From till ladoos, undhiyo to puran poli, markets flooded with Sankranti goodies

NAVI MUMBAI: While the business of kites might have not picked up, the food associated with the festival remains popular. From the sweet and sticky til ladoos to the spicy winter favourite undhiya to the rich ghee laden puran poli, sweet and farsan stores as well as grocery stores have quite a spread to offer.
Many of the foods are seasonal and with affordable prices customers make the most of what is on offer.The til ladoos are the most popular and is a great winter delight.
“Prices start from Rs 150 a kg, and increase depending on the quality of the ladoos. The ones made with finer quality jaggery are higher prices,” said shop keeper Shailesh Kapadia. At the wholesale market the ladoos are sold in kilos, mainly bought by retail store owners and housing societies.
Another festival and winter delight is the surti undiyo, a favourite with the Gujarati community. Many shops sell the ready to eat kind, in 200 gms containers that sell for around Rs 180. Made specifically with vegetables available duirng winter, undiyo is not available once winter ends.
“One of the reasons people buy the ready made undiyo is because it is a tedious dish to prepare. The ingredients are many and the process is time consuming. The varieties sold in stores are prepared by home makers, so the taste is just as good, unlike a commercially made product,” said Vashi resident Deepa Shah.
For many the festive lunch would comprise of udhiyo and khichdi and of.course the til chikki or ladoo and goondar pak. Some even enjoy puran polis on this day. Made with jaggery, til seeds and roasted gram flour, this is an all-time favourite. “We sell home-made puranpolis throughout the year but during this time there is a demand for it. Prices for these home prepared foods and snacks are kept low. With a short shelf life no customer wants stale food and no shop keeper wants left over stock,” added Chandru Nayak, a retail seller from Sanpada.