Celebrate Makar Sankranti with these easy festive recipes

Amid customs and traditions, food, too, has a central role in every celebration, and this year is going to be no different.

In Mumbai, tilgudladdoos are synonymous with the winter harvest festival.

Making use of sesame and jaggery, different communities make different kinds of dishes that are enjoyed during this time of the year.

With the festival less than a week away, mid-day.com spoke to Indian chefs not only from Mumbai but also Chennai and Kolkata to share their favourite recipes for Makar Sankranti 2026.

While there is a known twist to the classic tilgudladdoo, they also share the recipe for attaladdooand even payesh.

Pinni/Atta Laddoo

AnshulDhyani, who is the executive chef at ITC Grand Central in Parel, says you can make the classic Pinni or Atta Laddoo this Makar Sankranti.

He shares, “Pinni, or Atta Laddoo, is an energy-rich sweet made with wheat flour, ghee, jaggery, and dry fruits. This wholesome dessert is commonly enjoyed during Lohri for its warming properties and high nutritional content. It symbolises the richness of the harvest and provides the strength needed for winter festivities. With its nutty flavours and rich texture, Pinni is a must-have during celebrations.” 

Ingredients

Wheat flour 2 cups

Ghee 1 cup

Jaggery (grated) 1 cup

Chopped nuts (almonds, cashews) ½ cup

Cardamom powder ¼ tsp

Method

1. Roast wheat flour in ghee until golden and aromatic.
2. Cool slightly, then mix in jaggery, nuts, and cardamom.

3.Shape into laddoos while the mixture is warm. Let them set and then serve.

Murmura and Tilladdoos

Makar Sankranti is incomplete without TilLaddoo, so Chetan Sharma, who is the F&B Manager – Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa, says you can make the classic with a slight twist to create the MurmuraTilLaddoo.

He shares, “MurmuraLaddoo is a timeless classic in Indian households, celebrated for its delightful crunch and nostalgic sweetness. Crafted with crisp puffed rice and rich, golden jaggery, these light yet satisfying treats are a staple of festive winter celebrations.”

This, Sharma believes, is a traditional delicacy that is a perfect blend of simplicity and heritage, offering a wholesome, airy bite that perfectly captures the soulful spirit of Indian confectionery.

Ingredients

Murmura (puffed rice) 100 gm

Jaggery (Gur) 75 gm

Ghee 10 gm

Roasted Sesame seed 20 gm

Cardamom powder 1 gm

Method

1. Roast the murmura on low heat for 2–3 minutes until crisp. Keep aside.
2. Heat a pan, add jaggery, and 30 ml water.
3. Cook on low heat until the jaggery melts and forms a sticky syrup

(softball stage).

4.Add ghee and cardamom powder, mix well.

5.Add roasted murmura and sesame mix quickly to coat evenly.

6.While the mixture is warm, grease your palms with ghee and shape into laddoos.

7.Let them cool and serve.

Payesh

All the way from Kolkata, chef AvisekBagchi, who is the executive sous chef at JW Marriott Kolkata, says you can try the Payesh this Makar Sankranti.

While sharing the recipe, he reminices, “As the winter sun slid behind the mustard fields, the kitchen filled with the scent of Nolen Gur. My grandmother stirred slowly, telling us how Sankranti meant new harvest, new hope. This year, the payesh is lighter and healthier—but the sweetness stays the same.It is because traditions don’t disappear, they grow, just like the crops they celebrate.”

While the traditional payesh is made with rice, milk, and sugar/jiggery, this one uses chia seeds (better digestion), almond or low-fat milk (lighter), but keeps Nolen Gur (date palm jaggery) for authentic flavour.

Ingredients (serves 3–4):

Traditional base

Milk (or almond milk) 2 cups

Gobindobhog rice 2 tbsp (or 1.5 tbsp rice flour for quicker cooking)

Grated Nolen Gur (date palm jaggery) 3 tbsp

Progressive additions

Chia seeds 1 ½ tbsp

Chopped almonds 1 tbsp

Chopped dates or raisins 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder 1 pinch

Method

1. Cook the base: Boil milk on a low flame. Add washed rice and cook till soft.
2. Add chia seeds: Stir in chia seeds and simmer 5 minutes until slightly thick.
3. Sweeten carefully: Switch off the flame. Add Nolen Gur (important: don’t boil jaggery).
4. Finish with flavour: Add cardamom, nuts, and dates. Mix gently.
5. Rest and serve: Let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm or chilled.