Makar Sankranti and Pongal 2023 Recipes: How to make Avial, Samai, and other dishes for the festivals

Makar Sankranti and Pongal 2023 Recipes: As the harvest season draws near, preparations are afoot to celebrate it through the Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Bihu festivities. Makar Sankranti marks the end of the long winter nights. It is believed that the new harvest is celebrated at this festival. In Tamil Nadu, the harvest season is marked through the Pongal festival. To make the festivals more joyous, here are a few traditional recipes you should try at home to add more happiness to the celebrations.

Avial by W Marriott, Mumbai

Ingredients

¼ cup – Carrots

¼ cup – Potatoes

¼ cup – Green beans

¼ cup – Eggplant

¼ cup- Yam

¼ cup – Pumpkin

2 – Drum sticks

1 – Raw banana

1 tbsp – Tamarind pulp

½ cup – Fresh grated coconut

1 stick – Curry leaves

1 tsp – Mustard seeds

To taste – Salt

2 tbsp – Coconut oil

To taste – Turmeric Powder

1 tsp – Cumin seeds

2 – Green chilies

Method

Mix grated coconut, green chilli, cumin seeds and turmeric powder and blend to make a smooth paste.

Boil all the vegetables.

In a pan, heat coconut oil, and add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add curry leaves.

Add vegetables, sauté and add coconut paste to it.

Add salt to taste and mix well. Cover the pan and cook the vegetables on slow heat for 10 minutes.

Serve hot.

Sakkarai Pongal by Chef Solomon, Dakshin, Welcomhotel Sheraton New Delhi

INGREDIENTS

½ cup / 100 gm – Rice

½ cup / 100 gm – Moong dal

2 ½ cups / 600 ml – Water

1 cup / 200 gms – Jaggery, grated

8 no – Green cardamom, crushed

4 Tbs / 60 gm – Ghee

2 Tbs / 30 gm – Raisin

2 Tbs / 30 gm – Cashewnut

METHOD

Wash rice and dal separately and keep aside.

In a vessel, bring to boil 480 ml / 2 cups of water. Add washed moong dal, stirring occasionally cook till half has done.

Add the washed rice, mix well and allow to cook till done on low heat.

In a separate vessel melt jaggery in 120 ml of water and strain.

Add the melted and strained jaggery to the cooked mixture of rice and dal. Mix well.

Heat ghee in a pan, toss in Cashewnut, stir fry for a minute and toss in the cardamom and sultanas.

Stir fry till golden and add to the rice-dal mixture. Mix well.

Offer the ‘neivedyam’ to God and share it with family and friends.

Pongal Arancini with Tomato Pachdi by Shankar Tajne, Executive Sous Chef, Hotel Centre Point

Ingredients

Rice 100gm

Yellow Moong Dal 20gm

Ghee 20gm

Black Pepper Whole 5gm

Cashew Broken 10gm

Jeera Whole 3gm

Chopped Green Chilli 5gm

Curry Leaves 3gm

Ginger Chopped3gm

Turmeric Pdr 1gm

Salt To Taste   

Bread Crumb for Coating       

Oil (For Frying) 500Ml

For Tomato Pachadi

Tomato 50gm

Oil 20 Ml

Whole Jeera 3gm

Whole Coriander 3gm

Chopped Garlic        3gm

Red Chilli Whole 2gm

Green Chopped Chilli 3gm

Curry Leaves2gm

Salt to Taste   

Turmeric 1gm

Coriander Pdr 1gm

Kashmiri Chilli Pdr 1gm

Jeera Pdr 1gm

For Topping

Oil 2Ml

Mustard Seed 2Gm

Jeera Whole 1Gm

Red Chilli whole 1Gm

Curry Leaves 1Gm

METHOD

Soak rice and dal for at least 30 minutes. Now cook rice and dal together till cooked.

Now heat ghee in a saucepan then add jeera, black pepper, and cashew nut and saute it till golden.

Now add green chili, curry leaves, Tumeric powder, chopped ginger, and salt, and cook it for 2 min.

Now add dal & rice mix into the sauted masala and mix it well and cook for 5-6 min.

Now cool the mixture and make small rice dal balls and coat it with bread crumbs. Now heat oil and deep fry rice dal balls for 2min.

For tomato pachadi heat oil then add jeera, garlic, coriander, tomato, red chilli, turmeric, green chilli, red chilli pdr, curry leaves, coriander pdr, jeera pdr,salt and stirr well.

Now Grind it in mixer and make puree as per recipe.  

For topping saute musterd seed , jeera, chilli, curry leaves in oil till golden color and cool it.           

Serve hot pongal arancini with tomato pachadi

Little Millet (Samai) by Jaffar Ali, Executive Chef, The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai

Ingredients

• Little millet 150 gm

• Moong dal 30 gm

• Peppercorn whole 5 gm

• Whole jeera 5 gm

• Olive oil (or any other oil) 25 ml

• Ginger 10 gm

• Curry leaf 5 gm

• Salt 15 gm

• Water 500 ml

Method

1. Wash the rice, dal and add 500 ml of water and boil it separately.

2. Prepare a tempering with whole jeera, whole peppercorn, curry leaf, and ginger.

3. Add the rice, and dal to this mixture and cook well. Check to season.

4. Garnish with curry leaves.