On the eve of Makar Sankranti, prepare these easy-to-make delectable recipes from Satya Pandari, Executive Sous Chef at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre and HICC. 

Til Ka Ladoo

Ingredients: 

• 1 kg white til
• 100 gm jaggery
• 100 ml water

Method:

• Roast the sesame seeds till golden brown.
• Make a syrup with jaggery and water. Cook it till one string consistency.
• Add the till seeds to it. Mix well and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
• Apply some oil in your palms to form the ladoo of equal size.

Khoya Gujiya

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 500 gm flour
• 50 gm ghee
• 5 gm cooking soda

For sugar syrup:

• 1 kg sugar
• 400 ml water

For the filling:

• 50 gm khoya
• 10 gm pistachio
• 2 gm cardamom powder
• 5 springs saffron

For frying:

• 1 l ghee

Method:

• Make a dough with flour, ghee and cooking soda. Make a thick sugar syrup and keep aside.
• Mix khoya, chopped pista, cardamom powder and saffron sprigs for the filling.
• Divide the dough into 40 gm each and make a flat round shape. Fill 5 gm of khoya filling, fold the circle and pinch the edges to make a design.
• Fry the folded gujiya till golden brown in the ghee. Once it done remove from ghee and soak it in the sugar syrup.

Natu Kodi Kura

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into curry pieces
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 4 tbsp dry coconut powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp masala or coriander powder
• 4 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• Salt
• 50 ml oil
• Mint leaves, finely chopped
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp shajeera or caraway seeds
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green chillies (optional)
• 4 cups of water

Method: 

• Remove skin, fat and cut chicken into pieces.
• Grind poppy seeds to a fine powder, add coconut and grind to a smooth paste with little water.
• Take a pot or a wide pan and add oil. Once it heats up, add caraway seeds, cinnamon stick, onions and green chillies, mint and coriander leaves.
• Once onions are golden brown add turmeric, ginger garlic paste and mix it with the onions.
• Add poppy seeds and coconut paste. Let it fry for 5 minutes on slow flame and later add chicken. Mix it well and close the lid and let the chicken cook for 5-10 minutes on slow flame.
• Once the chicken is half cooked, add red chilli powder, salt, garam masala and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Now add water, coriander powder and cook on high with lid on for 10 - 15 minutes or until you have nice thick liquid gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.