Ellu Bella Recipe (Karnataka Sankranti Mix)

Quick answer: Ellu bella is Karnataka's Sankranti mix of white sesame, small cubes of jaggery, slivers of dry coconut, roasted peanuts and fried gram. Nothing is cooked together: each part is cleaned, roasted if needed, cut and mixed. Families pack it in small bags or boxes and exchange it at Makara Sankranti, wishing each other to eat sweet and speak good words.

Kitchen note: This recipe is not yet kitchen-tested by a HinduTone cook. The quantities and timings follow common home methods; judge doneness by look and texture, and adjust for your stove and ingredients.

What is ellu bella and why is it shared?

Ellu means sesame and bella means jaggery in Kannada. At Makara Sankranti, also called Makara Sankramana in Karnataka, families make a large batch of the mix and hand it out on festival day. In many homes it is the women and children who carry plates or small packets to neighbours and relatives, and come home with packets from others. Karnataka Tourism calls the custom of sharing ellu birodhu and describes it as a time to settle old disputes and renew friendships.

A Kannada saying goes with the exchange. It asks you to eat the sesame and jaggery and speak only good words. The wording differs slightly from family to family, but the meaning is the same everywhere.

Ellu bella is usually given with a few other things: a piece of sugarcane, bananas, and often sakkare acchu, small sugar figures set in wooden moulds. Each home has its own set.

For the full festival in Karnataka, including the harvest and cattle customs, see our Makara Sankranti in Karnataka guide.

Ingredients

The five parts are usually taken in roughly equal amounts by volume. Some families add a sixth or seventh item, such as sugar-coated fennel or a few chopped dry dates.

Use a dry, firm block of jaggery that you can cut cleanly. Soft or sticky jaggery melts into the mix and glues everything together.

How to make ellu bella

1. Pick and clean the sesame. Spread it on a plate and remove any husk or grit.
2. Roast the sesame. Dry-roast on low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes until it is crisp and smells nutty but is still pale. Do not let it brown. Cool on a plate.
3. Peanuts. If they are raw, dry-roast them on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, cool, rub off the skins and split them into halves. If you bought roasted peanuts, warm them for a minute to refresh them.
4. Fried gram. It is already roasted. Warm it in the pan for a minute only if it has gone soft, then cool.
5. Dry coconut. Scrape off any dark skin if you prefer a white mix. Cut the copra into thin slivers or small squares about the size of the jaggery cubes. Warm the pieces for a minute on low heat to dry them and cool.
6. Jaggery. Cut the block into small cubes, about 5 mm, with a heavy knife on a board. Keep them separate until the end.
7. Cool everything fully. Warm ingredients sweat in a closed jar and turn the jaggery sticky.
8. Mix. Combine all the cooled ingredients in a large dry bowl and toss gently with your hands.

Older home methods

In some older homes the sesame is soaked, rubbed by hand to loosen the skin, washed and sun-dried before roasting, giving very white seeds. Today most families buy hulled white sesame. Some families also coat the peanuts or sesame in a thin jaggery syrup; the plain mix described here is the more common everyday form.

Pressure cooker, Instant Pot or microwave?

None is needed. Ellu bella is not cooked; only the sesame, peanuts and coconut are lightly roasted in a dry pan. An oven at low heat (about 150 °C or 300 °F) can roast peanuts in batches if you are making a very large quantity, but watch them closely.

How to pack ellu bella for the exchange

1. Decide how many packets you need: neighbours, friends, relatives, the temple, colleagues.
2. Use small paper or cloth pouches, steel or paper cups, or small boxes. A heaped tablespoon to a small cupful per packet is usual.
3. Many families add one or two sakkare acchu pieces, a short piece of sugarcane and a banana to each set.
4. Pack on the morning of the festival, or the night before, so the mix stays crisp.
5. Label packets for friends with allergies; peanuts and sesame are the main concerns.
6. If you are sharing at work or school abroad, check whether the school or office allows food containing nuts.

Ellu bella for naivedyam

Many families place a plate of ellu bella, with sugarcane and bananas, before the deity or the household shrine on Sankranti morning before sharing it. Customs differ by family and region. Follow your family practice or ask your priest. Our Makar Sankranti puja at home guide explains the morning offering.

Substitutions abroad

Desiccated coconut is not a good swap: it is too fine and sticks to the jaggery. Use chips or copra.

Vegan option

Ellu bella is already vegan. It contains no dairy.

Common mistakes

• Sticky jaggery: use a hard, dry block and cut it on a dry board. Add the cubes last.
• Mixing while warm: the mix sweats and clumps. Cool everything first.
• Over-roasted sesame: it turns bitter and dark. The seeds should stay pale.
• Thick coconut pieces: they are hard to chew. Slice thin.
• Old peanuts or copra: they taste rancid. Buy fresh stock in December.

Storage

Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place. It keeps well for 1 to 2 weeks; after that the coconut and peanuts may start to taste stale. In humid places the jaggery softens sooner, so make it close to the festival.

Allergens

Contains sesame and peanuts, both major allergens in the USA (sesame was added from January 2023) and on the UK's list of 14 allergens. Also contains coconut and chickpeas (fried gram). Because ellu bella is shared widely, label packets and keep a peanut-free batch for anyone who needs one.

Frequently asked questions

What does ellu bella mean?

Ellu is sesame and bella is jaggery in Kannada. The name covers the whole mix, which also includes dry coconut, peanuts and fried gram.

Is ellu bella cooked?

No. Only the sesame, peanuts and coconut are lightly dry-roasted. The jaggery is simply cut into small cubes and mixed in.

What is given with ellu bella at Sankranti?

Usually sugarcane, bananas and sakkare acchu (moulded sugar figures). Each family has its own combination.

How far ahead can I make it?

Up to a week ahead if your kitchen is dry. Store it airtight and pack it on festival morning or the night before.

When is Makara Sankranti in 2027?

In India, 15 January 2027 per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January. In the USA, Canada and the UK the panchang date is Thursday 14 January 2027. Confirm with your local panchang or temple priest.

Is ellu bella the same as tilgul?

They share sesame and jaggery and the same wish to speak sweetly, but tilgul from Maharashtra is cooked into ladoos or set pieces, while ellu bella is a loose, uncooked mix. See our tilgul ladoo recipe.

Sources

• Karnataka Tourism (Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka), "Sankranti in Karnataka": https://karnatakatourism.org/sankranti-in-karnataka/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Onmanorama, "Ellu bella: A Karnataka special for Makar Sankranti", 14 January 2024: https://www.onmanorama.com/food/recipe/2024/01/14/ellu-bella-sesame-winter-recipe.html (accessed 12 November 2026)
• US Food and Drug Administration, "Food Allergies": https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Food Standards Agency (UK), "Food allergy and intolerance advice for consumers": https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-allergy-and-intolerance-advice-for-consumers (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

Related guides

• Makar Sankranti 2027 guide
• Makara Sankranti in Karnataka
• Tilgul ladoo recipe
• Chikki recipe
• Pongal and Sankranti puja samagri checklist
• One festival, many names across India