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Tilgul ladoo
Sesame and jaggery balls
तिळगूळ लाडू: chewy balls of roasted sesame, peanuts and jaggery, handed out with 'tilgul ghya, goad goad bola'
On Makar Sankranti in Maharashtra, neighbours, colleagues and old rivals swap tilgul and say 'tilgul ghya, goad goad bola': take this sesame and jaggery, and speak sweetly. Sesame and jaggery both warm the body in the coldest weeks of January, which is why the ladoo appears in every Pune and Mumbai home, often next to halwa sugar beads. These are the softer, chewy kind: sesame and peanuts are roasted separately, then bound with jaggery cooked just to the soft-ball stage and rolled quickly while warm. They taste nutty and toffee-like with a hint of cardamom. Hand them out in small bags or eat one after lunch. The common mistake is overcooking the jaggery: it sets rock hard and the ladoos can crack a tooth. Grease your hands with a little oil rather than ghee to keep them vegan. Chef's tip: test the jaggery by dropping a little into cold water; it should gather into a soft ball you can squash between your fingers.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 7 oz white sesame seeds
- 2 ⅞ oz roasted peanutsskins rubbed off, coarsely crushed
- 1 oz dry coconut (khobra) (optional)grated
- 8 oz soft jaggerygrated
- 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- 1 tsp groundnut oilfor greasing
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Roast 7 oz white sesame seeds in a dry pan over a low heat, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until it puffs, crackles and smells nutty. Tip into a wide plate. Do not let it brown or it tastes bitter.
6 minStep 2: Toast 1 oz dry coconut (khobra) for 1 minute in the same pan, if using, and add it to the sesame with 2 ⅞ oz roasted peanuts. Crush half the sesame lightly in a mortar so the ladoos bind.
3 minStep 3: Melt 8 oz soft jaggery with 2 tbsp water in a heavy pan over a low heat, stirring. Once it froths, cook for 3–4 minutes until a drop in cold water forms a soft ball.
6 minStep 4: Turn off the heat, add ½ tsp ground green cardamom, then tip in the sesame mixture and stir fast until evenly coated.
1 minStep 5: Grease your palms with 1 tsp groundnut oil and, while the mixture is warm, roll it into 20 small balls, pressing firmly. If it hardens, warm it for 30 seconds over a low flame.
10 minStep 6: Cool and store in an airtight tin for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tilgul ladoo take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of white sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of soft jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
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