SWEETS, SNACKS, AND FESTIVE SPIRIT

Makar Sankranti isn't just a festival but an emotion for families across the country. The highlight is the gobsmackingly delicious traditional dishes, and so CE gets Hyderabad's top chefs to decode these festive delights

- SHREYA VERONICA

When you hear 'Sankranti,' what is the first image that captures your mind? Kites, colourful muggus (rangolis), and of course, all the delicious dishes!

On this beautiful festival, we gather with our loved ones, honour the harvest, and relish an array of mouthwatering treats.

"Makar Sankranti is one of the biggest festivals in south India and is celebrated as a harvest festival to mark the sun's move towards the northern hemisphere, signalling the end of winter in the southern regions," says Chef Chalapathi Rao, partner and cuisine designer at Simply South.

Ariselu, Sakinalu, Bobbatlu, and Nuvvula laddu are just a few of the must-haves during Sankranti. "Ariselu is mainly prepared during Sankranti from the first harvest. It is made with soaked rice, jaggery, ghee and oil," explains Penmetsa Usha and Datla Rajeshwari, owners of Baanali, a place that brings traditional Telugu home foods alive.