Traditional dishes that define Makar Sankranti festivities

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With Makar Sankranti just around the corner, it's time to adorn the sky with colourful kites and relish the taste buds with some of the traditional lip-smacking recipes for the annual winter harvest festival. The festival is dedicated to Lord Surya (Sun God) and is observed by Hindus on January 14 each year.

As you prepare for a subdued Makar Sankranti celebration due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have listed some quick and easy to make mouth-watering dishes for the festival:

1. Til coconut ladoos

A must-have on Makar Sankranti, these til coconut ladoos combine the nutritional benefits of til (sesame seeds) with the sweetness of coconut to result in a celebratory sweet treat befitting of this annual kite-flying festival.

2. Til gur chikki

With a flavour combination that marries the crunchiness of til (sesame seeds) with the sweetness of gur (jaggery), this delicious chikki is sure to sweeten your Makar Sankranti celebrations. Free of added sugar, it makes for a healthy treat to enjoy over the course of the festivities.

3. Peanut jaggery gajak

An unconventional Makar Sankranti treat, but with all the festival's quintessential flavours, with no added sugar, this peanut jaggery shortbread is great to enjoy as a teatime snack between rounds of kite flying.

4. Puran Poli

This utterly delicious dish is enough to satisfy your taste buds! Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread made with chana dal with the stuffing of jaggery, coconut, cardamom, and butter or ghee.

5. Urad dal Khichdi

This is a dry khichdi dish made with rice and Urad dal or black lentils. As per rituals, this is considered to be one of the most nutritious dishes. Lentils are rich in calcium, protein and essential fatty acids.

These were some of the delicious cuisines that can spruce up your festive spread in just no time. Happy Makar Sankranti!

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