Lohri is just around the corner. This wintertime festival primarily celebrated by Sikhs and Hindus from Punjab holds a lot of importance. The Punjabi folk festival is observed the night before Makar Sankranti marks the end of winter season and is also known as the harvest festival. Celebrated in the cold winter night with warm bonfire around groovy music, dance and delicious, Lohri is one of most loved festivals in North India. Apart from exciting Bhangra and Gidda, some great food is relished during the celebrations of Lohri! Some of the food items like Til(Sesame seeds) Gud (Jaggery), Gajak, Sarson da saag with Makki di roti, groundnuts etc. are an essential part of the celebration. Makar Sankranti 2019 Recipes: Not Just Til-Gud Ladoo These Sweets Like Til Bugga & Til Revri That You Can Relish This Harvest Festive. 

The harvest festival, Lohri welcomes the new grains, and they are used to make some fantastic recipes that are also a part of the rituals. Some of the crops like jaggery, Maize, rice, wheat mustard greens (Sarson ka saag) are used to make delightful Lohri recipes. Here are some of the mouth-watering recipes you can make this Lohri.

Murmure ke Ladoo

Ingredient

  • Murmura (Puffed Rice) - 3 Cups

  • Ghee - 1 Tsp

  • Assorted Nuts - 2 Tbsp

  • Jaggery Grated - 1 Cup

Method

  • In a pan add Murmura (Puffed Rice) and dry roast for 2 mins until crisp.

  • Remove in a bowl and keep aside.

  • In a pan add ghee, nuts, and sauté for 30 secs on a medium flame

  • Add jaggery and sauté till jaggery melts on a medium flame.

  • Add puffed rice and mix well. Remove from heat and keep aside

  • Grease a bowl with ghee and transfer the mixture to the bowl

  • Apply water in your palms

  • Take small portions of the mixture and shape into round balls.

Here's the video recipe of Murmure ke Ladoo by Chef Harpal Singh.

Makke ki Roti Sarson Ka Saag

Makke ki Roti Ingredients

  • 1 cup Makka k aata

  • Salt to taste

  • Water

  • Ghee half a bowl

Recipe

  • Take a bowl, add 1 cup Makka k aata(Yellow corn flour).

  • Add salt to taste.

  • Add some water and prepare dough,

  • Make small balls from the dough.

  • Roll the balls.

  • Cook the chapati by applying ghee on both sides.

  • Makke di roti is ready to serve.

Sarso da saag Ingredients

  • 100-grams spinach

  • 400-gram Sarson saag

  • 1 spoon oil

  • 1 Spoon jeera

  • 1 chopped onion

  • 3 chopped tomatoes

  • 1/4 spoon haldi(Turmeric)

  • Salt to taste

Method

  • Take a pan, add water to boil.

  • When the water starts boiling, add spinach(palak) Sarson ki bhaji and Boil it.

  • Grind the same mixture.

  • Take a pan, add oil, jeera(cumin seed), chopped onion and cook it till it turns pink.

  • Add chopped tomatoes and cook it till it becomes soft.

  • Add haldi(Turmeric) and salt to taste.

  • Add the ground mixture.

  • Cook it for 2 minutes.

  • Sarso ki bhaji is ready to serve.

Take a look at the Sarso ka saag and Makki ki roti video recipe-

Til Bugga

Ingredients

  • Sesame seeds (Til) : 250 gm (1 + 1/4 cup)

  • Powdered sugar (bura) : 200 gm (1 cup)

  • Mawa /khoya: 100 gm (1/2 cup)

  • Cardamom: 6-7

Method

  • Roast the Sesame seeds (Til) till brown and wait till it cools down.

  • Grind the roasted sesame seeds along with cardamom and keep aside.

  • Roast the Mawa and khoya in low flame and mix it with ground sesame seeds and ground sugar.

  • Take small portions and make them into laddoos.

Take a look at the video recipe of Til Bugga.

Gud Roti

Ingredients

  • 100 grams jaggery sugar

  • 250 grams wheat flour

  • 4 tablespoon Ghee

Method

  • Make a flour dough

  • Roll out the dough and add jaggery sugar on it and roll it out again to form paratha.

  • In a pan put the paratha and add ghee on top of it and cook it on both sides.

Here's a video recipe of Gud Roti-

Til and Dryfruit Chikki/ Gajak

  • ½ cup sesame seeds (til)

  • ¼ cup chopped almonds (badam)

  • ¼ cup chopped pistachios

  • 1½ tsp ghee

  • ½ cup chopped jaggery (Gur)

Method

  • Heat a deep non-stick pan, add the sesame seeds and dry roast on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and keep aside.

  • In the same deep non-stick pan, add the almonds and pistachios and dry roast on a medium flame for 1 minute. Remove and keep aside.

  • Heat the ghee in the same deep non-stick pan, add the jaggery, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring continuously.

  • Add the roasted sesame seeds, almonds and pistachios and mix very well.

  • Immediately transfer the entire mixture on the back side of the greased thali or a smooth greased stone surface. Roll it out thinly into a 200 mm. (8”) Diameter circle using a greased rolling pin.

  • Cut it into 13 mm. X 13 mm. (½’’×½’’) Square pieces using a sharp knife. Allow it to cool completely.

Here's the video recipe Til and Dryfruit Chikki/ Gajak.

Lohri offers you a great occasion to devour some fantastic sweet and savoury food items. Moreover, these dishes include freshly harvested grains that are also incredibly healthy. You should sure try these recipes at home.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 09, 2019 12:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).