Til laddu aka Tilache ladoo are deliciously rich sesame seeds and peanut ladoos made on the occasion of Makar Sankrant. Sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom nutmeg powder. These make a great on-the-go bite size snack.
Til Laddu
Til laddu aka ‘Tilache ladoo’, ‘Til gul’ is a sweet snack made with unhulled sesame seeds and jaggery. Sometimes its made with sugar instead of jaggery. This ladoos are a popular treat made during the Indian winter harvest festival Makar sankranti.
Maharashtrians celebrate Makar Sankrant on 14th January every year. This festival marks the termination of winter season in Maharashtra and the beginning of a new harvest season. Sesame Seeds are an excellent source of manganese and calcium, both of which help strengthening the bone structure and boost energy levels. Hence, we make a big batch of these ladoos as they provide much needed energy and nourishment to the body during winters. We share these ladoos with family and friends on the occasion of Makar Sankrant.
Ingredients to make Til Laddu
- Til (Sesame Seeds) : I use unhulled ie unpolished sesame seeds which are light brown in color. Unhulled sesame seeds are sweet and nuttier and deep in earthy flavors.
- Peanut: Roasted blanched peanuts add a lovely nutty flavor to these ladoos. This recipe can be made with your favorite nuts like, cashew nuts or almonds.
- Jaggery: I have used pure grated Kolhapuri jaggery to sweeten these ladoos. Make sure you buy good quality jaggery. A good quality jaggery is dark brown in color. Don’t substitute with powdered jaggery
- Cardamom & Nutmeg Powder
- Rose Water: Adds a lovely floral flavor to the til laddu. You can totally skip adding the rose water.
How to make perfect Til Laddu
- Dry roast the sesame seeds and peanuts on a medium heat. Stir continuously to ensure even toasting. Place the sesame seeds in a dry skillet. Heat over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Do not leave the stove because the seeds can burn very easily.
- Transfer the toasted seeds and peanuts on a plate and allow them to cool completely. You can prep these toasted nuts and seeds in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Once the sesame seeds and peanuts cool down, add them to a blender and blitz to form a powder. Make sure you don’t over blitz as it will turn into tahini peanut butter.
- Grate the jaggery or cut it into small pieces with a knife. This ensures that the jaggery melts quickly and does not overcook. If you like soft ladoos make sure the jaggery isn’t overcooked but only melted. Cooked jaggery causes the ladoos to harden.
- As soon as the jaggery is melted, switch off the heat. Add the sesame powder, peanut powder, cardamom nutmeg powder and combine quickly.
- Grease your palms with ghee and while the mixture is still hot roll the ladoos.
- Store the ladoo in an airtight container in a cool dry place at room temperature up to 10 days.
