In the Telugu homes of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the festival season of Sankranti begins in January with preparations for unique and delectable foods. Numerous crops, including rice and sugarcane, are harvested each year, and these ingredients are used in various recipes that make the event a feast for the senses.
Among other delectable delicacies, Sankranti is famed for Bobbatlu, Bellam Gavvalu, Ariselu, Kajjikaayalu, Sunnundalu, and Sakinalu. The majority of these meals include rice flour and jaggery, which are widely available and fresh during the harvest season, claims culinary blogger Sankalp.
Andhra Pradesh’s Sankranti Celebrations Dishes!
Many people’s recollections of their childhood dishes are brought back by the cuisine. The majority of these unique recipes are prepared outside the home. We make them in massive amounts to share the food with family members. Thus, we cook them on a three-stone stove using wood as the fuel. We also keep some food for later consumption by the house’s residents. The family’s children enjoy witnessing the meticulous preparations, according to Hyderabadi homemaker Kanaka Durga.
Here is a list of the Telugu states’ traditional Sankranti meals, along with a description of how they are prepared.
Sakinalu: This unique cuisine is produced from sesame seeds, which are widely available in Telangana, and rice flour. Making Sakinalu is a complex process. The cook must manually pour the batter into a cloth by carefully twisting their fingers in a to-and-fro motion. It truly is an art. The Sankranti event would only be complete in Telangana homes with the delicacy Sakinalu, which has a distinctive flavor. If properly preserved, Sabinal keeps for around two months.
Ariselu: This delicacy, cooked with rice flour and jaggery, is particularly well-liked, especially in the Andhra region. Beginners may need help making this meal since it takes a lot of work to combine the flour to have the right consistency. In Andhra Pradesh, this is a traditional dish for Sankranti.
Bobbatlu: In the Andhra, Telangana, and Rayalaseema areas, bobble is made with chana dal, maida, wheat flour, and jaggery for flavor. In several places, Bobbatlu is known by different names. While it is referred to as “Bobbatlu” in the Andhra region, other areas of Rayalaseema and Telangana refer to it as “Bakshalu.”
Kajjikayalu: This meal, known as kajjikayalu, is a staple in Telugu homes. It features a creamy, sweet powdered filling within and a crunchy, salty outside. According to food blogger Sankalp, the stuffing recipe varies from place to place according to the crop grown there. Sesame seeds are used as part of the filling in Telangana, while Rayalaseema uses peanuts instead because they are more readily available there. Coconut powder and sugar or jaggery are used to fill Andhra, where there are more coconut palms.
Bellam Gavvalu: The ingredients for Bellam Gavvalu are either all-purpose flour or wheat flour and a concentrated jaggery mixture. The sweet dish is crunchy and can be kept at home for a few months. Children adore this without a doubt.
Sunnundalu: Another fantastic meal created with roasted urad dal is called Sunnydale. Jaggery powder is combined with the dal, which has been ground into a fine powder. Ghee is then used to create laddus from the mixture. When newlywed couples visit their in-laws or relatives for Sankranti, this dish is presented explicitly to them.