A culinary celebration of tradition

What is common to ingredients like sesame, jaggery, dry coconut, gram dal and peanuts in January? Well, no prizes for guessing that most if not all of these ingredients make their way into scrumptious Sankranti fare.

Makar Sankranti, a Hindu festival, commemorates crucial events in the annual calendar, marking the sun’s journey northward and the onset of Uttarayan. This celebration symbolizes not just a seasonal shift from winter to summer but, significantly, serves as a harvest festival, highlighting the allure of seasonal and local produce.

The traditional Sankranti cuisine isn’t merely about seasonal delights; it also offers health benefits. Sesame, renowned for its heat-inducing properties and iron richness, is believed to aid the body in acclimating to the impending harsh summer. The festival is celebrated under different names across India, emphasizing the unity in diversity prevalent in the country.

Sankranti meals, rooted in tradition, feature staples like Pullihara (tamarind rice) and Pongal, both in savoury and sweet variations. The table is incomplete without the customary Bobbatlu, Bakshalu, or Puran Poli, a sweet concoction made with chana dal, wheat, maida flour, and jaggery. Many households use freshly harvested rice, cooked and offered to God before consumption.

Kalagaya kura, a mixed vegetable curry incorporating seasonal vegetables, is a common Sankranti preparation. It may bear a resemblance to Gujarati Undhiyu, using similar vegetables available during this season, but differs in masalas and seasoning. The Kalagaya Pulusu, also known as Teepi Pulusu, a stew-like curry with mixed vegetables cooked in jaggery and tamarind, enjoys popularity.

Sankranti snacks showcase a variety of items made with raw rice flour, coconut, and sugar. These include Chekkalu, Bellam Gavvalu, Dry Fruit Pootharekulu, Janthikalu, Karapu Boondi, Nuvvula Ariselu, Kajjikayalu, Bellam Nuvvula Undalu, Bellam Sunnundalu, Boondi Achu, Boondi Laddu, and Kobbari Undalu.

Beyond the gustatory pleasures, Sankranti and its culinary traditions impart profound lessons in sustainable and mindful living. Emphasizing seasonal and local produce aligns seamlessly with contemporary food trends like plant-based living, veganism, and a focus on fresh produce. These principles, deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom, extend beyond the festival, becoming a commitment to practices that resonate positively throughout the season.

Choosing traditional Sankranti foods isn’t just a celebration; it’s an embrace of habits that harmonize with the changing seasons. It’s a holistic approach that encapsulates cultural heritage, agricultural abundance, and a mindful connection to the environment. Makar Sankranti, therefore, becomes not merely a festival but a celebration of life’s sustenance in all its forms.