The festive season in India is a foodie’s paradise which allows you to gorge on an array of mouth-watering delicacies. With Makar Sankranti around the corner what better than sampling the festive special dishes from all over India. Sesame seeds (til) are found in almost every Makar Sankranti recipe. As per the Hindu mythology, til helps to cleanse the soul and improve spiritual awakening. Check out the list and treat yourself to these mouth-watering dishes:
Tilgul
This is the most popular dish during Makar Sankranti, made with sesame seeds and jaggery. In Maharashtra, it is auspicious to distribute the sesame balls by saying, ‘Tilgul ghya god god bola’ meaning ‘eat tilgul and speak sweet words’. Tilgul is a healthy food rich in minerals and helps to maintain blood pressure level.
Tirunelveli halwa
The melt-in-the-mouth halwa is a specialty of Tamil Nadu. It is ghee soaked goodness with cashew nuts. Makar Sankranti is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and is celebrated for four days.
Fieni
The silky dry vermicelli originated in Bikaner is made of flour and ghee. The dessert comes in multiple-flavors and holds the true flavour of the dessert state.
Til Patti
Here comes another scrumptious dish from Rajasthan. The look-alike of chikki is a thin and translucent treat made with sesame seeds and ghee. The dessert helps to boost hemoglobin level.
Til Pitha
The traditional dish from Assam comes in a cylindrical shape filled with loads of sesame and coconut is to die for. The dessert is a thin and oil-free pancake served during the Magh Bihu.
Gajak
Originated in Madhya Pradesh, gajak is a dry dessert made with sesame seeds, groundnut and jaggery. Where jaggery is mixed with sesame seeds and set in thin layers which can be stored for months. It comes in different flavours such as dry-fruit, chocolate, khas, gond and til revadi.