More than tilgul: Festive flavours of Makar Sankranti

Sweet beginningsGul Poli is a sweet flatbread Pic courtesyWikimedia CommonsGul Poli is a sweet flatbread which we traditionally serve during Maharashtrian Makar Sankranti celebrations The core ingredients are jaggery and sesame seeds Take 500 gms of ordinary jaggery one cup of sesame seeds a quarter cup of khus khus poppy seeds a quarter cup of grated dry coconut and a quarter cup of besan gram flourDry roast the seeds and coconut mainly on pulse mode otherwise sesame seeds release oil Roast the gram flour in oil till it changes colour Finely grate the jaggery Finally mix all the ingredients together on pulse mode There should be no lumps in the mixtureMeanwhile knead wheat flour with ghee and salt and make a soft dough for the flatbread Roll two small puris Place the thick stuffing in between two puris and roll it like a paratha Roast on a pan on low flame with gheeMadhavi Chavan homemaker AndheriPeas and joyLilva Kachori is a Gujarati snack Pics courtesyWIKIMEDIA COMMONSDuring Uttarayan we generally prepare Undhiyu served with fried puris and often Shrikhand Savoury snacks include Lilva Kachori Green Pigeon Pea Dumplings a classic Gujarati winter delicacy Crisp fragrant and mildly sweetspiced it is served with green and sweet tamarind chutneys and hot Masala ChaiUndhiyu is often served with Puri during traditional Gujarati Uttarayan festivitiesCombine flour and salt in ghee or oil until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs Gradually add water and knead into a firm smooth dough Prepare the filling by coarsely grinding the lilva pigeon pea into a grainy mixture without water Heat some oil add cumin seeds and eventually asafoetida green chillies and ginger sauteacute briefly until aromaticThen add the ground lilva with turmeric and coriander powder and salt Cook on medium heat stirring continuously until the mixture turns dry and aromatic Add sugar remove from the heat stir in garam masala lemon juice and fresh coriander Allow the filling to cool Lastly shape the kachoris Divide the dough into lemonsized balls Place the lilva filling inside and fry until theyrsquore golden brown and crisp on all sidesRupa Shah homemaker DahisarKheer PunjabistyleRoh Di Kheer is eaten the next day Pics courtesyAmrita KaurIn the last few years Irsquove discovered the traditional Punjabi dessert Roh Di Kheer mdash rice cooked in sugarcane juice Itrsquos made often for Lohri celebrations kept overnight under the winter sky and consumed the day after the sugarcane ensures it doesnrsquot ferment much As someone who loves learning the history of festival traditions Irsquove been making this dessert for quite a few years nowFor a small portion boil a litre of sugarcane juice skimming out any foam surfacing Once reduced to threequarters of the quantity add two tablespoons of soaked rice mdash I prefer short grain rice but traditionally broken rice is used mdash along with a green cardamom Let it simmer stirring occasionally until the rice is wellcooked and has soaked up all the juice Add two to three tablespoons of milk and chopped dry fruits cook for another seven minutes and itrsquos readyAmrita Kaur holistic gourmet chef and digital wellness content creator Dharamsala previously MumbaiOffering to the Sun GodA woman cooks Sakkarai Pongal in the outdoors in Dharavi Pics courtesyPooja Ashokkumar Dinesh DevrajFor Tamilian families in Mumbai and across the diaspora Pongal begins with women making kolams in their homes and verandas using rice paste Soon after the traditional pongal dish Sakkarai Pongal is prepared outdoors using the seasonrsquos first produce entailing rice and lentils cooked until it boils and spills over which is an auspicious moment marking abundance of good thingsThis is followed by an elaborate vegetarian meal consisting of the traditional use of 21 varieties of vegetables Some households prepare them into a single coconutbased avial dish while others make separate dishes with these vegetables all of it always accompanied by sambar and rasamPooja Ashokkumar historian and researcher GoregaonSakkarai PongalSakkarai Pongal Pic courtesyWikimedia CommonsIngredientsgtgt 1 cup raw ricegtgt 14 cup moong dalgtgt 1 to 114 cups jaggery powderedgtgt 3ndash4 cups water gtgt 3 tbsp ghee gtgt 10ndash12 cashew nuts gtgt 1 tbsp raisins gtgt frac12 tsp cardamom powdergtgt A pinch of saltDinesh DevrajMethodLightly roast the moong dal and wash it with rice cook both with water until soft Melt the jaggery with a little water strain and add it to the cooked ricedal mixture Simmer on a low flame stirring continuously until thick Add cardamom powder and a pinch of edible camphor optional and salt Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and mix these into the pongal Serve the dish hot after offering it to the Sun GodInformation courtesy Dinesh Devraj