Soft Tilgul Laddoo

What's the Til Gul connection with Makar Sankranti?

Til gul is a must in all Maharashtrian households for Makar Sankranti. The sweet is prepared in various shapes and forms like laddoos or vadis (like barfis) but the essence remains the same - spreading warmth and love to all and one around.

The sweet is usually prepared with til (sesame seeds), gul (jaggery) and other ingredients like peanuts and coconut which are the perfect pairings for winter. Jaggery gives you the warmth, sesame gives you the nutrients and together they bind to help you celebrate the new beginnings of the harvest festival with sweetness and character.

So why delay! Let's celebrate the festival with health and tradition by making soft til gul laddoos today. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

(Makes around 18-20 laddoos)

Til (any type, white or brown is fine. I used the brown til for enhanced nuttiness) - 1 cup

Gul (Kolhapuri jaggery or any soft and sticky gul similar to it) - 3/4 or 1 cup depending on your sweet tooth

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Grated or powdered dessicated coconut - 1/4 cup

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

2 tsp ghee - to help it bind and enhance the nuttiness of the laddoos

Method:

Dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat for around 7-8 minutes till you get a nice nutty aroma. Keep aside to cool. Secondly, dry roast the peanuts too similarly and set them aside. De-skin them after they cool. Next, roast the coconut lightly on a low flame till they turn golden brown.

Add all the above roasted ingredients once they are cooled to the dry grinder jar along with cardamom powder, grated jaggery and ghee. Pulse it initially and then grind it till you get an almost fine powder. Grinding it fine also helps release the oils which helps in the binding of the laddoos. Please note that we are not making a jaggery syrup in this recipe, hence grinding fine is important.

Check the binding profile of the laddoos by pressing it between your fingers or by trying to make a small laddoo. If not, you can add 1 more spoonful of ghee and pulse it again in the grinder before taking it all out from the jar. Roll them into small ladoos and store them in an air-tight container. They will stay good outside for a week provided you don't finish them all before that. :)

Isn't it super easy and healthy! Do try it out this season and let me know how you like it.

If you liked this easy tilgul recipe, then do try my other traditional sweet recipes as well for a wholesome meal experience:

1. Homemade Srikhand

2. Pumpkin gharge