It’s the eve of Makar Sankranti, and perhaps the kitchen is the busiest corner in the house. Different communities of India celebrate it as a harvest festival and essential ingredients include sesame, ghee and rice. In keeping with culinary tradition of this annual event, here are two recipes—one for pongal and the other for til laddoo.
Samai Pongal
Recipe from The Taste of India podcast on Audible
Ingredients
Half cup little millet
Half cup yellow moong dal
4-5 cups water
2 tbsps ghee/oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Half tsp whole black pepper/peppercorns, slightly crushed
2-3 green chilies
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 stalk curry leaves
8-10 cashew nuts
2 pinch asafoetida
Handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Method
1. Heat one tsp of ghee in a pressure cooker and add the washed dal. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until it turns light brown and aromatic. Add the millets and mix well.
2. Pour in four cups of water, stir and close the lid. Place the whistle weight and cook on medium flame for 4-5 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally.
3. Open the lid and mix until smooth.
4. In a pan, heat the remaining ghee. Add cumin and crushed black pepper, and sauté for a few seconds.
5. Toss in the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cashew nuts and asafoetida. Sauté for 30 seconds or until the cashews turn light golden brown.
6. Add this tempering to the cooked Pongal. If the consistency is thick, add one cup of water to make it mushy and adjust to your liking. Boil for a minute.
7. Millet or samai Pongal is ready. Serve it hot with curd, raita, sambhar or coconut chutney for a wholesome meal.
Sesame laddoos
Recipe by Tushar Kumar Das, Executive Sous Chef, Hilton Bangalore Embassy Golflinks
Ingredients
1 cup sesame seeds (roasted)
1 cup grated jaggery
2-3 tablespoons ghee
One-fourth tsp cardamom powder
Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, raisins)
Method
1. Roast sesame seeds in low flame. Stir continuously until they turn golden brown. Keep aside in as bowl.
2. Melt jaggery in a pan in low flame. Stir continuously to avoid burning.
3. Add the roasted sesame seeds into the melted jaggery. Add cardamom powder and nuts. Mix well.
4. Add ghee if needed to bind.
5. Grease the palms of your hand with ghee Shape into small balls.
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