Fear you missed out on Makar Sankranti celebrations because of your weekday workload? Dhvani Solani and Aviva Dharmaraj find you four city restaurants that will serve Tamilian Avial Pongal, Maharashtrian Til-Gud Laddoos, Punjabi Gajak and Bengali Pithe, this weekend

Gajak from Punjab
At: Bikaji Food Junxon, Accord Nidhi, Link Road, Malad (W). Call: 9619661906. For: Rs 140(400gm) and Rs 350(1kg)
Lohri is the harvest festival of Punjab, which marks the beginning of the auspicious period of Uttarayan. Traditions include gathering around a bonfire by night and throwing til, puffed rice, even popcorn into the flame amid a lot of singing and dancing. Families get together to feast on Sarson Da Saag (mustard greens) with Makke Di Roti (corn bread) and Rau Di Kheer (rice pudding sweetened with sugarcane juice). Sweets made around this time of year include the Gajak, made with sesame seeds. For those looking to skip the hassle of labouring over a stove dry-roasting til to make the Gajak, a little scouting around neighbourhood halwai joints should prove successful. Bikaji Food Junxon in Malad stocks it for a few days before and after Sankranti and Holi, in unusual flavours including orange and mango.u00a0

Til Laddoos from Maharashtra
At: Prakash, near Sena Bhavan, Gokhale Road, Shivaji Park, Dadar (W). Call: 24304921. For: Rs 200 per kg
It might seem ironic when a notoriously nosy neighbour replaces her smirk with a smile to announce, "Til gudh ghya, goad goad bola (henceforth, let there be friendship and good thoughts between us)". It's a token of goodwill meant for you to forget past hostilities and start over with a clean slate. The hope is that you will become as sweet as the golf ball-sized sesame laddoos. At Dadar's famous Maharashtrian food joint, Prakash, local politicians share tables with blue-collared workers over Sabudana Vada, Missal and Piyush. But at the eatery's takeaway counter outside, it's their Til Laddus and Vadis, available till Sunday, that are high on demand. "We usually sell 70 to 80 kilogrammes of laddus by noon," claims owner Ashutosh Joglekar. "It's a forgotten sweet all year round, but in this week, everyone wants a bite."

Pithe from West Bengal
At: Bangali Mashi's Kitchen, 48, Shreeji Heights (Akshar), off Palm Beach road, Sector 46-A, Seawoods, Nerul (W). Call: 27706900. For: Rs 15 to 25 per piece
Poush Sankranti, as the Bengalis call this harvest festival, is celebrated with a dip in the holy Ganga to wash away sins. Back at home, a sumptuous feast of traditional Pithe, awaits. Made of rice or wheat flour for the base/pouch and stuffed with grated coconut or sweetened vegetables or meat, these pancakes are fried or steamed before being cooked in a milky syrup. At Bangali Mashi's Kitchen, the ongoing Pithe festival serves you five types of Pithes including Pati Shapta (stuffed crepes), Dudh Puli (a Payesh kind of preparation) and Ranga Alur Pithe (sweet potato dumplings).

Pongal from Tamil Nadu
At: Cafe Madras, 38 B, Circle House, Kings Circle, Matunga (E). Call: 24014419.
For: Rs 25 (for Avial Pongal and Vermicelli Payasam). ONLY ON SUNDAYS
Pongal is a four-day thanksgiving harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu. It marks the season when rice, sugarcane and turmeric are harvested. Pongal typically signifies the beginning of prosperity. The day begins with a sesame oil bath, and in the evenings, a bonfire sees old clothes, files, mats and rugs burn. On the second day, Surya-Pongal, women cook Sakkarai Pongal (rice in milk and jaggery) as an offering to the Sun God (Surya). Sundays at Cafe Madras mean Avial Pongal. The Pongal is made with rice and moong dal, and tempered with jeera, peppercorns and rava. It is served with a generous ladleful of Avial (mixed veggie curry) and a serving of Vodi, authentic south Indian papad. If you are especially lucky, they might even have Vermicelli Payasam on the daily specials list.

And some more eateries
Soma
At the Sankranti food festival here, you can tuck into dishes from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and regions in the south. Savour Khaboni (deep-fried ground rice and potato cakes with chilli mint chutney), Belua Roti with Mangsho Jhol (pan-grilled rice chapatis, usually relished with home-style thin mutton curry), Sarson da Saag (mustard curry) and Til aur Khoya ki roti (pan-grilled bread stuffed with sesame and condensed milk).
Till: January 24. At: Grand Hyatt Mumbai, off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (E). Call: 66761234

Hangla's
This Bengali joint dishes out tasty Puli Pithes (outer shell made with rice flour and stuffed with coconut and sugar). Sankranti celebrations here go beyond by offering other Bengali delicacies like Korai Schutir Kochuri (green peas kachori) and Samosas stuffed with aloo and gobi. A 10% off on all the items make celebrations even sweeter.
Till: 17 January. At: Lokhandwala, Malad and Bandra. Call: 9820480495

Banana Leaf
The ongoing Pongal festival here serves you exotic south Indian preparations like Palkatty Pakora and the Almond Semiya Pongal. Rice lovers can feast on Hyderabadi-style Tomato Sadam and the Andhra-style Pulusuanna. Wind up the feast with Apricot Kheer or Banana Payasam.
Till: January 22. At: Shubham CHS, Juhu Versova Link Road, Andheri (W). Call: 26239999