghee to a pan. Roast the semolina on a low flame for at least 15 minutes.
• Finely cut the bananas.
• Heat the milk, sugar, and finely cut bananas in a vessel until the milk comes to a boil. 
• Add the cashew nuts and raisins to the semolina and roast for another minute. 
• Add the boiled milk mixture to the roasted semolina carefully while stirring continuously to prevent any lumps. 
• Reduce the flame to a slow simmer. Add cardamom powder and mix everything well. 
• Cover and let it cook for 5 minutes. 
• Switch of the gas once most of the water is evaporated and the ghee starts separating.