Lohri Flavours Meet Global Cuisine: Experts Share How Festive Traditions Are Evolving

Celebrated in most parts of North India, Lohri is all about folk songs and dances, the bonfire, and indulging in a feast. Marking the end of the winter season and thanking nature for the fresh harvest, Lohri has been synonymous with treats like gajak, rewri, popcorn, chikki, peanuts, etc. 

These humble yet iconic delicacies are a cornerstone of the festivities, enjoyed by bonfires with family and friends. But in today’s world of culinary innovation, these age-old staples are being reimagined in exciting, global avatars. To learn more about the significance of the Lohri flavours, bonfire, and, of course, the ever-evolving traditions, Slurrp interviewed Dr Aarti Kapur Singh, a food journalist, commentator and historian and Mr Akash Kalra, Managing Director, United Group.

I remember my grandmother telling me this principle: just like we plant seeds in the soil, on Lohri, we eat seeds, like sesame seeds, groundnuts, peanuts, etc., to get their nutrition. When the Sun warms the body, nutrition is maximised to give us health.

So, the consumption of certain traditional dishes during Lohri has distinct ritual and dietary significance. For instance, it's a ritual that Sarson ka saag is consumed a day after Lohri. This ritual is a piece of evidence by a Punjabi saying that says 'poh riddhi, madh khaaddi' ...meaning according to the Punjabi food calendar, saag, is supposed to be prepared in the month of Poh and eaten the day after that is in the month of Maagh. 

Panjiri is also consumed in the winter months of Lohri, and it contains nutritive ingredients like nuts, seeds, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon to keep the body warm. Panjiri is essentially an assortment of various nuts, seeds, multigrain flour, jaggery, gondh, which is edible gum; these ingredients are rich sources of calcium, healthy fats like Omega 3, vitamin E, iron, magnesium, etc., that relieve the body aches and relax muscles and joints.

Also, you must remember one of the most important ingredients used to prepare dishes in the festival of Lohri is jaggery. It is a healthy sugar alternative used in dishes like rewari, kheer, laddus, and panjiri. It provides energy for the hard labour which is required for working in the fields. You must understand that it is after Lohri that the harvest in the fields is supposed to happen, so you need that energy, which is why jaggery was included.” Dr Aarti Kapur Singh dives deep into the traditions of the Punjabi festival.

Also Read: Lohri Special: Chefs Tushar Malkani & Amandeep Singh Share Traditional Recipes

Lohri Bonfire & The Feast

Families and friends gathering for the Lohri bonfire is the main ritual for Lohri. After cultural ceremonies, a festive feast, including the staples, is set. Explaining in detail, Dr Aarti says, “Historically, during the 19th century, revenue for winter crops was collected either on Lohri or Maghi. Part of this revenue collected, whether it was puffed rice or green or corn kernels, was given to the fire as a gratitude towards the elements of nature. This is the main reason behind the Lohri bonfire.

The actual story of this legend is that Dulla Bhatti, that is, Rai Abdullah Bhatti, whose father was Zamindar, lived in Punjab during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Dulla Bhatti, or Rai Abdullah Bhatti, is regarded as a hero in Punjab because he rescued two girls, Sundari and Mundri, from being forcefully taken to be sold in the slave markets of the Middle East. As a part of the Lohri celebrations, the reason we put so much significance on popcorn or sesame seeds is because when he rescued Sundri and Mundri, Dulla Bhatti gave them food items which would not get spoilt that fast. Some of the foods included roasted peanuts, laddus made of sesame seeds, etc, and that's how these things became a part of Lohri feasts that are devoured whilst sitting around the Lohri bonfire.”

The Evolution Of Lohri Flavours

“Now in the modern times, as a food writer and historian, it's really interesting for me to observe the way progressive chefs and mixologists are using the traditional ingredients and presenting them with a modern and progressive spin,” Dr Aarti tells team Slurrp.

Mr Akash Kalra, Managing Director, United Group, adds, “It has always been our endeavour to incorporate traditional Indian flavours, ingredients, and recipes into the dishes we offer. The challenge is always to make them appealing to this generation. The bigger challenge is to make these dishes appealing to patrons of all age groups. So, the idea is to be creative in food preparation and presentation. 

The Malai Kulfi Popsicle, which includes the Lohri staple – chikki, has been popular across our properties. The creamy saffron and pistachio-flavoured kulfi are infused with rose petals and chikki mash. This chikki mash is actually a gajak honeycomb that adds a modern spin to the traditional gajak, the popular dessert during Lohri and winter. It not only adds a very interesting texture and bite to the dessert.

The same philosophy has been followed in one of my personal favourite desserts - the Broadway Baked Cheesecake, which is served with caramelised popcorn. It is a delicious option for those who might want to steer away from the simple popcorn.”

Elaborating on her experience, Dr Aarti Kapur Singh says, “The Olive Cafe and Bar in Chandigarh does this interesting cocktail called Popcorn Party... it's nothing but a mustard fat-washed scotch, brandy, and popcorn syrup with citric. What they do is wash the scotch in mustard oil, and then they make a popcorn-infused syrup, roasting the popcorn in the mustard and then using that to make this cocktail. When I spoke with Harish Chhimwal at the launch of Olive Chandigarh, he said that he had come up with this particular cocktail inspired by Chandigarh because the city is the home of Punjabi culture... but they also wanted to give a modern tribute to Punjab... so what better than mustard (sarson) and corn to celebrate Punjabi culture. What a brilliant twist!”