Lohri and Makar Sakranti special: Delicious recipes you MUST add to your thali this season

Lohri & Makar Sakranti 2023: Harvest festivals, such as Lohri, Pongal, Bihu, Uttarayan, and Makar Sankranti, are being cheerfully celebrated at this time of year in various parts of the country. Fresh harvest foods like jaggery, mustard leaves, and sesame seeds can be found on a typical Lohri thali, and dishes made with these ingredients are served during the festival.

On the other hand, the Makar Sankranti celebration marks the beginning of the harvest season in northern India and some areas of the East. On this day, people eat laddoo made with black or white sesame seeds, curd, soaked flattened rice, and jaggery or sugar. On this day, a variety of fritters are also prepared, including khichdi, which is eaten for lunch or dinner.

Here are four mouth-watering recipes you must try with your family this festive weekend by chef Dheeraj Mathur, Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel, Kaushambi.

Shakarkadi ke Kabab

Ingredients

- 500gms boiled Sweet Potato

- 1 tsp Roasted Cumin Seeds ( crushed )

- 3-4  Cashew nuts chopped

- 1 Green Chilli

- 1 large Tomato

- 2 Tbsp Green Onions or Spring Onion Greens

- 1 tsp Amchur Powder (dried mango powder)

- 1 tsp Garam Masala

- 2 Tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves

- 3 Tbsp Roasted Chana  Flour 

- Salt to taste

- Oil to fry

- 1 tsp Chat Masala (optional)

Method

1. Mash the boiled sweet potato until smooth.

2. Lightly crush the cumin seeds and add to the sweet potato.

3. Add in finely chopped green chilli, chopped cashew nut, chopped green onions, amchur powder, garam masala powder, chopped coriander leaves, roasted chana Flour and salt to taste.

4. Mix well until combined and shape into kebabs.

5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the kebabs until browned evenly on all sides.

6. Sprinkle with chat masala before serving (optional)

Methi Murgh

Ingredients

- 1 kg chicken, washed and cut into pieces

- 1 cup  fresh methi leaves ( Cut , washed and Squeezed ) 

- 2 large onions, sliced, saute in a tbsp of oil till brown and cool

- 1 tsp green chilli paste (2-3 green chillis)

- 3/4 tbsp ginger garlic paste

- 1 tomato, pureed

- 1/4 cup curd

- large pinch turmeric pwd

- 3/4 tsp red chilli pwd

- 1 tsp coriander pwd

- 1/2 tsp cumin pwd

- garam masala pwd (2 cloves, 1″ cinnamon, 1 elaichi)

- salt to taste

- 7-8 cashewnuts, soak in warm water and make paste

- 2 tbsps oil

Method

1. Make a paste of browned onions and curd (yogurt). Keep aside.

2. Heat 2 tsps oil in a cooking vessel, add the methi leaves and saute for 7-8    mts or till they turn crisp. Remove and keep aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the same vessel, add ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and saute for 3-4 mts. Add turmeric pwd, red chilli pwd, cumin pwd and coriander pwd and combine.

4. Add the tomato puree and cook for 3 mts. Add the onion-curd paste and cook for another 3 mts.

5. Add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cook on medium high flame for 3-4 mts. Reduce flame, place lid and let the chicken cook till three fourth done.

6. Add the cashewnut paste, garam masala pwd and sauteed methi leaves and combine well. Add few tbsps of water if necessary at this point of time. Cook till the chicken turns soft and you get the gravy consistency of your choice. It should be a thick creamy gravy.

7. Turn off heat and serve hot with  rotis.

Choliya Paneer

Ingredients

- 2 tbsp oil

-200 grams choliya

- 100 grams paneer

- 3 tomatoes, pureed

- 2 onions & 1 green chilli pureed

- 150 ml milk

- 1 tbsp garlic paste

- 1 tsp ginger paste

- 3-4 tsp chopped hara dhania

- 1/2 tsp garam masala

- 1/2 tsp  coriander powder

- 1 tsp/to taste salt

- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

- 1 tbsp kasuri methi

- 500 ml water

Method

1. keep pan on medium heat & add oil

2. when oil is hot add onion puree & saute till light pink

3. add the ginger & garlic pastes & saute till light brown

4. add salt, turmeric powder, deghi mirch & kasuri methi. stir roast for 1/2 minute

5. add tomato puree & stir cook for a minute & half

6. add the choliya & cook for 5 minutes

7. add milk, garam masala & some hara dhania. cook for 2 minutes

8. add water & mix well. raise heat to high & let it come to a boil

9. reduce heat to low & cover with a lid. cook for about 10 minutes 

10. checking in beteween a few times ,after 10 minutes the hare chane are 

11. almost cooked. add the paneer, raise heat to high & mix well.cook for a minute remove to a serving bowl & garnish with hara dhania. 

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients 

- 02    tbsp  Ghee 

- 04    Cup grated Beetroot 

- 01     Cup  Milk 

- 1/4   Cup  Sugar 

- 06    Cashew chopped 

- 1/4   tsp green Cardamom powder 

- 01     Cup  Khoya 

Method

1. Firstly, in a large kadai heat 2 tbsp ghee and add 4 cup beetroot. 

2. Saute for 2-4 minutes or until beetroot shrink slightly. 

3. Now add 1 cup milk and stir well. Cover and boil for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. 

4. Cook until water evaporates completely and beetroot is cooked completely. 

5. Further, add ¼ cup sugar and stir well. after cooking for 5 minutes, ghee separates from halwa. add ½ cup mawa or khova. 

6. Add 6 cashew and ¼ tsp cardamom powder. Mix well. 

7. Finally, topped with more khova and dry fruits.