The mid-winter harvest festival Makar Sankranti, that honours the sun god Surya, is celebrated in a whole bunch of places across India, in different formats.
In Assam it is Bihu. Poush Sankrant in Bengal. Sankranthi is Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Uttarayana in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Pongal in Tamil Nadu. Maghi Saaji in Himachal Pradesh. Suggi Sankranti in Karnataka. Lohri in Punjab.
It is an important day in neighbouring Nepal (Sankranti), Myanmar (Thingyan), Thailand (Sonkran), Cambodia (Mohan Songkran).
Food maketh the festival. And Sankranti is no exception. All of India gets ready turning out laddoos, Pongal, Puran Poli and other endless delights. India's cultural diversity is deeply mirrored in the way each region prepares its festive desserts.
We've curated a selection of recipes for Sankranti eats from 9 states.
Happy Makar Sankranti!
Til Ke Laddoo, Maharashtra
Maharaj Ganga Singh's vegan Til ke Laddoos, made without peanuts but flavoured with cardamom and crunchy nuts, are totally addictive and a Maharashtra classic enjoyed during this festival.
Please find the recipe here: Til Ke Laddoo
Undhiyu, Gujarat
In Gujarat, all the requirements for the one-pot Gujarati delicacy are in season by the time Uttarayana comes along -- baby potatoes, raw bananas, brinjals, purple yam, the rare surti papdi, suran. Along with soft methi muthias, the dish is a riot of textures and flavours.
Though Maharaj Jodharam Choudhary's recipe demands time and patience, one mouthful makes it clear why this Gujarat favourite is especially savoured during this tyohar (festival).
Please find the recipe here: Undhiyu
Murmura Laddoos, Bihar
Chef Ranveer Brar offers a lip-smacking recipe for Murmura Laddoos that have a light crunch and brim with nostalgia. These puffed-rice-and-jaggery laddoos are the hero of Khichadi festivities in Bihar, as Sankranti is known in that state.
Please find the recipe here: Murmura Laddoos
Churma, Haryana
Prepared especially for the Maghi festival, Chef Lokesh Jarodia's Churma is a soul-satisfying sweet created from whole wheat flour and semolina, slow-roasted in pure ghee and bound together with jaggery.
Please find the recipe here: Churma
Jaggery Halwa, Punjab
In Punjab, a halwa made from semolina and jaggery is the perfect Sankranti or Lohri meetha -- it combines warmth, sweetness and tradition. Make it in the microwave in just 8 minutes.
Please find the recipe here: Jaggery Halwa
Chenna Poda, Odisha
Shristi Sahoo brings the authentic flavour of this much-loved Odia dessert straight to your kitchen with her recipe for Chenna Poda -- a caramelised delicacy whose name quite literally means burnt cheese.
Please find the recipe here: Chenna Poda
Patishapta, West Bengal
Debjani Chatterjee shares how to make the classic Bengali rice flour pancake, stuffed with nolen gur (date jaggery) and coconut. It is a harvest festival delight.
Please find the recipe here: Patishapta
Pitha, Assam
Assam's Pitha may look like an idli, but its flavour tells a completely different story. Ronjita Kulkarni collected the recipe for this easy-to-make snack on a trip to Assam. It is ideally had with Chole Chaat or a hot cup of tea, provided you have the right pot or mould.
Please find the recipe here: Pitha
Sakkarai Pongal, Tamil Nadu
Offered as naivedyam during Pongal harvest celebration, it is made with newly-harvested rice simmered in milk, jaggery and ghee.
A luscious dish cooked in a traditional earthen pot it is so rich and comforting, it's said to be irresistible, even to the gods.
Please find the recipe here: Sakkarai Pongal
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