Here are some recipes from different parts of the country, made especially during Sankranti, which you can try at home.

Sakkare Achchu

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

A drop of food colour

Method

Take a thick bottom pan and add the sugar and water and let the sugar melt. Keep stirring till it boils and then add the milk and keep stirring.The milk enhances the taste and removed the dirt from the sugar. Once the syrup starts to froth, sieve the syrup. Pour the syrup back into the pan and boil again. Add the remaining milk and stir and sieve again. Pour the syrup back in the pan and continue to boil until the mixture becomes thick and whiteKeep the moulds ready and pour the mixture into them. Using a knife, trim the extra sugar over the mould. Leave it aside for 10 minutes and remove gently from the mould.

Sweet pongal

Ingredients

2 cups rice

6 cups fresh milk

1 1/2 cup sugar

3tbsp cashews

2tbsp raisins and almonds

4 cardamoms

4 tbsp ghee

A dash of rose water

Method

Wash the rice and soak in water for 20 minutes. Boil milk in pressure pan, add soaked rice and cook till tender. Heat a tawa, add sugar stir for few minutes until sugar is dissolved.

Add cardamoms and cooked rice, stir for few minutes. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add cashewnuts, almonds, raisins and fry till the colour changes.

Pour into the rice mixture. Add little rose water to the rice and stir gently. Let it simmer on low flame for about two minutes and then remove. Serve hot.

Wheat laddoos

You need

1 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2tsp cardamom

2 cloves

1/2 cup ghee

1 tsp raisin

Method

In a wok, heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry the cloves. Add wheat flour and fry on low flame for around 10min. Add the sugar and fry for another five minutes. Add in the cardamom and raisins. Now add the remaining ghee, cool it a little while but make sure the mix is still warm. It takes a little time for the mixture to bind so be patient as you roll the ladoos. If it becomes a bit difficult, add in some more warm ghee. Once done. Store in an airtight container and cool the ladoos in room temperature.

Venn Pongal

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice

1 cup moong dal

1tsp pepper corn

11/2tsp jeera

1inch ginger

1 cup milk

50gm cashews

Ghee

A pinch of asafoetida

Curry leaves and salt to taste

Method

Fry the rice and dal separately in a wok, without any ghee. Keep it aside.

Fry the cashews in 1tbsp ghee till the colour becomes golden. Grind the pepper and jeera to a coarse powder. Chop the ginger into very fine bits. Then, wash the dal and rice.

Add six cups of water and one cup of milk to the rice and dal. Add in the pepper, jeera powder, asafoetida, curry leaves and salt. Boil this mixture in a pressure cooker. Switch off the gas after 1 whistle. Now, add fried cashew and ghee to the pongal.

Gajak

Ingredients

10 almonds and cashews

20 peanuts

1/2 cup walnut

1/4 cup melon seeds (shelled)

1 cup sugar

1tsp ghee

5 cardamoms

1tsp lemon

A drop of kewra essence

Khoya

Method

Take a pan and melt the sugar and put lemon, khoya, white melon, kewra essence in the melted sugar and stir till the mixture turns to a drop consistency.

Mix in the ghee, add badam, cashew, peanuts and walnuts and mix well. Pour the mixture into a thali and cut them into pieces. Let it cool and then serve.

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