Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares Makar Sankranti snack recipes that offer joy in every bite

Makar Sankranti, Uttarayan, Pongal, Khichdi, Lohri, there are many names of this festival, but the soul is the same- gratitude, growth, and prosperity. And that's the reason, while different states celebrate the harvest festival differently, one thing common to all is the connection with food. Like any other festival, this harvest festival is incomplete without the comfort and flavours of food. Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor also believes that the essence of festivals lies in the festive bites. And along with traditional treats made with sesame seeds and jaggery, adding modern variations to the festival adds freshness and creativity to the spread. Keeping the same in mind, he recently shared snack recipes that offer joy in every bite.

Ingredients: 1½ cups white sesame seeds, ¾ cup dry coconut, 1 tbsp ghee, 1½ cups chikki wala gud, 1 cup roasted peanuts, ¾ cup roasted chana dal, and a pinch of nutmeg powder
Method: Dry roast white sesame seeds till crisp and light brown. Set aside Dry roast dry coconut till light brown. Set aside. Heat ghee in a non-stick pan and add jaggery. Melt and cook till hard ball consistency. Mix together roasted sesame seeds and grated coconut along with melted jaggery, peanuts, roasted chana dal and nutmeg powder. Combine well, roll into laddoos while still hot and serve.

Ingredients: 100 grams raw peanuts, 1 cup chopped jaggery, ghee for greasing

Method: First of all, grease a barfi tray with some ghee. Dry roast peanuts till lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat, peel and halve. Heat a non-stick pan. Add jaggery and stir till it melts. Add roasted peanuts and mix well. Spread peanut mixture in the greased tray, cut into squares and set aside to cool. Serve.

Ingredient: 4 medium boiled potatoes, samosa dough, 1 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 green chilli, 1 inch ginger, ¼ cup green peas, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp dried mango powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, salt to taste, 2 tsp coriander leaves, and oil for frying.
Method: Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds, green chillies and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Add potatoes and mash well. Add green peas, chilli powder, dried mango powder, garam masala powder and salt, mix and cook for 1 minute. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Transfer in a bowl and cool. Divide the dough into equal portions and apply some ghee on each portion. Grease the worktop with some ghee, place each portion and roll out into an oblong sheet. Halve each sheet horizontally. Twist each halved sheet to shape into a cone, stuff with some potato mixture, apply some water on the edges, bring them together and press to seal to shape into samosas. Put the samosas in hot oil and deep-fry on medium heat till golden brown and crisp. Serbe hot.

Ingredients: ¼ cup aloo salli, ¼ cup aloo bhujia, ¼ cup mixed farsan, ¼ cup gatiya, ¼ cup ratlami sev, ¼ cup masala peanuts, ¼ cup masala chana, 1 medium onion, 1 medium tomato, 2 tbsps raw mango, 1 tsp roasted cumin powder, 1-2 green chillies, ½ tsp chaat masala, 1½ tbsps chopped coriander, ½ tsp dried mango powder, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, salt to taste, and ½ lemon
Method: In a large bowl, add aloo bhujia, farsan, gatiya, ratlami, sev masala peanuts, and masala chana. Add onion, tomato, raw mango, cumin powder, green chillies, chaat masala, chopped coriander, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice and amchur. Mix well and serve immediately.

Ingredients: ½ tbsp tea leaves, 4 green cardamoms, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 black peppercorn, a pinch of fennel seeds, 1 inch ginger piece, ½ cup milk, and 1½ tbsps sugar
Method: Begin with crushing green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, black peppercorn, fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. Add ginger piece in the same mortar and pestle and coarsely crush it. Set aside. Boil 1 ½ cups water in a deep saucepan, add tea leaves, prepared spice mix, crushed ginger and mix well. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and mix well. Add sugar and mix well and cook till the sugar dissolves. Strain and serve hot with pakodas.

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