Makar Sankranti 2023: 3 traditional recipes to try out

Representative Image. Pic/iStock

Among the biggest harvest festivals of the country, Makar Sankranti is observed widely across Maharashtra today. Food plays a central role in the festive customs as people indulge in local delicacies such as Puran poli and til ke laddoo. This Makar Sankranti, try these traditional recipes shared by Foodhall executive chefs, Debashish Dutta and Supreet Ghai, and give your loved ones more reason to cherish the festival.

Til ke Laddoo

Til ke laddoos are among the customary traditional sweets made on Makar Sankranti. These sweet sesame jaggery balls are rich in iron and calcium and are very common across Maharashtra.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup White sesame seeds (toasted)
• 1/2 Cup Khoya (softened)
• 1/2 Cup Jaggery (crumbled)
• A pinch of Saffron stigmas
• 2 tsp Pure Cow/ A2 Ghee
• 2 Tbsp full cream Milk (warm)

Method

-Heat a thick bottom pan, add ghee, add jaggery and melt, gently keep stirring it till it froths. Soak saffron in warm milk and reserve

-Before jaggery starts to solidify add the saffron milk and stir. Add grated softened khoya, toasted sesame seeds and mix well together with mixing spoon

-Grease the palm with a bit of ghee and take a small portion of the mixture and roll it in hand to form medium sized balls. Serve at room temperature.

Pro tip by Chef Debashish Dutta: Cook jaggery until the soft ball stage for softer laddoos.

Peanut Jaggery Brittle or Peanut Chikki

Popular all-year-round and beloved by children, chikki is the quintessential guilt-free sweet. The crunchy peanut jaggery brittle has a good amount of protein, zinc, and selenium.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Peanuts, toasted, and broken
• 1/2 cup Jaggery
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoon Ghee

Method

-Roast the peanuts in oven until crunchy and golden, cool, roughly crush, and keep aside.
-Heat the ghee and jaggery with 2 tablespoons water and melt on low heat. Stir continuously until the jaggery melts. Keep cooking till the mixture reaches the hard ball stage. Check the syrup in cold water and it should be firm, brittle and break easily.
-Quickly add the peanuts and give a quick stir and mix very well. Take off the flame and pour the chikki mixture on the greased plate. Place a foil or a butter paper on the top and with a rolling pin roll the top to an even layer.
-Remove the paper and then with a knife, cut squares of the brittle/chikki and let it cool at room temperature.

Pro tip by Chef Debashish Dutta: Cook jaggery slightly more and put few drops on a cold surface to check if it turns into a hard brittle texture.

Gur Ki Gajak

A winter delight, Gur ki Gajak is a wholesome snack for everyone with a sweet tooth. The flaky dry sweet is high in fibre and antioxidants and is extremely healthy for consumption.

Ingredients

• 500 g Gur/Jaggery
• 4 cups Peanuts
• 6 tbsp Ghee
• 6 tbsp Fennel seeds

Method

-Heat ghee in a non-stick pan over a medium flame. Add gur to it and lower the flame. Allow it to melt and turn golden. Once done, add the fennel seeds and mix it well.
-Take another pan and add some ghee and roast the peanuts in it. Once they are done, add roasted peanuts to the gur mix and mix it well. Cook on low flame.
-Spread the gur on a tray or on a glazed sheet. Spread a foil sheet on a flat and sprinkle some ghee on it. Now, transfer the gur mixture on a tray and spread evenly.
-Break into pieces and serve fresh. Let it cool down and serve this by breaking into small bites and enjoy.

Pro tip by Chef Supreet Ghai: While mixing the peanuts in gur mixture, make sure the flame is low and once the mixture is spread on the tray, sprinkle fennel powder while it's hot.

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