Til Ladoo is a traditional Indian sweet prepared using sesame seeds and jaggery. It is mostly prepared during Makara Sankranti day. It is not only delicious but also nutritious.
About Til Ladoo / Sesame Laddu
Til Ladoo or Sesame Laddu or Tilgul laddu is usually prepared during the festival of Makar Sankranti in the northern regions of India. Makar Sankranti is called by different names in various parts of India. For example, people of Tamil Nadu, a southern state in India call this festival as Pongal. Whatever name this festival is called, one thing that is common is, people celebrate this festival by thanking the natural elements like Sun, Gods and farm animals for helping the people to reap a successful harvest. The festival is celebrated by preparing sweets and snacks, sharing it with friends and relatives. In North India people also fly kites to celebrate the beginning of a new season and the end of a successful harvest season.
Til Ladoo is one such snack prepared during this auspicious day. There are many methods to prepare till laddus and two such methods are quite popular. One method is just roast and grind both sesame seeds, mix it with powdered jaggery and make laddus. This method is easy and beginner friendly. Step by step pictures with video of this method is posted here. The second recipe is made by preparing the jaggery syrup, mixing it with roasted sesame which we are going to see here today. It has other names as sesame laddu, nuvvala laddu and tilgul laddu.
Til Ladoo Ingredients & Variations
Ingredients
This recipe only needs 3 main ingredients.
Sesame seeds: All types of sesame seeds can be used for this recipe. For auspicious occasions, white or brown sesame seeds will be used. If it is prepared just for snacking, any type of sesame seeds can be used.
Jaggery: Shave or powder the jaggery to use in this recipe.
Cardamom powder: I used green cardamom powder for flavoring the recipe which adds a nice aroma to this Laddu. However, if you don’t have cardamom, you can skip it.
Til Ladoo Variations
You can add roasted peeled peanuts, dried coconut, roasted channa dal and other nuts for this method of preparation. If you add other ingredients mentioned here, measure it and increase or decrease the jaggery accordingly.
You may also like below sesame laddu recipes
How to make Til Laddu – Step by Step Instructions to make Sesame Laddu
- In a wide pan, take sesame seeds. I used brown sesame seeds. White, black, brown and red colour work well for this recipe.
- Turn on the stove and dry roast it on low flame. Stir continuously for uniform roasting.
- When the sesame seeds starts changing its colour and started popping, turn off the stove.
- Transfer the roasted sesame seeds to a wide plate and cool down. Spread it using your finger tips gently to cool down.
- To the same pan, add powdered jaggery. Usually, the sesame seeds and jaggery ratio is 1:1. But you can adjust the jaggery quantity based on personal preference or sweet tooth.
- Add 2-3 tbsp water. Mix well and melt the jaggery.
- Jaggery should melt well and there should be no lumps.
- Filter to remove impurities. The jaggery I bought this time had lot of impurities. So I filtered them. If it doesn’t have any dirt, we can straightaway proceed to the next step.
- Add the filtered jaggery syrup to the pan back. Turn on the stove on low flame. Stir continuously.
- The jaggery syrup initially bubbles and later when it starts thickening. At one stage separating the syrup comes back together slowly. This is the right time to check for softball consistency.
- To check this, drop a bit of jaggery syrup into the bowl of water. The jaggery should not dissolve in water. Touch the jaggery syrup and try to form a shape. You should be able to form a shape and it is soft and retains the shape.
- At this stage turn off the stove. Add the roasted sesame seeds.
- Add green cardamom powder.
- Act quickly and stir well just until everything mixes well. You should start making the ball while the mixture is still hot.
- Coat your hand with oil, pinch a portion(about 1 to 1 and 1/2 tbsp) from the mixture and shape it like a ball. If you can not handle the heat, touch the water with your fingers, moisten it and shape the laddu.
- Repeat the laddu-making process until the mixture is over. Scrape the sides of the pan and spatula while making the last laddu. If you find it difficult to handle the hot mixture, then simply spread the mixture on parchment paper. Cover it with another parchment paper, roll it evenly and cut it into uniform shapes to make chikkis.
Storage & Serving Suggestions
Storage
Store it in a air tight container at room temperature. It stays good for one month if handled properly.
Serving Suggestions
- Sesame laddu is a great snack that is not only delicious but also very healthy. It is safe to consume every day if you are not diabetic.
- Enjoy the laddu as a snack during tea time.
- It is also a great sweet to gift your friends, relatives and neighbours during festival time.
Expert Tips & Notes
- All types of til or sesame seeds work for this recipe including hulled and unhulled sesame seeds. But please note that there is a very mild taste difference depending on what type of sesame seed you use.
- Always roast the sesame on low flame until it pops well. Make sure not to burn it. Burned sesame seeds add a bitter taste to the recipe and you want to avoid that.
- You can use regular jaggery or palm jaggery for this recipe. Sometimes jaggery comes with impurities. so I highly recommend filtering for impurities after making the jaggery syrup.
- The texture of laddu depends on the jaggery syrup consistency and based on it, it become soft or hard. Getting the softball jaggery consistency is important.
- If you overcook the syrup, sprinkle little water and heat until you get the correct consistency. It can be done before or after adding sesame seeds.
- If you have added the sesame seeds before getting the soft ball consistency, warm it up in low flame until you gather the seeds and able to shape the laddu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sesame laddu is made with roasted sesame seeds, jaggery and green cardamom powder.
Til Ladoos are easy to digest, a good source of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibers.
Til or Sesame ladoo stays good for 14 to 60 days. However, I suggest making it in small quantities every time for the best taste and flavour.
Recipe Card
Til Ladoo / Sesame Laddu
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame seeds white/brown/red/brown
- 1 cup jaggery
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
Instructions
- In a wide pan, dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame until it changes the color and starts popping. Transfer the content to a plate and cool down.
- To the same pan, add shaved or powdered jaggery and add water. Stir until the jaggery melts.
- Once the jaggery melts, filter to remove the impurities. Transfer the filtered jaggery syrup back to the pan. Heat it.
- The jaggery syrup started bubbling first and then reduced in it's quantity and the color became dark. Drop of a bit of syrup into a bowl of water. It forms a softball and stays firm. This is the correct softball consistency.
- At this stage, turn off the stove and add roasted sesame seeds and green cardamom powder.
- Stir just until everything mixed well. Coat your hand with oil or moisten it with water and start making the laddu while the mixture is still hot. If needed touch the water in between to avoid burning of your palm.
- Repeat the laddu-making process until the mixture is over. if the mixture becomes dry and unable to shape laddu, slightly warm it up to finish the process.
- Once the laddus are cooled down, store it in a clean airtight containter.
Video
Notes
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- All types of til or sesame seeds work for this recipe including hulled and unhulled sesame seeds. but please note that there is very mild taste difference depending on what type of sesame seed you use.
- Always roast the sesame on low flame until it pops. Make sure not to burn it. Burned sesame seeds taste bitter.
- You can use regular jaggery or palm jaggery for this recipe. Sometimes jaggery comes with impurities. so I highly recommend filtering for impurities after making the jaggery syrup.
- The texture of the laddu depends on the softball consistency of the jaggery syrup. When you are checking the syrup consistency in a bowl of water, it should not be very soft or brittle. It should not dissolve but you can form a softball without much trouble.
- For variations, add roasted peanuts, roasted chana dal and dried coconut to this laddu. if doing so, adjust the jaggery quantity accordingly
If you have tried this recipe or have any questions, don’t forget to comment below. I would love to hear your feedback and glad to answer your queries. You can also Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Youtube for other updates from my kitchen about Office Lunchbox, Kid’s Lunchbox and simple meal plate ideas.
