Traditional Sankranti Foods Made with Desi Ghee
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By the Faimly Farm Team · Last updated June 17, 2026 · Reading time: about 5 minutes
Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival celebrated across India in mid-January, is a time of sesame, jaggery, and pure ghee. As one of the few Indian festivals fixed to the solar calendar, it marks the sun's journey northward — and its traditional foods, rich in til (sesame) and gud (jaggery), lean on ghee for their warmth and richness. Here is the cultural place of ghee in Sankranti.
A Harvest Festival of Warmth
Sankranti arrives in the heart of winter, and its foods reflect the season — warming, energy-rich, and built around sesame, jaggery, groundnuts, and ghee. Known by many names across India (Pongal in the south, Lohri in the north, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Bihu in Assam), the festival shares a common thread of seasonal, ghee-touched cooking.
The Ghee-Touched Foods of Sankranti
The signature treats of Sankranti bring together til, gud, and ghee:
- Til-gud ladoo and chikki — sesame and jaggery bound with a little ghee.
- Gud ki gajak — a winter sesame-jaggery brittle.
- Sweet Pongal (sakkarai pongal) — rice and jaggery generously finished with ghee and nuts.
- Puran poli — a sweet stuffed flatbread served with ghee.
In each, ghee adds the richness and aroma that make these winter foods so comforting.
The Spirit of Til-Gud
A beautiful Sankranti custom is sharing til-gud with the words “til-gud ghya, god god bola” — take this sesame and jaggery, and speak sweetly. The exchange of these sweet, ghee-touched treats carries a message of goodwill, harmony, and warm relationships for the year ahead.
Ghee in Sweet Pongal
In the southern celebration, sakkarai pongal — sweet rice cooked with jaggery, ghee, cashews, and raisins — is offered to the sun and shared as prasad. Generous ghee is what gives this festive dish its glossy richness, making it one of the clearest examples of ghee's place in Sankranti.
The Faimly Farm Experience
Sankranti's til-gud sweets and sweet pongal deserve genuine ghee. Our A2 ghee is made from indigenous-cow milk by the bilona method, in small lab-tested batches under our FSSAI licence — perfect for the festival's warming treats. Explore our Desi Danedar A2 Cow Ghee or the full A2 Ghee collection.
Key Takeaways
- Makar Sankranti is a harvest festival of til (sesame), gud (jaggery), and ghee.
- Signature foods — til-gud ladoo, chikki, sweet Pongal, puran poli — use ghee.
- Sharing til-gud carries a message of goodwill and sweet relationships.
- Sweet Pongal, finished with generous ghee, is offered to the sun and shared as prasad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is ghee used during Makar Sankranti?
Sankranti's traditional winter foods — til-gud sweets, sweet Pongal, and puran poli — use ghee for richness, warmth, and aroma, and ghee features in the festival prasad.
What is til-gud?
Til-gud is the sesame-and-jaggery combination central to Sankranti, often made into ladoo or chikki with a little ghee and shared as a gesture of goodwill.
What is sweet Pongal?
Sakkarai Pongal is a southern Sankranti dish of rice and jaggery cooked with generous ghee, cashews, and raisins, offered to the sun and shared as prasad.
Which ghee is best for Sankranti sweets?
Pure A2 cow ghee, ideally bilona-made, gives the best aroma and richness for til-gud sweets and sweet Pongal.
What are the regional names for Sankranti?
It is celebrated as Pongal in the south, Lohri in the north, Uttarayan in Gujarat, and Bihu in Assam, among others.
Conclusion
Makar Sankranti is a celebration of harvest, warmth, and sweetness — and pure ghee runs through its til-gud treats and sweet Pongal. As families share sesame and jaggery with words of goodwill, genuine A2 ghee brings its richness to the season's most comforting foods. This Sankranti, let pure ghee warm your celebration.
Make your Sankranti sweets special. Explore our A2 Ghee collection, try Desi Danedar A2 Cow Ghee, and read our guide on ghee in Indian festivals and rituals. New customers can use code FIRST10 for 10% off their first order.
Faimly Farm: indigenous A2 milk, traditional bilona batches, lab-tested purity under our FSSAI licence. Learn more about Faimly Farm or contact us.
