Sunday, January 9, 2011

How to make simple Til Ladoos Recipe for Makar Sankranti Festival

तिल्गुल  घ्या, गोड  गोड  बोला! 
You will hear this warm greeting when visiting a Maharashtrian home during the Festival of Makar Sankranti. It literally means "Eat tilgul, speak sweetly!" Tilgul is a sweet which is made up of sesame seeds (called til) and sweetened with jaggery. Small packets of tilgul are often exchanged between families during Makar Sankranti. Find out the reason why here

Tilgul packet
What is Makar Sankranti?
See on the link below for more details of Makar Sankranti Festival Significance and Features:
Makar Sankranti Festival of India

Simple and Easy Til Ladoo Recipe
Ingredients for making Til Ladoos: 2 cups til (sesame seeds); 1 cup peanuts; 2 or 21/2 cups jaggery (called gud).
Til (Sesame Seeds )

Peanuts
Step by Step Method to make Til Ladoos 
Step 1: On a low flame dry roast the sesame seeds (do not put oil). Dry roast means pushing around the til in the pan - don't step away from the gas even for a second, otherwise the seeds will be nicely burned not roasted! Once roasted, keep aside to cool down.
Step 2: Separately dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin after they have cooled down.
Step 3: Using a grater, grate the jaggery. 
Step 4: Put the roasted sesame seeds in a mixer and dry grind to a powder.
Step 5: Put the roasted peanuts in the mixer and also dry grind to a powder.
(It is always best to grind the sesame seeds and the peanuts separately as the peanuts are larger and may require more grinding time than the sesame seeds. If you grind the two together, it is possible that the peanuts will not become as powdery as desired).
Step 6: Now mix the 2 powders of the sesame seeds and peanuts along with the grated jaggery. Grind the combined mixture together in the mixer.
Step 7: Transfer to a bowl and make small balls from the mixture. You can also coat them with a few roasted sesame seeds while making. If you wish, you can slightly grease your palms with a little groundnut oil, but it is not necessary since when grinding the combined mixture it is likely to be a bit sticky with a little oil base to it. 
Voila! Your til ladoos are ready! Just remember to store them in an airtight steel container so that they remain fresh for up to 2 weeks.
Note: Most people generally boil the jaggery in water to make a syrup, then add a little ghee and then add the roasted sesame seeds and peanuts.
Let me know if you found this simple recipe for til ladoos useful!

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