Winter sweets hold a special place in our hearts. The earthy and sweet flavour of gur is heartwarming. Whether it’s Bengal’s favourite pithe-puli, or north India’s til gajaks, we cannot help but fall in love with each of these delicacies. As the chill in the wind hits our bones, My Kolkata picks a few trending reels showing Sankranti-special recipes to warm our hearts.
Nolen Gur Dudh Puli is every Bengal’s emotion
In the shape of a crescent, filled with the goodness of coconut and jaggery, these rice-flour dumplings are cooked in milk. Famous as Dudh Puli in Bengal, this is a common sweet dish made at many Bengali households during Makar Sankranti. This vlogger from Kolkata, Soham Sinha, aka @kolkatadelites, posted a reel on Instagram that shows the making of Dudh Puli.
Make Soru Chakli for a winter breakfast
Soru Chakli is quite popular in Odisha and West Bengal, these pancakes are similar to a dosa. Made with a batter of rice and urad dal, these are thin mini dosas that are relished with liquid jaggery or jhola gur. @weekend_flavours_ in a reel shows us how to make this simple dish for a winter day breakfast. Check it out!
Recreate the taste of Punjab with Til Gur Rewari
Make a chewy sweet treat with a subtle, nutty flavour of sesame. Had as a Sankranti-special sweet in Punjab, Til Gur Rewari is made with jaggery and lots of sesame seeds grounded to a powder. These are made into small, bite-sized or peda-sized discs, which are again coated with whole sesame seeds. @maujes.food shows an easy recipe for you to make at home this Sankranti!
Make these easy-peasy mawa gajaks at home
Like the crispy and sweet gajaks? @sinfullyspicy has a simple Till Mawa Gajak roll recipe. This is made from roasted and powdered sesame seeds, fresh mawa (solid, thickened milk), jaggery and pistachios. A perfect winter delicacy that feels warm and is perfect for anytime snacking!
Ditch the caramel popcorn and make this Makhane today!
Are you a caramel popcorn person? Then you will love this! Although @_indian_tastebuds_ makes this for Sankranti, the Gur Makhane looks like an Indian, healthy version of caramel popcorn. The jaggery coated fox nuts are crispy and light, and can be a healthy snacking option. Need some soulful winter evening snack with your tea? Why not try this?
Murmura Chikki
In Bengal, Murir Moa is a popular winter treat where the puffed rice is mixed with the sticky jaggery and rolled into a ball. Quite similar to it, @chef.shrey makes a chikki made with puffed rice, jaggery, chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds. However, these are rolled into a thick sheet and cut in squares. The crispy, crackling noise while taking a bite of these seems to be all the fun!