Cook Up A Splendid Feast This Makar Sankranti With Yummefy's Sankranti Recipes

As we bravely battle the cold winds, Makar Sankranti, the festival of sunshine draws in closer with the promise of sunnier days. This festival serves as a harbinger of happiness as it coincides with the fresh start of a brand-new year. So, let’s welcome Makar Sankranti into our shiny new year with lots of cheer and some real good food.

Some celebrate Sankranti by dotting the sky with colorful kites, others with festive dance, offering prayers, preparing bhog and by holding large gatherings. Whether you decide to host a huge feast or prefer to celebrate Sankranti with your family, we suggest that you let food be at the center of your celebration. Surprise everyone with scrumptious Makar Sankranti special dishes. After all, good food is a celebration of life itself, as someone rightly said.

Well let’s find out a little more about the festival before we begin with food and the classic Makar Sankranti recipe videos.

Why is Makar Sankranti Celebrated?

This ancient festival, which is celebrated in the Month of January every year, embodies togetherness and bounty that is bestowed upon us by nature. The day on which this festival is celebrated marks the winter solstice - midwinter time, denoting a slump in the intensity of the bone-numbing chill in the North of India. In short, Makar Sankranti is nothing less than good news for North Indians!

A lot of us from different parts of the country do call Makar Sankranti by other names like Pongal, Magh Bihu, Uttarayan, Poush Sangkranti, Maghi and many more, but we are unified in our festive spirit.

Of course, the festivities and traditions vary owing to the diversity of our country. But the spirit of the festival and the Sankranti special food are two things that bind us all together in this celebration.  

In India, food is the focal point for many cultures in our country, and the occasion of Sankranti is no different. Traditionally Makar Sankranti recipes comprise ingredients that help prepare the body combat the seasonal variations and the prevailing ailments. Various whole foods and superfoods like sesame, gram flour, whole rice, nuts, saffron, peanuts that are known to boost the immunity are a part of most traditional Makar Sankranti food items. So, gorge on that good food, people!!

We have collated some special food recipes from all over the country for you to try on this Makar Sankranti and revel in the taste and magic of this festival.

Here’s your chance to invite some guests and flaunt your cooking skills with Yummefy’s selected dishes from Makar Sankranti special menu. Do follow the videos closely to get the ingredients and recipe right.

What to Make on Makar Sankranti: Satiate that Sweet Tooth

Winters present various opportunities to gorge on sweets, then why miss it out on this special occasion? Here are some Dessert and Sweet recipes to try this Sankranti:

Besan Ladoo
This decadent sweet is famous all across the country and makes indulging healthy and tasty. Besan ladoos are prepared with 100 percent gram flour that’s roasted in ghee with nuts and other ingredients to make them rich and flavorful. Store bought ladoos are no match for these authentic besan laddoos lovingly prepared at home.
 

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Pinni
And of course, you can also fashion some good-old Punjabi favorite pinnis out of wheat flour, semolina, ghee and gond. Typically loaded with nuts, these pinnis prepared in winters is quintessential North Indian Makar Sankranti favorite food.

Badam Halwa
Yummefy’s badam halwa is a unique upgrade to the traditional Moong Dal Halwa and Gajar ka Halwa, which top the list among the other winter favorites. Prepared solely from Almonds, the gluten-free halwa recipe is an invitation for a grand party to the taste buds. All you need for this fairly-easy-to-cook-yet-tasty Badam Halwa is almonds, sugar and ghee/clarified butter, plus your undivided attention, and you are in for a treat. This is one of the most popular Makar Sankranti sweets recipes.
 

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Jaggery Sesame Peda | Kedai
Jaggery and sesame are quintessential winter superfoods and they have secured an important place for themselves in the celebrations of Makar Sankranti and Lohri. Therefore, we thought that this occasion surely called for a recipe which is a delectable combination of the two special ingredients - gur and til aka jaggery and sesame. Watch this simple recipe to make gur til pedas which your family will surely love this Sankranti and Lodhi.
 

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Til Ladoo
Another variation to Jaggery sesame peda recipe can be Til Ladoo and Til Chikki which can be prepared by rolling sesame in caramelised sugar and jaggery with a hint of cardamom powder.

Atte ka Halwa
Dish out Aate ka Halwa the Yummefy way and be prepared to become the talk of the town. This trasitional and easy-to-follow recipe is a blend of whole wheat flour, jaggery and ghee. Follow the steps in the video to prepare an appetizing Atte ka Halwa.
 

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Coconut Ladoo
A festive Indian meal is incomplete without the flavorsome Coconut ladoos, so why drop them out from a Sankranti meal? The ingredients are fairly easily available making the recipe simple and fuss-free. Try it out; who knows they might just end up being the star of your Makar Sankranti or Lohri party.
 

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Sheer Khurma | Seviyan
Are you looking for a simple two step dish to cook? Then try Sheer Khurma, which only requires two to three ingredients and turns a simple meal into a festive one. All you would need is some milk, seviyan (wheat vermicelli), sugar, some nuts for garnishing and you are all set.
 

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Payesh
Bengali Poush calls for an age-old preparation of nolen gurer payesh which consists of freshly harvested date palm jaggery, which is used to sweeten this Bengali version of rice kheer. It’s a must try for its unique flavour and distinctive taste.

Besan Prasad
It’s common to find Atta prasad being offered during various pujas. This year try something different with Yummefy’s Besan Prasad recipe. The goodness of besan and its gluten-free property will make your Makar Sankranti dishes more festive, healthy and auspicious. Watch Yummefy’s unique recipe to make yourself and your family this rich and crumbly prasad which you will simply adore.
 

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Puran Poli
Puran Poli is yet another of Maharstra’s favorite Makar Sankranti special dish, which is a flour bread loaded with sweetened gram dal stuffing. The recipe involves an intricate process of preparing the special stuffing and carefully rolling out these puran polis.

Sankranti Special Recipes: Balance it Out with Savory

A balanced meal should always have both sweet and salty elements to tantalize the entire palate sufficiently. Here, we have some savory suggestions for Makar Sankranti food menu with their easy-to-follow and simple yet delicious recipes:

Masala Khichdi
A one pot meal, Yummefy’s Masala Khichdi will add a new twist to your regular Sankranti main course menu. Rice prepared with humble moong dal and masoor dal, infused with herbs and spices render this khichdi an appetizing aroma and taste.
 

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Ven Pongal
If you are looking for a cosmopolitan Makar Sankranti dish then don’t miss out on this special Pongal recipe from the South of India. Ven Pongal is the South Indian version of Ghee Khichdi prepared with rice and moong dal. Follow the steps in the video and prepare Pongal which is a classic Sankranti Andhra special dish, and we promise that it will become one of your regular favorites.
 

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Now, here are some Special Sankranti recipes straight from the heart of Maharashtra that you ought to try.

Sabudana Tikki
This fried goodness of mashed potatoes with sago or sabudana is one that’s not to be missed on a cold morning or evening of Makar Sankranti. Sabudana tikkis are a quintessential part of Sankranti celebrations in Maharashtra and many other parts of India. The melt-in-your-mouth recipe of these Sabudana tikkis would surely make you want to try them in your kitchen.
 

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Sabudana Khichdi
This is another sago / sabudana savory that’s a non-fried alternative to the Sabudana Tikki mentioned above. The crunchiness of peanuts along with finely chopped chillies give a new dimension to the soft texture and taste of sabudana and potatoes in this recipe. It can be served as a gluten-free, carb-rich main course dish in Makar Sankranti food menu.
 

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Paruppu Vadai
Paruppu Vadai is another anytime healthy savory snack which is prepared in Andhra on the occasion of Sankranti from a mixture of two dals. Prepare and stow some for later use. It can last a few days, if you don’t indulge and binge eat them out.

The next recipe is one that originated in South India but this rice dish has made its way to all parts of the country, thanks to the tropical freshness in its taste and simplicity. Try out Yummefy’s Lemon rice recipe and it will become an inseparable dish in your Makar Sankranti meal menu.

Lemon Rice
Rice is one versatile ingredient that can be flavored in a thousand ways and served with number of accompaniments, but nothing comes close to the comfort that a plate of modest lemon rice can offer. The piquant tanginess offered by a dash of lemon would leave an unforgettable taste while filling you up ever so lightly. So, this classic recipe of lemon rice is a must-try this Makar Sankranti. 
 

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Although it would be impossible for you to include each of the above recipes in your Makar Sankranti menu, unless you are planning a grand feast of course, all the recipes are worth a try. Let us know in the comments below if you liked our recipes and also if you want us to include any other Sankranti special recipes that we might have missed out here. Wish you a very happy and delightful Makar Sankranti!