Akkaaradisal, chakkarapongal, khichdi: classics from Indian kitchens you can cook this Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival that celebrates the bounty of nature and offers gratitude for the plentiful crops throughout the country. From North to South, East to West, every kitchen overflows with festive specials on this day. We bring to you classic Sankranti recipes from the temple towns of Southern India and the hills of Himachal Pradesh to try.

Akkaaradisal

Chakkarapongal is the festive dish made on Pongal day in Tamil Nadu. It is cooked rice sweetened with jaggery. Popular chef, cook show host and food traveler, Rakesh Raghunathan shares the recipe of akkaaradisal, a Vaishnavite dish that is made in many homes for Pongal.

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup
Moong dal – 1 cup
Ghee – 4 teaspoons
Jaggery – 3-4 cups grated
Almonds – 15
Cashews – 15
Raisins – 10
Nutmeg – 3-4 grated
Mace – 1 crushed
Saffron – 1 pinch soaked in milk

Method

Toast moong dal on low flame, ensuring the colour does not change.

Heat 1-cup milk in a pressure cooker, when it comes to boil, add nutmeg, mace, rice and moong dal.

Add 3 cups water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

Once the pressure releases, add the rest of the milk to the mixture and bring to a boil.

Add grated jaggery and ghee and allow to cook some more.

Mix in the saffron in the milk.

In a separate pan heat the ghee and toast the nuts; pour on top as garnish. Serve hot.

Chakkarapongal

The classic chakkrapongal, a sweet preparation of lentils, rice, jaggery and nuts, is the quintessential Pongal dish. The preparation is made all over South India, offered to the Sun God and distributed to friends and family. Chef Srinivasa of ITC Grand Chola, Chennai shares his recipe for this classic Pongal offering.

Ingredients

Ponni rice – 3/4 cup
Moong dal – 1/2 cup
Grated jaggery –1 cup
Cardamom powder –1/2 teaspoons
Cashew nut – 2 tablespoons
Raisins – 2 tablespoons
Dry coconut – 8-10 slivers
Ghee- 4 tablespoons

Method

Wash the rice and moong dal under running water and boil them together until they become soft and porridge like.

Mash the boiled rice and lentils with the back of a spoon.

In another pan add 1/2 cup of water and grated jaggery and heat until the jaggery dissolves.

Let the syrup cook for 5 minutes.

When slightly sticky and thick, strain the syrup and add it to the rice and lentil mix.

Add the cardamom powder.

Cook on medium flame until rice and lentils blend well with the jaggery syrup.

Add hot water to bring the mixture to a gooey consistency.

Heat the ghee in a pan and cook the cashews and dry coconut on low flame.

Add raisins once the colour of coconut and cashew nut starts to turn golden and take off the heat.

Pour the nut mix and the ghee to the pongal and serve warm.

Sabut urad dal khichdi

In Himachal Pradesh Makar Sankranti or Magha Saaja is celebrated to mark of start of sacred month of Magah(magh). After the ceremonial holy bath locals celebrate the festival by worshiping khichdi. The same khichdi is cooked and shared with friends, family, neighbours and distributed to the needy. Home chef Nitika Sood of Padadi Pattal shares her family recipe.

Ingredients

Whole urad dal – 2 cups
Khichdi rice – 2 cups
Ginger - 2 inches(grated)
Asafetida – 1 pinch
Turmeric – 2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 3 teaspoon
Coriander powder – 3 teaspoon
Red chili powder – 2 teaspoon
Fresh coriander – 1 bunch
Salt – to taste
Water – 2 liters
Mustard oil – 4 tablespoon

Method

Wash daal and rice separately.

In a pressure cooker, heat the mustard oil, add asafetida, cumin seeds and let them crack.

Add coriander powder, grated ginger, turmeric powder, chili powder and let them cook for a minute while stirring on a low flame.

Add urad dal, about 600ml of water and pressure cook it for 15 minutes on medium flame. Let it cool.

Add rice and remaining water in the cooker along with salt and pressure cook it for 10 minutes on medium flame.

Remove and let the pressure release itself.

Garnish it with green coriander and serve hot with ghee, curd and pickle.