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Makar Sankranti, which will take place on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, marks the end of the winter cycle and the sun's entry into the Capricorn sign (Makara). This festival is celebrated in various ways all across India Known by various regional names, including Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Magh Bihu in Assam, this pan-Indian celebration honours the solar transition and agricultural bounty.
It is considered the day of gratitude for the farmers because they get lucky harvests on this particular day and the day symbolises rebirth, prosperity, and the harvest period. Celebrated with kite flying, communal feasts, and other customary practices, Makar Sankranti is especially unique because it unites communities. Celebrate Makar Sankranti 2025 by preparing some of these traditional dishes and honouring the festival's rich cultural legacy.
Cultural Significance
In Indian tradition, Makar Sankranti has profound astronomical and spiritual meaning. The Festival symbolises the return of the sun on Makar, the zodiac sign of Capricorn that stands for a fresh start. This time frame is seen to be very fortunate for beginning new activities and carrying out religious rites. It also signals the onset of longer and warmer days of the year and the end of the hard winter weather. Making offerings to the sun deity, flying kites, and sharing festive dishes that have been carefully prepared are all part of the tradition. Because jaggery and sesame seeds (til) are thought to keep the body warm during transitional weather, their usage in festival foods is especially important.
Traditional Foods
Til Ladoo
A staple of Makar Sankranti celebrations, til laddoo, or sesame seed balls, represent wealth and good fortune. These tasty and nourishing weets are made from toasted sesame seeds and jaggery. Sesame seeds are then roasted until fragrant and just beginning to become golden. Jaggery is melted in a pan at the same time to produce a syrupy consistency. The roasted sesame seeds are added to the jaggery after it's done and thoroughly stirred until coated. Before rolling the ingredients into little balls called laddoos, let them cool slightly. The nutritional advantages of sesame seeds, which are high in calcium and other nutrients, are present in these treats.
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Puran Poli
Another popular food made on Makar Sankranti, especially in Maharashtra and some regions of South India, is puran poli, a delicious stuffed flatbread. It has a wheat flour-based thin rolled dough with a stuffing of crushed jaggery, cardamom, and split Bengal gram called chana dal. Puran Poli is made by cooking chana dal until it is tender, then mashing it with melted jaggery to create a thick, sugary filling. Whole wheat flour is used to make the dough, which is then rolled out into tiny circles. Position a bit of the filling in the middle, then fold the dough over to completely enclose it. The stuffed dough is carefully rolled out and then cooked on a hot griddle, usually with oil or ghee spread over it.
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Sweet Pongal
A classic South Indian treat, Sweet Pongal (also called Sakarai Pongal) is cooked with rice, split yellow moong dal, jaggery, with cardamom and cashews for flavour. This dish relates to Makar sankranti celebration, the root idea of gratitude for abundance and harvest celebration. The moong dal and rice are cooked together till they become creamy in texture. This is followed by blendingthe mixture with melted jaggery. After adding the jaggery, cardamom is added to the mixture, and roasted cashews and ghee are added as garnish. In order to express gratitudefor the harvest, families make Sweet Pongal as an offering to the Sun God on Makar Sankranti.
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Patishapta
A delicious Bengali delicacy that is frequently consumed on Makar Sankranti called patishapta. These thin crepes are filled with a delicious mixture of coconut, jaggery, and khoya (reduced milk). Patishapta is produced by combining rice flour and all-purpose flour to make a batter that is placed onto a heated pan to create thin crepes. The delicious concoction of khoya, grated coconut, and jaggery is stuffed into these baked crepes, which are then folded up and served warm. The sweetness of jaggery blends well with the delicate flavours of coconut and milk.
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Makara Chaula Khiri
Makara Chaula Khiri, a unique rice pudding made especially for the Makar Sankranti festival, is a traditional Odisha delicacy. A nutritious dessert choice for the celebration, this meal is made with newly harvested rice that has been boiled in milk and sweetened with jaggery. The first step in the preparation is to soak the rice in milk and cook it until it becomes creamy. After the rice is cooked, cardamom is added for flavour and jaggery to increase its sweetness. It is garnished with ground nuts and coconut cream. The pudding is made from fresh rice harvested and that is why it symbolises prosperity.
Khichdi
A nutritious food that is particularly important during Makar Sankranti in North India is khichdi, a blend of grains and lentils. As a representation of simplicity and purity, this one-pot dinner is frequently made on this day. Khichdi is It is a delicious rice preparation made with rice and moong dal with spices cumin, turmeric, and ghee. To increase the nutritional value, some families also use seasonal veggies like peas and carrots. Rice and dal in combination are good for health and nourishing, suitable for the winter season. During the celebrations, Khichdi is typically eaten as a with pickles or papads.
Undhiyu
Undhiyu is a traditional Gujarati dish prepared with muthiya or the fenugreek dumplings, and mixed vegetables that are in season. A variety of veggies, including potatoes, eggplant, and beans, are slow-cooked in addition to flavourful herbs and spices. The muthiya are typically added to the vegetable mixture to improve the flavour profile of the dish. So as to prepare them, fresh fenugreek leaves, flour, and spices are used. During festive occasions, undhiyu is frequently offered as a component of a thali.
Pinni
A traditional Punjabi dessert called pinni is frequently made for winter celebrations like Makar Sankranti. Pinni, which is made with whole wheat flour, ghee, jaggery, and almonds, is ideal for the cold months since it is not only tasty but also provides warmth and vitality. The first step in the preparation is to cook wheat flour in ghee until it becomes fragrant and golden. After cooling, the mixture is kneaded to create a soft dough and jaggery is added. Then chopped green cardamoms and chopped cashews and almonds are also included to make it tastier as well as crunchy. Mouthwatering treats are produced by shaping the ingredients into little balls or discs. Pinni symbolises prosperity and togetherness – essence of Makar Sankranti.
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