Makar Sankranti 2021: From Til laddus to Puran Poli, celebrate the occasion with these six traditional recipes
This year, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 14, 2021. Have you started prepping up for the festival of the year?
It is time for one of the biggest festivals of the country - Makar Sankranti. This year, Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 14, 2021. Have you started prepping up for the festival of the year? Makar Sankranti marks the first day of the sun's transit into 'Makara Rashi' (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice, which also marks the beginning of longer and slightly warmer days.
The harvest festival is very important for an agricultural country like India. This is why Makar Sankranti is celebrated across the country with several local and region-specific traditions. Like all Indian festivals, food plays a major role in Makar Sankranti festivities as well. In Maharashtra, people make dishes of sesame seeds like Tilgul laddoos, Tilvadi or Chikki. Eating Khichdi on the day of this festival is also a tradition in some parts of the North.
From desserts like Til ke ladoo and chikki to toothsome savouries like khichdi, here are six festive recipes from states that you may enjoy.
Festival of Makar Sankranti is incomplete without having Till laddoo. These bite-sized ladoos made with sesame seeds and jaggery are a treat to the soul. Both sesame and jaggery are an important part of Sankranti celebrations. Since it is the time of the winters, til and gur or jaggery is consumed to keep the body warm.
Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread stuffed with sweet and crumbly moong-based filling. The famous breakfast dish is also prepared during Diwali and Naraka Chaturdashi celebrations.
The lip-smacking peanut and jaggery brittle is one winter delight one can never get enough of. No Makar Sankranti celebrations are ever complete with these chunky and sweet treats. In addition to being lip-smackingly amazing, they help keep the body warm too. The presence of jaggery in peanut chikki makes it rich in antioxidants and many polyphenols that helps in preventing dementia.
Makar Sankranti is a special harvest festival of the North and is celebrated by preparing several types of dishes. Khichdi is usually made with freshly harvested rice and lentils which makes it a special dish. People in Bihar make delicious khichdi and enjoy it with a generous dollop of ghee on Sankranti too. It is often teamed with fried veggies and chutney for a wholesome meal.
Pinni is one indulgent winter treat from Punjab, which is prepared widely during Lohri and Sankranti celebrations. It is made using flour, milk, loads of nuts and oodles of desi ghee. This sweetmeat is so densely packed with ghee and nuts that it is also traditionally known to offer protection from various winter-related ailments.
Patishaptas are thin crepes made with refined flour, rice flour or semolina. These crepes are filled with sweet jaggery, coconut, khoya and nutty filling. Served hot, you can also pour condensed milk over it before serving. Patishpata is lavishly prepared on the occasion of Makar or Poush Sankranti along with other Sankranti dishes like Pule, Pithe, Narkel Naru (coconut ladoo) and Moa(puffed rice and jaggery ladoo).