Experience The Rich Culture Of Makar Sankranti With These Traditional Delicacies With A Twist

From ghee-laden desserts like chikki and gajak to toothsome savouries like khichdi, the eclectic range of Makar Sankranti delicacies is a foodie's dream come true.

Image used for Representational Purpose only.

Source : Voltas Beko

It’s time to adorn the sky with kites in vibrant hues of pink, yellow, blue and red. It's time to bid farewell to the chilled wintery days and welcome the warmer days that are to come. It's that time of the year, when the festive warmth can be felt everywhere, right from decorated houses to lit-up places of worship to kite flying and preparation of traditional delicacies, Makar Sankranti is here and it’s time to celebrate the first festival of the year with happiness and harmony. Makar Sankranti is celebrated with several local and region-specific traditions of course.

Like all Indian festivals, food plays a vital role in Makar Sankranti festivities as well. From ghee-laden desserts like chikki and gajak to toothsome savouries like khichdi, the eclectic range of Makar Sankranti delicacies is a foodie's dream come true.

So, here are some delicious and easy traditional Makar Sankranti recipes from Voltas Beko that you must not miss trying this festival.

Recipe 1- Sakkarai Pongal 

Ingredients for batter:

1. ½ cup rice (soaked for 15 minutes)
2. ¼ cup moong dal (soaked for 15 minutes)
3. 2¼ cup water

Ingredients for jaggery water:

1. ¾ cup jaggery (gud)
2. ¼ cup water
3. for frying dry fruits:
4. 2 tsp ghee
5. 10 whole cashew / kaju
6. 2 tbsp raisins / kishmish
7. 1 clove / lavang

Other ingredients:

1. ¼ cup water (to adjust consistency)
2. 2 tbsp ghee
3. ¼ tsp cardamom powder/elaichi powder
4. Small pieces of edible camphor / pacha karpooram

Steps:

1. In a bowl take ½ cup rice and ¼ cup moong dal (both soaked for 15 minutes), add ¾ cup jaggery and 2¼ cup water and microwave it for 10-20 minutes in Voltas Beko microwave which has a large turntable to ensure more cooking in less time.
2. Add ¼ cup water or more adjusting consistency as required. Microwave it for 2 minutes or till jaggery combines well with rice-dal mixture. 
3. Add in 2 tbsp ghee and give a good mix till the sakkarai pongal turns glossy.
4. Now take a small bowl and microwave 2 tsp ghee and fry 10 whole cashew, 2 tbsp raisins and 1 clove. 
5. Pour the fried cashews and kishmish into sweet pongal. Also add ¼ tsp cardamom powder and small piece edible camphor. Mix all the ingredients well. 
6. Sweet pongal / sakkarai pongal is ready to serve.

Recipe 2- Methi Muthia

Ingredients for Muthia:

1. ½ cup nachni (ragi, red millet) flour
2. ½ cup wheat flour
3. ½ cup finely chopped spinach
4. 3 tablespoons of oil
5. 1 tablespoon besan
6. ½ cup finely chopped methi leaves (fenugreek leaves)
7. 2 cloves chopped garlic
8. 1 tablespoon green chilli paste
9. 1 dollop of ginger paste
10. Pinch of sugar
11. Salt
12. 2 tablespoons of curd
13. Pinch of haldi
14. Pinch of baking soda

For Tadka:

1. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2. 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3. Pinch of hing
4. 3-4 tablespoons chopped coriander

Steps:

1. Add wheat flour, ragi flour, spinach, methi, baking soda, salt, besan, garlic, ginger and chilli paste, sugar, curd, 1 tbsp of oil, and haldi and make a dough with the help of some water.
2. Grease your hands and make cylindrical shapes. Place on a greased plate and cover with a wet muslin cloth. Set it on high degree for 5-7 minutes in Voltas Beko microwave. Its auto-cook program enables you to get your favourite recipes ready at the touch of a button.
3. For the tempering, add the remaining oil to a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 30 sec or till oil is hot, add mustard seeds and heat for another 30 seconds, add hing, and sesame seeds and heat again for 1 minute.
4. Add muthia, toss well and microwave on high for 2 minutes stirring once in between after 1 minute, serve immediately garnished with coriander.

Recipe 3- Kheer

Ingredients of Rice Kheer:

1. ¼ cup basmati rice
2. 1-litre whole milk – 4 cups
3. 6 tbsp sugar/jaggery or add as required
4. 1 pinch of saffron strands or 14 to 16 saffron strands
5. 1 tbsp chopped or sliced almonds or blanched almonds
6. 1 tbsp chopped or sliced cashews
7. 1 tbsp chopped or sliced unsalted pistachios
8. ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder or 5 to 6 green cardamoms powdered in mortar-pestle (choti elaichi powder)

Steps:

1. Rinse ¼ cup basmati rice a couple of times till the water runs clear of the starch. Then soak the rice in enough water for 15 to 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, when the rice grains are soaking, take whole or full-fat milk in a heavy wide pan or saucepan or kadai.
3. Keep the pan on low to medium-low heat. Stir at intervals so that the milk does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Let the milk come to a boil.
4. Take 1 tbsp of milk from the pan in a small bowl. Let the milk become warm. Then add a few saffron strands to the milk. Keep aside.
5. After the milk begins to boil, drain all the water from the rice and add it to the hot boiling milk. mix very well.
6. Simmer and cook rice on low heat. No need to cover the pan when the rice is cooking. Cook the rice grains till they are 50% done or half-cooked.
7. Then add sugar or jaggery. Mix the sugar/jaggery in the milk with a spoon.
8. Continue to cook rice on low to medium-low heat, stirring at intervals. Simmer till the rice is almost cooked.
9. Then add ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder. Add blanched and peeled sliced almonds and chopped cashews and sliced pistachios. Mix well.
10. Then add the saffron-infused milk.
11. Again mix and continue to cook on a low flame till the rice kheer thickens and the rice grains have completely cooked.
12. Switch off the heat when the rice grains are completely cooked. 
13. Kheer is ready and can be consumed hot or cold. You can refrigerate it in the Voltas Beko refrigerator to keep your kheer fresh with its StoreFresh+TM feature and enjoy the same taste even after a day.