25 Best Sankranti Recipes

Makar Sankranti or Sankranthi is celebrated all over India with different regional names such as Bihu, Pongal and Lohri. Here I’ve made a collection of Sankranti Recipes which you can enjoy for this festival of joy. So read on and include these Sankranti Recipes in your celebrations.

We all have known through Science, how movement of Earth around the sun results in seasons and variations in the length of days.

While the days in winter are shorter and colder, they are longer and warmer in summers. Makar Sankranti is celebrated to mark the day, when the days start to become longer, also known as winter solstice.

This is also the day on which sun moves into the Capricorn constellation.

According to the Hindu religion, this is the time when the sun starts on it Utarayan (summer solstice) and is considered very auspicious.

I remember this day since my childhood, when in North India, we used to look forward to flying kites and gorging on some of the nicest & delicious recipes.

Since hundreds of years, this festival has been celebrated with much fanfare. In modern calendar, this festival usually falls on 14th of January.

People all over India celebrate this in unique style. In the north, Punjab celebrates Lohri with song and dance around a bon fire.

People also distribute sweets, clean their homes and buy new clothes. Rajasthan celebrates Sankranti with people all over flying kites during the day.

In South India, Pongal is celebrated in Tamil Nadu with sweet preparations and offerings to the god. Bihu in Assam is celebrated with traditional song and dance.

Similarly every state in India celebrates this festival is some form or the other.

One thing which stands out in all celebrations is preparation of special dishes.

This is where I’ve made a collection of Sankranti Recipes from different regions of India, so we can celebrate the diversity and mark this festival in a perfect way.

All you have to do is invite your friends and family and enjoy these perfect recipes.

 I’m all geared up to celebrate this festival once again with my delicious recipes to guarantee good fortune in the coming year. You too can use these 5 simple tips to prepare for a Healthy & Auspicious Sankranti.

5 Tips to prepare for a Healthy & Auspicious Sankranti

1. Surya Namaskar: Sun has been regarded as the god for energy, prosperity & health, so this day start by offering water to the Sun God in a copper utensil. Adding red flowers will only make it more auspicious and help bring prosperity & good health in the coming year. Plant a new tree or flowers in your house so you can use them year-long and get in a good habit of thanking the sun god.
2.  Seek blessings: Seeking blessings from the elders is an absolute must on this day, however you can also get blessings from the society. According to age-old beliefs, donating unused stuff is known to come back manifold, so Sankranti is also a perfect opportunity to help the under privileged and earn their blessings. So look into your old boxes and almirahs, pick up some old clothes & toys and donate them to the needy.
3. Invite friends over: No festival in India is ever complete without celebrating with family and friends. Celebrating Sankranti with your loved ones is also the best way to put your culinary skills into practice. Put some sweets and munchies and decorate your food table with these tried and tested recipes. Try these recipes of Ven Pongal, Sakkarai pongal, Til Gud Poli, Ellu sadam etc.
4. Start something new: Sankranti marks the commencement of Uttarayan; a period believed to be extremely auspicious. Hence making it a perfect time to start something that’s been long overdue. Be it a new resolution for the new year or a new project, business or initiative, there is no better time than this day to kick it off. So get on and make the most of the new year.
5. Make your kitchen Sankranti ready: The practice of pre-Sankranti cleaning is not only the best way to welcome prosperity but also a healthy lifestyle. And your kitchen plays an integral part in it. 

25 Best Sankranti Recipes

Til Chikki – Til Chikki is a crispy sweet treat which has a mix of jaggery and til or sesame seeds. It is delicious and quick to make and is a must make for the festival of Sankranti in North India. Try out this super easy recipe to make til chikki.

Til Mawa Ladoo – In this recipe of Til Mawa Ladoo, we use the distinctively nutty flavor of til blended with Mawa (Khoya) to create a perfectly sweet Indian Mithai. Make it for festivals or eat one laddu a day in winters to keep up with the Indian cold climate. So waiting for what? Check out the recipe now.

Tilgul Poli – Tilgul Poli is a sweet chapatti/flatbread that is typically prepared during Makar Sankranthi. It is sweet, soft, delicious and best enjoyed with ghee. Do include it in your Sankranti Recipes list.

Puran Poli – Puran Poli is a sweet flatbread savoured on almost all the occasions in India. It is popular in Gujarat as well as Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, it is prepared by using Chana Dal, however, in Gujarat Toovar Dal is preferred for making it. Make it this Sankranti for a sweet treat.

Moong dal Daliya Khichdi – This recipe is super easy to make and tastes delicious. In North India making khichdi is a tradition for Sankranti and this recipe will be a perfect fit.

Vegetable Oats Khichdi – Loaded with goodness of oats and vegetables this Vegetable Oats Khichdi is a perfect one pot meal to serve your family. Make this healthy recipe to celebrate Sankranti.

Duli Moong Dal Khichdi – Dhuli Moong Dal Ki Khichdi is a rich, nutritious indian style savoury porridge made using rice and lentils. It is often given to kids when they are very young, as the rich protein content is good for growth and energy. This recipe would be a great addition to your Sankranti menu.

Ven Pongal – Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal is a spicy & savory rice pongal that is rich, healthy, delicious and savory. Specially prepared during the harvest festival of Sankranti in South India, this tasty porridge is often eaten for breakfast or lunch, either by itself or accompanied by pickle and papads.

Thinai Pongal – Millets are high on nutrients, and they make for perfect breakfast cereals. Their high fiber content, low calorie content and low glycaemic index make them great to begin the day with. This wholesome grain is further fortified with protein rich moong dal, blended with a variety of spices in this Thinai Ven Pongal.

Sakkarai Pongal –  Sakkarai Pongal is prepared by using short grain rice and jaggery which are considered to be healthy ingredients to be consumed during winter. Do make this sweet pongal along with the savoury ones for a delicious end to your meal.

Rava Pongal – It is a one pot dish made using rava or sooji and moong dal. It’s a nice variation of the classic Ven Pongal or Khara Pongal and is a delicious South Indian breakfast recipe made in a pressure cooker. If you have made ven pongal enough times, then try this variation this year.

Curd Rice – Curd Rice is a delicious south Indian recipe where cooked rice is mixed with curd and a tempering is done to it. It is a full meal in itself and can be had any time of the day.

Lemon Rice – Lemon rice is a popular South Indian Rice recipe. The dish is complete in it self or it can be eaten with curd, raita or any chutney and is a wonderful way to use left over rice. A tadka of mustard seeds, lentils, peanuts, cashew nuts and curry leaves is made and is added to the cooked rice. Lemon juice is added at the end to give it a slight tangy taste.

Ellu Sadam or Sesame Rice is a traditional Karnataka dish especially made during festivals. In this dish cooked rice is mixed with a spicy powder made primarily using sesame seeds. Here is how to make Ellu Sadam.

Tomato Rice – Tomato Rice is a delicious South Indian style rice recipe with bold flavour of tomato. It is super quick to make and can be made using left over rice too. Make it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it fits it all.

Coconut Rice – This South Indian Coconut Rice Recipe is a mildly spiced and light rice dish cooked with fresh coconut. You can pair it with a raita or dal.

Mix Veg Kootu – Kootu is a simple, yet delicious dish that’s made in most Tamil homes. It’s a healthy South Indian dish that’s specially made during the Pongal season. The taste of this vegetable mix with hot rice and a dollop of ghee is simply divine. This is what simple comfort food is all about.

Chakkara Pongal with Brown rice – Chakkara Pongal is an auspicious sweet dish made on Pongal day. The freshly harvested rice and dal, are cooked along with jaggery for a simple, minimalistic sweet dish to mark the occasion of Pongal, a festival celebrated with much fervour in Tamil Nadu. Make your Chakka pongal healthier by making it with brown rice. Here is a recipe by Nandita of Saffrontrails.

Paal Pongal – Paal Pongal is rice and dal cooked in milk. You can either have it plain or add sugar to it. Here is a recipe by Jyothi from Currytrail.

Navane Payasa – Just 5 Ingredients and this Navane Payasa or Foxtail millet payasa is ready in 30 minutes. Talk about how healthy it is to indulge, cuz foxtail millet has loads of fibre and is great to gorge on with the festive food. Here is a recipe by Swayampaaka.

Tahini Til Gul – Want to try out something super easy and with a twist? Then this Tahini Til Gul made with just 2 ingredients might be your thing. Try out this recipe by  Niv from Panfusion.

I am sure you all must have enjoyed these Sankranti Recipes and are going to try a few of these this year.