Til Poli | Til Gul Poli – Sankranti Special from Maharashtra

Tilgul Kha, God God Bola (Eat Tilgul and speak sweetly) is the traditional Marathi greeting for Sankranti (or Sankrant as it is called in Maharashtra). The Tilgul in this greeting is the Til ka Laddoo, which is a must in Sankranti celebrations in Maharashtra.

The word Tilgul literally means Sesame (Til) and Jaggery (Gul).

However, I am not too fond of Tilgul as even the most well-made of them are a bit tough to eat.  I prefer the “other” tilgul or Til Gul Poli. Also known as Tilachi Poli or Til Poli, this sweet is similar to Puran Poli; the primary difference being that it uses a filling of til (sesame), shengdana (peanuts), and jaggery.

How to Make Til Gul Poli | Til Poli

Makes: 6 X 5″ Til Poli

Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients for the Filling

1. Peanuts – 1 Cup
2. Sesame Seeds – 1/3 Cup
3. Grated Jaggery – 1 Cup
4. Green Cardamom – 6

Ingredients for the Covering

1. Wheat Flour – 1 Cup + 1/4 Cup for rolling
2. Salt – 1/2 tsp
3. Ghee – 2 tbsp (Oil for Vegans)

Other Ingredients

1. Ghee for Pan Frying (Oil for Vegans)

Method to Make the Dough for the Covering

1. Sieve together the salt and 1 Cup wheat flour.
2. Heat the 2 tbsp ghee or oil.
3. Make a small well in the middle of the wheat flour.
4. Add the hot ghee/oil to the wheat flour.
5. Use a spoon to mix the ghee and the wheat flour till it the mix is crumbly.
6. Gradually add water and knead the dough into firm dough (similar to that for paratha).
7. Cover and set aside for 30 Minutes.

Method to Make the Filling

1. In a wok, over medium heat, roast the sesame seeds till they are light brown.
2. Spread in a plate and set aside to cool.
3. In the same wok, over medium heat, roast the peanuts till they start to pop.
4. Spread in a plate and set aside to cool.
5. Remove the skin of the peanuts.
   1. Rub the peanuts between the palms of your hands to remove the skin.
   2. Blow gently to separate the skin from the peanuts.
6. Peel the green cardamom.
7. In a grinder, pulse together the green cardamom seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, and grated jaggery  till the mix starts to form a ball of coarse consistency.
8. Remove the mix into a ball.

Method to Make Til Gul Poli | Til Poli

1. Divide the filling into 6 equal portions.
2. Divide the wheat flour dough into 6 equal portions.
3. Dust the rolling surface with some flour.
4. Roll each wheat flour ball into a 4″ circle.
5. Place a ball of filling in the centre of the circle.
6. Fold the flour circle over the filling and roll between the palms to form a round.
7. Roll into a 5″ circle about 1/4″ thick.
8. Over medium heat, heat a tava or a griddle.
9. Pour about 1/4 tsp ghee on the surface and spread well.
10. Place the Til Poli on the griddle.
11. Cook till the side touching the tava is cooked and has some brown spots.
12. Flip over.
13. Lift the edges of the Til Poli with a flat spatula and drizzle a few drops of ghee along the edges.
14. Cook till the side touching the tava is cooked and has some brown spots.
15. Set aside on a plate to cool.
16. Repeat steps 3 to 15 to make other Til Poli.
17. When the Til Poli are at room temperature, store in an airtight container.
18. Enjoy!

Tips

• I cut the Til Poli in quarters and store them because this sweet is quite heavy.
  Pin

  Til Gul Poli

• Ensure that you have a thick layer of filling,otherwiseaTilgul Poli will be just a sweet roti.
  Pin

  Tilachi Poli

• The filling of a well-made Til Gul Poli will be slightly sticky and chewy because of the natural oils in the sesame and peanuts as well as the melted jaggery.
  Pin

  Tilgud Poli

I am taking this to: