Til Ke Ladoo(tilwa): A Winter Delight !

Winter is here, and it’s time for something warm and tasty. We will try making these ladoos that satisfy your sweet craving and give you a warm and healthy treat. Til Ke Ladoo – healthy Indian sweet, made from sesame seeds (til), jaggery (gur), and last but not least, filled with love. These ladoos are not just a warm treat, they carry lots of interesting stories, our traditions, and invaluable lessons from our past generations.

A Story from the Past:

Winter mornings in most Indian homes start with the ‘sweet’ smell of jaggery melting in the vessel and sesame seeds popping to a crispy golden brown. I especially recall my childhood winter days when my grandmother was cooking Til Ke Ladoo for us. She narrated to us how in Indian mythology, sesame has been used to symbolize the aspect of immortality and strength. They were common words she used and among them, the most recurrent was ‘til khana sardi mein tandrusti ka raaz hai’ (meaning that sesame, if consumed during winter, is a secret to good health).

She is yet to recall the story behind these Ladoos related to Makar Sankranti, a festival celebrated in January and people share laddoos to show positive intention towards each other. Til Ke Ladoo was not just shared for the sake of it but done as a way of passing on love during the coldest of winters. Some families also go to the riverside and enjoy the festival while eating these laddoos and other festive foods. I would like to share this recipe, with you and your family, let’s get started–

Ingredients

 You need only a few ingredients:

• Til (sesame seeds): 2 cup
• Jaggery (gur):  1 cup
• Ghee (clarified butter): 1 tbsp
• Cardamom powder (optional): 1 tsp
• Nuts (optional): Chopped almonds or cashews for added crunch
• ginger(optional): a small piece of ginger

Preparation Time(Serves: 12-15 laddoos):

Preparation Time:

• Roasting and preparing jaggery syrup: 10-15 minutes
• Shaping laddoos: 10-15 minutes
• Total time: 25-30 minutes

Steps to make til ke laddoo:

 step 1: Roast the Sesame Seeds:

• Pour the sesame seeds into a pan on medium-low flame until they expand and change color to golden brown. Keep Stirring to avoid burning, wait for a few minutes once the color changes. Set aside to cool.

step 2: Prepare Jaggery Syrup:

• Grate jaggery with a grater and then start heating jaggery,  add little-little water and melt it fully then put the grated ginger in the jaggery solution. The syrup should be mixed with cold water. To check if it’s ready, try this hack- pour a spoon of jaggery into the water,  if it makes a soft ball, then it is ready.

step 3: Combine and Mix-mix-mix: 

• Pour the jaggery into the roasted sesame seeds and add cardamom powder to the liquid jaggery. Stir until sesame seeds are well coated. 

step 4: Shape the Laddoos: 

• After the mixture is completely mixed together, start making ladoos quickly as we can’t wait to cool it down, to avoid a hot sensation in your palm, use little-little water and grease your palm with water or ghee then roll the mixture into a round-round shape. Let them cool and harden.

Tips:

1. Warm Hands: a point to remember is that just before you start shaping the laddoos, make sure that your palms are a little warm and should be greased with ghee or water. 
2. Consistency Check: always check that the jaggery syrup is not very sticky, thick, or runny; this determines the texture of the ladoo. 
3. Storage: These laddoos should be stored in an airtight container. It can last up to 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
4. Flavor Variation: You can also sprinkle grated coconut or sprinkle nutmeg for a change. 

Facts:

1. Nutritional powerhouse: sesame seeds are a source of calcium, iron, and magnesium and jaggery is a source of natural energy and energy-giving minerals. 
2. Boosts immunity: The sesame and jaggery help to fortify your body to fight the ailments of the winter season. 
3. Improves digestion: The two also help in digestion and to warm the stomach when it is cold outside.
4. Ancient Origins: Perhaps the earliest of these nuts are sesame seeds that have been cultivated as early as 3,000 BC.
5. Symbol of Good Luck: Such things as sesame seeds are believed to bring several blessings including prosperity to people’s lives in many cultures. 
6. Sankranti Tradition: In Maharashtra, people exchange Tilgul ladoos and wish a happy new year with the words Tilgul ghya, god god bola. whereas in states like, Jharkhand and Bihar: the mother gives the black-til mixture with gud(jaggery)  to her daughter/son, 5 times with the words:- tile-tile-bau-debi.

Life lesson: while making the til ke ladoos, we always ensures that the jaggery consistency should not be very thick or very thin or sticky , to perfectly bind the laddoos with sesame mixture , so that it can take the shape as we want, similarly life should be balance between work-family-friends to hold everything perfectly.