Share
Makar Sankranti—which is known by many names across the states that celebrate them—is a festival that marks the end of winter and the onset of the spring season. The transition from one season to another also means that the availability of winter produce remains at its tail end while welcoming fresher and season-appropriate ingredients into the foray. While most Maharashtrian Sankranti celebrations are marked by the sharing and savouring of til gud ladoos, a preparation that remains underrated is the bhogichi bhaji. Bhogi—another name for the festival in states such as Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra—is synonymous with Punjab’s Lohri, Tamil Nadu’s Pongal and Bihar’s Khichri festivals. Much like every community having their share of traditional preparations that have been passed down generations, the vegetable stew preparation involves a meticulous process before it is served.
Image Credits: Adobe Stock
Drawing parallels with Karnataka’s Gijji, the bhogichi bhaji is typically cooked in large quantities, in a wide-bottomed pan that enables the ingredients to simmer in their natural moisture for maximum flavour retention. A classic preparation includes winter vegetables that continue to remain in season along with other specialities of the winter such as hurda or raw green jowar and typical flavours of the cuisine which include peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds. Devoid of any onions or garlic in the cooking stage, the bhogichi bhaji gets is flavour from the use of goda masala and a handful of spices. The hearty and nutritious one-pot meal is known to be symbolic of new beginnings and restoring good health—much like the spirit of the festival. The labour-intensive process of making the stew is usually relished with a jowar or bajra bhakri which is a thick, handmade flatbread cooked over an open flame in the old-school chulha.
The colourful medley of brinjal, carrots, purple yams, sweet potatoes, peas and beans is usually prepared a day before Sankranti as a way of expressing gratitude for the abundant harvest. The day of Bhogi marks the end of the winter solstice, spotlighting the commencement of warmer climates and the passage of the sun into the zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn. As an ode to the bounty of nature and seasonal wisdom, as well as to pay tribute to the spirit of community living, the delicacy is meant to be shared and relished with a group of people. During times when families lived in larger set-ups and in close proximity, the vegetables for the dish were often contributed to collectively as a way of making the celebration feel social instead of personal. Using fresh produce is also a way of accepting a sense of newness, the mindset with which the dish is then offered to the presiding deity of the household before it is relished.
