Til Ke Laddu | Sesame Laddu

Roasting ingredients

1. Heat a kadai or pan and add the white sesame seeds in it. The pan should not be too hot, but on a low heat.
2. On a low flame roast the sesame seeds. Stir at intervals.
3. The sesame seeds pop and change color. On a low heat, this takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown them.
4. Remove and set aside in a plate.
5. Then add the peanuts. Dry roast the peanuts on a low heat stirring often until they become crunchy and get a few black spots or blisters on them.
6. Remove the peanuts in a mortar-pestle or on a plate. Allow them to cool.
7. In the same pan, add the desiccated coconut.
8. Stir continuously and roast the coconut until it become light golden or golden. Switch off the heat. Remove from the pan and set aside.
9. When the peanuts have cooled, crush them coarsely. You can also crush them in a dry grinder.
10. Add the coarsely crushed peanuts to the roasted coconut and sesame seeds.
11. Next add the cardamom powder.
12. Mix very well. Set aside.

Making jaggery syrup

1. In the same pan or kadai, take the powdered jaggery or grated jaggery and water.
2. Keep the kadai on the stove top on a low heat.
3. Keep on stirring the jaggery so that it dissolves in the water.
4. On a low heat simmer this jaggery and water solution. It will start bubbling first.
5. You have to continue to cook till you come to a soft ball stage in the jaggery solution.
6. To check the soft ball stage, take some water in a small bowl. Drop a bit of jaggery solution in the water. The water will cool the jaggery syrup and when you remove it, the consistency will be sticky and forming a soft ball.

Making til ke laddu

1. At this stage, switch off the heat and add the dry roasted mixture of sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, crushed peanuts and cardamom powder.
2. Mix the dry roasted mixture with the jaggery solution thoroughly.
3. Keep the pan on your work surface or kitchen countertop.
4. When the mixture is still hot, begin to shape til laddu from it. If too hot, then wait for a minute and then form the laddu. Spread some oil or water in your palms to shape the ladoo. If you are not able to shape laddu when the mixture is too hot, wait for some seconds and then shape the laddu
5. You can also use a ½ to 1 tablespoon measuring spoon for scooping the mixture and making the til ke laddu Then just shape the laddu once you scoop them out.
6. For the last batch, scrape the sides very well and then make til ladoo from it.
7. Make all the til ladoo this way. Store in an airtight jar at room temperature.
8. Serve til ke laddu ladoo during makar sankranti or have them as a sweet snack.