Harvest time !!! Festivals are the celebration of the foundation of your life
2022 has begun with warm welcoming the season of the festival on 14th January 2022 as Pongal and Makar Sankranti. Both festivals share the same significance in different states. The harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God is held in the mid of January. The festival marks the essence of the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of the sun’s six-month-long journey. Celebrating both the cultural festivals one must know their significance, how to celebrate them and the special dishes of the day.
Pongal’s Significance :
The word ‘pong’ means ‘to flow over’ in Tamil. It is customary to boil milk and rice in an earthenware vessel until it overflows during Pongal. The day also marks the beginning of Uttarayan, which refers to the Sun’s habit of moving northward and is regarded exceedingly auspicious.
Devotees worship Lord Surya on Pongal, and people decorate and clean their homes. People also buy new utensils and attire, as well as participate in traditional dances.
Famous Pongal recipes :
1. Chakkara Pongal – A sweet Pongal version made with rock sugar or sugar candies. In Hindi, sugar candy is called “mishri.” Pongal can be made with ordinary sugar as well.
2. Ven Pongal -South Indian cuisine’s Aachi Ven Pongal is a popular dish. With a fantastic combination of coconut chutney, vada, and hot sambar, it makes an excellent breakfast.
Makar Sankranti’s Significance :
This day is religiously and culturally significant and is observed across the country. On this day, Lord Sun, according to the Puranas, first saw his son Shani (the swami of Makar Rashi). Lord Krishna extinguished the horror of Ashuras by burying their heads under the Mandara Parvata, according to another tradition related to this event (Mountain). This fortunate day represents the end of evil power and the start of a new period of peace.
Makar Sankranti food items :
1. Til Ke Ladoo – Sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts, and desiccated coconut are used in this simple ladoo recipe. The jaggery syrup in this until ladoo recipe has been heated to a softball stage. As a result, the ladoo has a soft and chewy flavor. If you want you can also boil jaggery syrup till it gets the hardball stage to firm ladoos. Til ke Ladoo is also called Sesame ladoo.

2. Peanuts chikki/ Seasome chikki – This Makar Sankranti food item is a winter special treat of crisp peanut crumbly.

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Best Brands of Jaggery and their Benefits
Various desserts, sweet dishes, etc. can be prepared using jaggery and coconut sugar instead of sugar. It requires the finest quality sugarcane or coconut to get the authentic taste and desired benefits. Here is our list of some of the best brands of jaggery that you can order from a reputed Indian grocery store online.
- Yogini Palm Jaggery (Karupatti):
Yogini Pure palm jaggery melts at room temperature if left uncovered in the air. It should be able to break by hand or by piercing a knife or fork and it should not be hard, by this ,you can get to know if the jaggery is pure or not.
- Yogini Palm Crystal (Panam Kalkandu):
Yogini palm crystal is made from the finest quality of sap present in the flower buds of coconut palm trees. It is a natural anti-oxidant to improve the body’s immunity and boosts the energy level of the body. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and popular as a substitute for brown and white sugar.
- Yogini Sugarcane Jaggery (Dark brown):
Yogini sugarcane jaggery is made from quality and fully matured pure sugarcane. It is natural, unrefined, and free of chemicals and preservatives. Yogini jaggery has high nutritive properties, it is low in the glycemic index and has a slow effect on blood sugar level.
- Yogini Coconut Sugar:
Yogini coconut sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut tree blossoms, the nectar is collected and processed hygienically without using any preservatives, unrefined and unbleached. It is a great substitute for white sugar as it has a low GI of 34-40.
- DH Jaggery (Golden Brown):
DH jaggery is 100% pure and is naturally processed by choosing high-quality sugarcane without using any chemicals to maintain the taste and keep intact its natural nutrition values. It is used in many dishes to enhance the taste of the dish and make it finger-licking.
- Aachi Jaggery Powder:
Aachi jaggery powder is produced from natural sugarcane free from adulteration, added flavor, and added sugar. It can be used as a substitute for honey and sugar and it adds nutrition value to your food and enhances the taste.
- KFI Brown Sugar:
KFI brown sugar also called (Barbados sugar) is chemical-free traditional sugar. It has a high molasses content, moist texture and licorice toffee taste. KFI brown sugar can be used to give deep flavor to confections like cakes, cookies, candies and it can also be used in savory dishes.
- 24 Mantra organic Jaggery Power: 24 Mantra Organic jaggery powder is made from sugarcane which produce without using any chemical in farms. This make it more healthy and full of natural nutrition.
Order Indian Groceries online and avail the benefits of Jaggery:
- It is a great source of minerals like folate, iron and magnesium.
- It is a great antioxidant.
- It helps in removing toxins from your body organs like lungs, intestine, respiratory tracts, stomach.
- It is a rich source of iron also to which is a component of hemoglobin.

Uses of Jaggery:
- It is a natural and real sweetener. You can replace sugar and add jaggery to your morning tea. It helps in aiding constipation and improves your digestion.
- Adding palm jaggery to a warm cup of tea or water helps in clearing the respiratory tracts.
- It has a very low glycemic index, hence it is advisable for diabetic patients to consume jaggery.
This can be purchased from any South Asian grocery store or you can also Buy Jaggery Online from online Grocery Store in Canada.