One of country's biggest festivals Makar Sankranti is just around the corner. Also referred to as Magha Sankranti, this festival marks the end of winter solstice and beginning of the season of harvest in India. This transition results in warmer and longer days, bringing an end to the cold and harsh winter season. This year, Makar Sankranti falls on January 14, 2022 (Friday). On this day, people take holy dip in the Ganges and offer their prayers to the Sun God early in the morning. Besides, food plays a major role during Makar Sankranti celebration. We prepare a wide range of delicacies during the festival and enjoy with friends and family.
As Makar Sankranti is almost here, we bring a delicious recipe that can spruce up your festive spread in just no time. This dish is called til halwa. Made with white sesame seeds, ghee, dry fruits and sooji, til halwa defines indulgence. For the unversed, til (sesame seeds) is much more than just festive ingredient as it is deemed to have a strong cultural link with Sankranti celebrations. Til is one of the most commonly consumed ingredients during the winters. In the winter-y days preceding Sankranti, families prepare various til-based dishes including gajak, chikki and til ka laddoo. Besides, til is also prized in Ayurveda as it helps generate body heat and keeps you warm from within.
So, what are you waiting for? Get hold of your kitchen essentials, as we bring you til halwa recipe to make Makar Sankranti festival an indulgent affair.
Also Read: Makar Sankranti 2022: 6 Makar Sankranti Sweets That Spell Indulgence
Makar Sankranti 2022 Special: How To Make Til Ka Halwa:
To make this dish, we soak white sesame seeds overnight and make a smooth paste out of it. Then we roast sooji in ghee and add the paste in it. Make sure, you stir the dish continuously until the sooji and til paste get roasted and turn golden in colour. To this, add water and boil to get the halwa-like consistency. Keep stirring to avoid any lump formation. Add sugar powder and cardamom powder to the mix and cook. Finally garnish with dry fruits and serve hot. For the ones who avoid sugar in their diet, add jaggery powder to the mix.
Click here for the step-by-step recipe.
Prepare til halwa and let us know how you liked it. For more such til-based recipes, click here.
Happy Makar Sankranti 2022, everyone!
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.