Makar Sankranti is one of the festivals that is celebrated all across India in different styles and forms. Sankranti signifies the beginning of spring season. Sankranti is a harvest festival. In Karnataka it is celebrated by preparing a mixture – ELLU BELLA. Ellu means sesame seeds/til and Bella means jaggery. It is a mixture prepared with til/sesame seeds, jaggery, roasted peanuts, dried coconut and roasted gram.

Recipes with til are prepared for Sankranti all over India. As til keeps our body warm during winter.

Let`s go thru the procedure of preparing Ellu Bella:

Ingredients:

Peanuts                                                                               1 cup

Fried gram                                                          1 cup

Desiccated copra                                              1

White sesame seeds/til                                                ½ cup

Jaggery                                                                 1 cup

Sugar coated sauf/jeerige mitai                 ¼ cup

Method:

1. Dice the jaggery cubes into small pieces. Keep aside.
2. Cut the copra into small pieces and keep aside.
3. Gently roast the sesame seeds till light brown and keep it aside.
4. Roast the peanuts. Put off the flame and allow them to cool.
5. Put the roasted peanuts in a kitchen towel bring the edges of the towel together. Using your hands, rub the peanuts. The skin of peanuts comes out easily. Slowly remove the skin of all the peanuts using the same procedure. Keep them aside.
6. Take a large bowl adds all the ingredients and toss them well and share them with friends and neighbours.

Do refer for more Sankranti recipes

MAKAR SANKRANTI RECIPES