Til-gud, sesame and jaggery, is the taste of January in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The ladoos are crunchy, nutty and not too sweet, and they keep for weeks in a tin.
The secret is cooking the jaggery to the right stage. Too soft and the ladoos won't hold. Too hard and they'll break teeth.
Method
- 1
Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a heavy pan on low-medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3–5 minutes until pale golden and popping. Move them to a plate.
- 2
In the same pan, melt the ghee with the jaggery and water on low heat, stirring until it melts and starts to bubble.
- 3
Cook for 3–4 minutes more. Drop a little into a bowl of cold water. It's ready when it forms a firm ball you can roll.
- 4
Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame, cardamom and peanuts quickly until evenly coated.
- 5
Let it cool for a minute. Grease your palms with ghee and shape small ladoos while the mixture is still warm. Wet your palms if it gets too hot.
- 6
Cool completely and store in an airtight tin.
Tips
- Work fast. Once the jaggery cools it sets, and the mixture won't shape. If that happens, warm it for 20 seconds on low heat.
- Use dark, chemical-free jaggery for the best flavour and colour.
