Celebrate Makar Sankranti with Mixed dry fruits and Seeds Brittle !

On this auspicious day of MAKAR SANKRANTI, I would like to wish you all very happy and safe Makar Sankranti....!



The harvesting festival, Makar Sankranti, was celebrated to mark the transition of the Sun from Dhanu Rashi (Sagittarius ) to Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The Makar Sankrati is also regarded as the 'holy phase of transition'. It marks the end of an inauspicious phase which according to the Hindu calendar begins around mid-December....



Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. According to the lunar calendar, when the sun moves from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana, in the month of Poush in mid-January, it commemorates the beginning of the harvest season and cessation of the northeast monsoon in South India.



Makar Sankranti is celebrated with distinct names and rituals in different parts of India. In the states of northern and western India, the festival is celebrated as the Sankranti day with special zeal and fervor. The importance of this day has been signified in the ancient epics like Mahabharata also.



In Northern India, people offer thousands of their colorful oblations to the Sun in the form of beautiful kites. The act stands as a metaphor for reaching to their beloved God, the one who represents the best. Makar Sankranti identifies a period of enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness followed by a period of darkness, ignorance and viciousness with immense sorrow.







Makar Sankranti also known as Uttarayana in Gujarat and Rajsthan...

The name Uttarayan comes from joining two different Sanskrit words "Uttara" (North) and "ayana" (movement towards). Uttarayana (Makar Sankranti) is the day when the sun starts to travel towards north as a sign of coming summer. People from all age groups, come to the roof of their houses and apartments to fly kites in celebration of the festival.





On this beautiful day, millions of people pitch themselves at their roof-tops(terrace) to fly kites. The thread used to fly kites is specially made with granulated glass pieces to facilitate kite wars. Here people will fly kites and get the thread intertwined with one another and pull on the thread until one of the thread gives way. The sky is filled with a rainbow of kites. In Gujarat cities like Ahmadabad, Surat and Vadodra people celebrate this festival by kite flying. It is the only Hindu festival which has got perfect date that is 14th of Jan. the next day is also kite flying day and called "basi uttarayan". The whole sky in these two days filled with kites. People cut one and other kites and also celebrate their kite's win by moaning loudly saying 'kaipo che which means i cut , i cut states of India mainly from Uttar Pradesh. They prpared thread by adding colour and , glass alloy to thread reel and it is locally called "Manza". Manzas from Surat and Bareli are very popular in these cities....



There is no celebration considered complete unless and until rich food is served among friends, family and relatives. The festival of Makar Sankranti is also not different from the other Indian festivals...With Makar Sankranti, a sunny bash is called for by way of a garden or roof top party. Merriment flows in company of family and friends. The celebration tempo is high with kite-flying, antakshari, family jokes, til laddoo, peanuts chikki, Gajar halwa,Undhiyu,jalebi and puri...

(source:-wikipedia,oneinindia.com)



But this time I thought instead of making traditional til ladoo... tried dry fruit and seeds brittle (chikki)...



You will need :-

1/3 cup almond silvers
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup cashew nuts
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp Sunflower seeds
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee
Method:-

Roast seeds about 5 minutes, leave it a side.In a heavy bottom pan melt ghee, sugar with cardamom powder...Keep heat very low, keep stirring till sugar changes it's colour, caramelize. Now add dry fruit and seeds and mix very well. Quickly put it in a parchment paper and roll it out with the rolling pin to desire thickness. You have to work very fast or it will harden immediately.  Cut into any shape you want..let it cool and enjoy as much as my family did....