Til ke Ladoo are an Indian sweet made during the month of January for Makar Sankranti – a celebration of the Sun moving into Capricorn marking the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. There are various names for the festival including Pongal in Tamil, Uttarayan in Gujarat, Magh Bihu in Assam and so many more. In my Maharashtrian household we would make these ladoos and celebrate with family and friends with a lovely feast.
My recipe pays homage to my Grandmothers recipe. She would send us a little bag of these each year while she could all the way from India. It was a January air mail letter every year that brought plenty of tears and joy to the family. With age these letters slowed, and unfortunately she passed away a few years ago. This day in the calendar for me is very special because it brings me all those wonderful memories of her. The few times I was in India during the festival I would sit with her to make these and it is possibly my favourite memory of her.
To kick start the recipe we toast the sesame seeds in a heavy bottom ban or non-stick pan until golden brown and super fragrant. You don’t need any oil in the pain. In fact the sesame seeds start releasing their own oil as they get heated up in the pan. We are aiming to toast off the raw flavour of the sesame, while also enhancing the natural flavour the seeds have. You need to do this over the lowest heat setting possible and be extremely patient with the seeds by constantly stirring them around the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula. If they remain idle in one spot they can start to brown and burn really quickly. You have to keep your eye on the pan here!
Once they are ready simply remove them into a bowl and set it aside.
Next we prepare our jaggery. Jaggery is such a wonderful ingredient used in South Asian cooking and it’s not just used in sweets! You can get plenty of types of jaggery in the markets, but for this I recommend using one of the softer varieties or try and get your hands on “Chikki Gud” also known as “Chikki Gul”, or the jaggery used to make brittle. I always chop up the jaggery either with a knife or by grating it so that it melts down quickly in a pan such that the base parts will not burn.
Now we melt down the jaggery. Again this should be done over a very low heat setting while continuously mixing the contents using either a spatula or wooden spoon. At this point it’s important to keep a small glass of water with you right by the pan. We will be using this glass to test the consistency of the jaggery. Once the jaggery starts to turn a lighter color and develop what almost looks like a foam, while bubbling, drop a little bit of the jaggery into the glass. If it solidifies instantly, and after pressing the drop between two fingers it flattens, you have the perfect jaggery mixture.
Now immediately add the toasted sesame seeds, and the poppy seeds and mix until it all comes together to form a sticky ball. Once it has started to clump together and the jaggery has bound to all the seeds, turn the heat off and add the cardamom. I like a bit of a cardamom punch so I add the full amount, but if you aren’t sure, start with a little and work your way up and adjust the amount according to your taste. Set the pan aside.
You have to work quickly with the ladoo because once the jaggery starts to cool, it solidifies and becomes extremely difficult to roll. As soon as the mixture is cool enough for you to touch, apply some ghee to your palms and take a small chunk of the sesame jaggery mixture and roll in your palms. Once a ball shape is formed set this down in a plate. I usually line my plate with some baking paper to avoid any sticking. Rest the ladoo for roughly 20-30 minutes or until completely cool (make sure you do this in a cool dry spot and not in the fridge!) before serving!
Til ke Ladoo
Equipment
- Kadhai or a heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
- 150 g white sesame seeds
- 1½ tbsp. white poppy seeds
- ½-1 tsp ground cardamom adjust according to your own taste
- 130 g jaggery available at South Asian grocers
- ghee for rolling
- glass of water
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pan, kadhai or a non-stick pan toast the sesame seeds over the lowest heat setting until they become fragrant and golden in colour. Remove these from the pan and set aside
- Chop the jaggery into small pieces or grate it into the pan you are using
- Heat the jaggery over a low heat and melt it in the pan until it starts to bubble. Keep a glass of water beside the pot ready for testing the jaggery. Once the jaggery is bubbly, drop a small drop of the jaggery in the water. If it solidifies immediately, but upon pressing between two fingers it changes shape and flattens, the jaggery is ready
- Lower the heat completely and add the sesame and poppy seeds to the pan. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix everything together to form one mixture
- Add the cardamom and remove from the heat. Mix the cardamom through the mixture and set aside
- Once the sesame mixture is cool enough for you to touch, spread some ghee over your hands and pick up a small piece of the mixture and roll into a ball. Work quickly – once the jaggery cools the mixture will harden completely. If you need to, gently reheat the mixture to warm the jaggery to make it pliable again
- Let the balls set for at least 20 minutes to cool completely before serving
As always I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I love making the ladoo! Please share all of your creations with me @theminiaturelife!
