Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated in India and is dedicated to the Sun God. This also marks the beginning of the lush and bountiful spring and the end of the cold and harsh winter. This is the time for the farmers to harvest their crops. This festival has many significances and is a much loved one in India. Festival means food and we are going back to the traditional recipes of Makar Sankranti from all over the states of India. Come on with us and let us know which one you will be making this year.
6 Traditional Makar Sankranti Recipes From Different States Of India
1. Maharashtra’s Til Ladoo
Til ladoo is one of the most prominent food dishes for the Makar Sankranti festival. This chewy sweet is traditional in Maharashtra but it is served and enjoyed all over India. Til is sesame seed, and it is mixed with jaggery to make it into bite-sized laddoos. Both ingredients are essential for Makar Sankranti and contribute to keeping the body warm. There is also a tradition in Maharashtra that you have to greet by feeding til laddoos and saying to eat til and jaggery so that you speak well!
2. West Bengal’s Nolen Gurer Payesh
Just as the temperature starts to drop below and there is a chill in the winds, the Bengalis take out huge utensils and start preparing the yummiest payesh or kheer you have ever had. For the Makar Sankranti, Bengal’s traditional one is this dish. Nolen gur is date palm jaggery and instead of cooking the rice and milk with sugar, they substitute it with nolen gur. The aroma and the flavours truly melt in your mouth!
3. Bihar’s Khichdi
For Makar Sankranti, khichdi is prepared in the state of Bihar with freshly harvested rice, moong dal and a bunch of spices. Some people also add veggies to make it more nutritious. A huge dollop of desi ghee is poured on khichdi that is right off the flame and the ghee quickly melts into it. Indeed, a yummy sight to witness! It is a comfort food for many people all over India.
Also Read: “Til Gud Ghya God God Bola” What Is the Significance Of Til & Gur On Makar Sankranti
4. Punjab’s Pinni
Another bite-sized laddoo that is traditional for Makar Sankranti is pinni. It is very simple and helps to keep the body warm because it is loaded with dry fruits, ghee and jaggery. The base for this laddoo is wheat flour. It is also said that eating this laddoo can increase your immunity. Another reason to have more pinnis (not like we needed one)!
5. Tamil Nadu’s Sakkarai Pongal
This is a sweet dish popular in Pongal in the south. It is cooked with rice, moong dal, milk, and jaggery, then garnished with cashews and raisins. It might feel like a variation of payesh or kheer but still, it is distinct because it tastes like a hybrid of halwa and kheer. That sounds delicious! It is also offered to the Sun God before being served to family and friends.
6. Gujarat’s Undhiyu
Undhiyu is a mixed vegetable dish of seasonal winter veggies from Gujarat that is a traditional one for Makar Sankranti. It is a mix of raw bananas, brinjal, yams, green beans, and more. The name of this dish comes from the Gujarati word ‘undhu’ and it means upside-down because undhiyu was made in upside-down earthen pots! Will you cook it the traditional way or will you cook it in a pressure cooker?
Also Read: 10 Lohri, Makar Sankranti & Pongal Special Dishes & Menus To Try In Mumbai, Delhi And Bangalore
So which traditional Makar Sankranti recipes are you planning to make this year?
Happy Makar Sankranti!
Cover Image Credits: Canva
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