Coconut to dates til laddu: Relish the scrumptious dish with innovative recipes

Key Highlights Share: Makar Sankranti is known for the popular, sweet and crunchy Til Gud Laddu This particular sweet dish, like many other sweet dishes in India has also many variations We got experienced homemakers and chefs sharing the laddu recipes Makar Sankranti will be celebrated on January 15. The festival, among many other traditions and rituals, is known for the popular, sweet and crunchy . While nothing beats the authentic ones, this particular sweet dish too has undergone various variations that equally taste delicious.

If you are ready to kickstart the preparations for the festival and are going to try making the laddus for the first time, we have experienced homemakers as well as chefs sharing the recipes, with some having innovative twists. For Mumbai resident Nilima Ketan Londhe, a 60-year-old homemaker and part-time sewing professional, a large part of celebrating Makar Sankranti is making the delicious ‘til gud laddu’ and ‘gud poli’. She offers prepared delicacies to Sankrati Devi after offering prayers.

“I have been making til laddoo for the past 35 years. All my family members love to binge eat the laddus I make especially when they are freshly prepared. ” Sharing the relevance of the festival she says, “On this day, demon Shankasur was killed by goddess Jagdamba.

This is why she is called Sankranti Devi. The goddess is known to take a different ride each year to travel to different places on the day of the festival. This is a belief among many.

” Further, she adds, “Since January is also the season of extended winter when the climate is decently cool, many households like ours also prepare Moong Dal Khichadi, , Vallavni and more. These dishes are prepared the night before the festival on the day of Bhogi. All the dishes prepared during the festival are also healthy and beneficial during the .

” Polish til – 1/2 kg Chikki gud/jaggery – 1/2 kg Roasted peanuts – 1/2 kg Roasted grated coconut – 1/2 kg Elaichi (cardamom) peeled (seeds) – 7- 8 Desi ghee or clarified butter – 2-3 tbsp 1. Roast til (sesame seeds), peanuts and grated coconut separately in a pan. 2.

Once roasted, mix the three properly and then divide the mixture into two separate parts so that the heat stays intact till the rolling of laddus. 3. Then, head the gud in a thick pan along with one spoon of desi ghee and keep stirring until the gud melts.

Do not add any water to the mixture. 4. Now mix everything with gud including the cardamom-peeled seeds for rolling the laddus and make sure that you are mixing everything in desi ghee.

5. After rolling the laddus you can serve them to your family members and enjoy the festival. Another homemaker, 77-year-old Sulochana Kothari residing in Jaipur has been rolling warm and comforting laddus for her family for the past 60 years.

She says, “We dedicate this festival to Lord Surya Dev. This festival marks the end of winter, and the days begin to get longer. Our family celebrates together by relishing various delicious food items like til ke laadoo, lapsi, chawal, and pakode.

” Kothari loves to spend time with her family on the terrace of their home. She says, “We all enjoy watching the colourful kites flying in the sky. ” Harish Closepet aka Harry’s Lunchbox, a chef and entrepreneur also celebrates the festival by making Yellu Bella at home.

He says, “We invite our relatives home and distribute this to all our family and friends. We also give a piece of sugarcane as part of the tradition. We also have a big potluck lunch where more than 30 to 40 dishes are relished together.

” Closepet has been making til laddus since the past 20 years with his family. He says, “In Karnataka, we make Til Gud laddus during Sankranti as a special tradition. Sankranti is like a thank-you party for the harvest season.

The laddus are made with sesame seeds (Til) and jaggery (Gud), symbolising warmth and good vibes. People believe that during Sankranti, a special deity named Surya visits homes to bring good luck. By offering these laddus, we express gratitude and kick off the harvest season on a sweet note.

It’s a way of sharing joy, unity, and positive vibes with loved ones. ” Sesame Seeds or til – 1 cup Jaggery (Gud), grated – 1 cup Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tbsp Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp 1. Roast sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat until they turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma.

Set them aside to cool. .