Tilgul | Til ke Laddu for Makara Sankranti

Til or Sesame is such an inseparable part of Makara Sankranti celebrations. In Maharashtra, the traditional greeting for Makara Sankranti is Tilgul Ghya, God God Bola (take a Tilgul and speak sweetly).

For some unknown reason, the recipe for Tilgul is not on the blog and so here I am with this super simple recipe for this delicious Sesame Laddu. The trick for making good, chewy Til ke Laddu is not to overcook the jaggery syrup and to make the laddus as soon as you take the cooked mix off the heat as the mix tends to harden pretty quickly.

Handling the hot til-jaggery mix is quite a task and if you don’t feel up to it, just pour the mix into a greased plate and roll it into a thin layer to make Til Chikki/Til Patti. 😀

Recipe for Making Tilgul | Til ke Laddu | Til Chikki | Til Patti

Cook Time: 30 mins

Makes: 24 X 2″ Laddus

Ingredients

1. Sesame, Til – 200 Gms
2. Roasted Peanuts – 75 Gms (See notes, if you want to roast peanuts)
3. Crushed Jaggery or Gur – 200 Gms
4. Ghee – 2 tbsp
5. Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp

Method to Make Tilgul | Til ke Laddu | Til Chikki | Til Patti

1. If you are making Til Chikki or Til Patti, grease a 10″ to 12″ flat plate or the back of such a plate and set aside.
2. Over low heat, dry roast the til till they become aromatic and start to pop.
3. Immediately remove into a plate.  If you leave them in the hot pan they will continue to cook.
4. Crush the roasted peanuts just a bit using a mortar and pestle. You can also just pulse them for  seconds in the chutney attachment though I prefer crushing.
5. In a large pan, over low flame, heat the ghee.
6. Add the jaggery and let it melt. Mix well so that the ghee is incorporated.
7. Wait till the jaggery melts completely and starts to bubble.
8. Add cardamom powder. mix well and take the pan off the heat.
9. Add the roasted til and peanuts.
10. Quickly, mix well.
11. To Make Til Gul | Til ke Laddu
    1. Either grease your palms with ghee or wet them with water. I grease my palms but the hot mix still burns.
    2. Take 1 tbsp of the til-jaggery mix and roll quickly into a ball. You have to 
    3. Repeat the process to make all the Tilgul | Til ke Laddu.
    4. Let the Tilgul cool for about 10 minutes.
    5. Store in an airtight container.
12. To Make Til Chikki | Til ki Patti
    1. Pour the  mi onto the greased surface.
    2. Using a greased rolling pin, quickly roll into a thin sheet about 1/4″thick.
    3. Cut into squares immediately.
    4. Let the Til Patti | Til Chikki cool.
    5. Break into pieces.
    6. Store in an air tight container.