Sankranti is that time of the year in South India, where families gather together to celebrate the three day festival. The harvest festival, is grandly celebrated in India by donning traditional outfits, eating scrumptious food and following all the traditional rituals. Food is an important part of the festivities, specially for students and young working adults who stay away from their homes. As many of us visit home during the festivals and relish the delicacies prepared by our mothers and grandmothers, here are our favourite Sankranti food items.
Ariselu, a popular sweet in Andhra Pradesh is made out of rice flour, jaggery and ghee. The aromatic sweet dish is a household favourite in South India. This recipe is specifically made for Makar Sankranti, and is devoured by all age groups. Ariselu are also garnished with sesame seeds and sugar syrup for some extra flavour. The dish is slow cooked on low heat till perfection, and the output is sweet, crispy and scrumptious. You can get these delicacy in Vizag from Sri Sivarama Reddy Sweets and from Sri Gruhalaxmi Home foods.
Pongal has a sweet and savour variant, both are made for the festival of Sankranti to commemorate the celebrations. The base of the dish is made with rice and moong dal. The savoury variant is called “Ven Pongal” or “Khaara Pongal” and is made with pepper, ginger and tempered with curry leaves, cashews, cumin and hing. Sweet Pongal, also known as Chakkara Pongal is made with ghee, sugar, cardomons and dry fruits. The sweet and savoury variants of Pongal are prepared to celebrate the abundance and prosperity of the harvest. Missing home this festival season? Try out some delicious pongal from Venkatadri Vantillu in Vizag.
Pulihora is a staple festival dish in the Telugu household. You can have it in two variants, tamarind rice and lemon rice, both are equally flavourful and delicious. The dish is tempered with hing, cashews, groundnuts and mustard seeds. The famous festival dish is offered as naivedhyam to God on the day pf the festival. This tangy and spicy dish is easy to make, and is a festival favourite in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Another favourite festival dish made with ghee, plain flour, senaga pappu (chickpea), bobbatlu is a popular dish in Andhra Pradesh. The sweet is distributed amongst friends and families during the festival season and is a popular Sankranti food item. Although originated in Maharashtra, the dish is extensively popular in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The dish is enjoyed while its hot, by adding a layer of ghee and enhancing the flavour of the dish. Sri Lakshmi Ganapathi Sweets in MVP is particularly known for their piping hot nethi (ghee) bobbatlu in Vizag.
Janthikalu are a common savoury dish prepared during the season of Sankranti, as a part of Sankranti Pindi Vantalu. The crispy and crunchy snack is a perfect accompaniment to your evening tea or coffee. The recipe is made with rice flour, chickpea flour and ajwain seeds. The dish is also seasoned with chilli powder, cumin powder and ghee for some extra flavour. It is a common practice in Andhra Pradesh to make a series of snacks and sweets during Sankranti, where janthikalu and ariselu are customary.
Minapa Garelu, commonly known as garelu, is another name of the traditional South Indian breakfast dish Vada. This dish is specially consumed on Kanuma, the third day of the three day festival. The item is also consumed with curd, known as ‘perugu garelu’ and is a common breakfast or snack item. The dish is made with urad dal, onions, cumin seeds and ginger which is extremely aromatic and delicious.
A traditional style Andhra Pradesh meal is to have hot steamed rice, lentil dal with ghee on a banana leaf. This traditional thali also has many varieties like a mixed vegetable sambar or pulusu, along with avakai. It is a custom followed in the South Indian state, where meals are consumed on banana leaf during festivals. This traditional style Andhra meal is extremely filling, mouthwatering and flavourful. Other accompaniments of the thali include papad, chillies and crisps which can be enjoyed with the meal.
Let us know which of these Sankranti food items is your favourite.
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