wellhealthorganic.com Til Laddu: Carefully crafted, Til ke laddu is a nutritious and flavorful treat composed of sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts, and desiccated coconut. This vegan delicacy holds special significance during the Makar Sankranti festival.
Til Laddu
Preparation Time: 12 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Cuisine: Maharashtrian
Course: Sweets
Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup white sesame seeds
- ¼ cup peanuts
- ¼ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup powdered jaggery or grated jaggery (heaped) – 100 grams
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (ground cardamom)
- Water or oil for greasing the palms
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Instructions:
Roasting Ingredients:
- Heat a kadai or pan over low heat and add the white sesame seeds. Stir occasionally until they pop and change color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid browning them.
- Transfer the roasted sesame seeds to a plate.
- Add peanuts to the pan and dry roast them over low heat until crunchy and slightly charred. Set aside to cool.
- In the same pan, roast the desiccated coconut until light golden. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preparation of Dry Mixture:
- Once the peanuts have cooled, coarsely crush them using a mortar-pestle or grinder.
- Combine the crushed peanuts with the roasted sesame seeds and coconut. Add cardamom powder and mix well. Set aside.
Making Jaggery Syrup:
- In the same pan, add powdered or grated jaggery and water. Heat over low heat, stirring continuously until the jaggery dissolves.
- Simmer the jaggery and water mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage. To test, drop a bit of the syrup into a bowl of water. It should form a soft ball when removed.
Assembling Til ke Laddu:
- Once the jaggery syrup reaches the soft ball stage, remove from heat and add the dry mixture. Mix thoroughly.
- While the mixture is still hot, shape it into laddus using greased palms. If too hot to handle, allow it to cool slightly before shaping.
- Optionally, use a measuring spoon to scoop out the mixture and form laddus.
- Store the laddus in an airtight jar at room temperature.
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Notes:
Soft Ball Consistency: Achieving the soft ball stage is crucial. Stir the jaggery syrup constantly to prevent burning.
Sesame Seeds: Both hulled and unhulled sesame seeds work well. Unhulled seeds may impart a slightly bitter taste, but it balances with the sweetness.
Adjusting Consistency: If the mixture becomes too hard, add water and heat gently to soften. If it doesn’t bind, cook the mixture further until it reaches the soft ball stage.
Customization: Peanuts and desiccated coconut can be omitted or replaced according to preference.
Roasting: Ensure sesame seeds and peanuts are toasted until crisp. Skip roasting if using pre-toasted ingredients.
Cardamom Powder: Adds aroma but can be omitted if unavailable.