Til Ke Ladoo

Whether you are celebrating the warmth of a bonfire (Lohri) or enjoying the kite festival (Makar Sankranti/Uttarayan), or just conveying greetings of Pongal – sesame seeds (til) and gur (jaggery) hold special significance during these festivals.

In winter, til (sesame seeds) sweets like til peanut sukhadi, peanut gajak, and til rewadi are consumed to mark the harvest season around India.

What is Til ke Ladoo

Til is the Hindi name for Sesame seeds, and ladoos mean sweet edible balls eaten as a snack in India’s winter months. 

Til ke laddu (Tilkut), or sesame seeds energy balls, are traditional Indian sweets prepared during the winter festivals of Makar Sankranti and Lohri. 

Roasted sesame seeds (til), peanuts, and desiccated coconut form the base ingredients of these laddus, while jaggery renders its distinctive sweetness to the winter dessert.

Ghee enhances the overall flavor of the ladoos while providing them with moistness and texture. Cardamom powder contributes to intensifying the flavoring of this recipe.

Since sesame is known to keep the body warm in winter and increase immunity, jaggery is also known for its health benefits, such as treating respiratory disorders and throat problems. 

Altogether, this recipe makes a healthy and super delicious snack that is an ideal immunity-boosting treat for the winter.

In addition, the subtle flavor of jaggery and the nutty aroma of the sesame seeds and coconut in every bite make this traditional treat one of the most loved winter delicacies.

Reasons You’ll ♡ Til Ke Ladoo

These Til Ke Laddu are warmth-producing and energizing sweet snacks devoured during the winter months in India. You will love these laddus because they are —

• Made from pantry essentials
• Flavorsome and aromatic
• Boosts energy levels in the numbing winter
• A perfect body-warming treat, and
• Can be made vegan too!

The best part is that these Sesame seeds energy balls are sinfully delicious and gluten-free and can be made in a large batch and stored for later. These are kids-friendly, mess-free snacks that can be gorged any day!

Til ke Ladoo Ingredient List

White Sesame Seeds — The star ingredient of this recipe, white sesame seeds, bring nutrition and deliciousness to this recipe. You may use other colored sesame seeds if the white ones aren’t available. 

Peanuts — Add a nutty flavor and a crunchy deliciousness to the recipe. 

Coconut — Desiccated unsweetened coconut is added to the til ke Ladoo mixture for a more crunch and nutty flavor. 

Jaggery — Jaggery powder brings about all the sweetness in the recipe. You may also add regular sugar instead of jaggery. 

Cardamom Powder — Cardamom powder brings in the flavors that make this recipe completely drool-worthy.

Ghee — It brings more flavor and moistness to the laddus besides the beautiful aroma. 

Pistachios — They are used for garnishing the Tilgud ladoos. 

Til ke Ladoo Tips and Variations

Choice of sesame seeds — White seeds are used for the til ke ladoo recipe. However, if unavailable, white sesame seeds can be substituted with brown or black seeds. But, you might have to compromise with the taste and the appearance of these ladoos.

For an enhanced nutty flavor — Roasting the peanuts and sesame seeds brings out the enriched nutty flavor and the delectable crunch; therefore, it is essential to roast these ingredients until aromatic. 

Roasting with care — Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, and coconut (desiccated) one at a time in a  heavy-bottomed pan. These may get burned easily; therefore, keep stirring while roasting these ingredients. 

Use husked peanuts — Unsalted raw peanuts work best for this til ladoo recipe. We need husked peanuts for this recipe; therefore, I roasted them and gently rubbed them between my palms to remove the skin. If you have the already husked peanuts, roast them until they are crunchy. 

Roasting coconut — Roast the desiccated coconut over very low heat until it becomes fragrant. The process should take, at most, 1- 2 minutes. Keep stirring while roasting, as it may burn pretty quickly.

Cool the ingredients before pulsing — Allow the roasted ingredients to cool down before processing them in the food processor. They lose moisture and become crunchy on cooling, which facilitates the pulsing process. 

Substituting jaggery — I have used jaggery powder for til ke ladoo recipe. However, jaggery chunks can also be used in place of jaggery powder. To reach the exact measurements, grate the jaggery chunks or break them into small pieces before measuring.

Additional flavoring — These Til Ke Ladoos are flavored with cardamom powder. However, you can also spice it with a pinch of nutmeg powder if you like. 

For the vegan variation — You can turn these Tilgud Ladoos vegan by replacing ghee with coconut oil. The rest of the ingredients remain the same.

For an extra verve — To add a different flavor and crunch, you can add nuts like cashews, almonds, and even raisins to these Til Ladoos. 

Pulsing the ingredients — I have used a food processor to pulse my ingredients for this recipe. However, you can use a high-speed blender too. Make sure to grind the sesame seeds and the peanuts separately.

Kneading the mixture before shaping — Kneading the ladoo mixture with hands after assembling all the ingredients will help release the oils from the sesame seeds, peanuts, and coconut, thus helping the ladoos to bind well. 

Scaling the recipe is easy — This recipe of Til ke Ladoo can be easily doubled or tripled, as per the requirement. If you plan to scale up the recipe, make the ladoos in batches. 

Add ghee watchfully — Ghee is an essential ingredient that contributes to the flavor and nutrition of these Tilgud ladoos. So, do not skip adding it to the recipe. But be vigilant while adding the ghee. Do not add all of it at once. Start with ½ cup and then gradually keep adding as needed. You may need to add more or less of it depending on the coarseness of the pulsed ingredients. Coarse ingredients need more ghee as compared to finely pulsed ingredients. If all the ghee is added at once, the mixture may be runny and therefore challenging to shape into ladoos. 

Add lukewarm ghee — Lukewarm ghee helps the ladoos mixture to bind correctly; therefore, always add lukewarm ghee. Roll the Til ladoos while the ghee is still hot as this mixture tends to harden quickly, and once cooled, rolling the mixture into ladoos may be difficult. 

Adding more nutrition — To add more nutritional value to the Tilgud laddus, add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal to the mixture. It adds flavor as well as nutrition to this delicious snack.

Let me know what you think!

These traditional til ke laddus are perfect at any moment of the day and make a healthy snack for young and old alike. The best part is that you don’t need to be a pro at cooking; they are so insanely easy to make.

Simply follow the recipe, and I assure you will make the best til ke laddus ever. So, shall we dive into the recipe if you are ready with the ingredients? 

Sing and dance to the tunes of Sundar Mundariye hoye.. and celebrate the festive occasion. 

HAPPY LOHRI, HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI, AND HAPPY PONGAL TO ALL !!

Should you make this Til ladoo recipe, please let me know your thoughts by sharing your comment below.

And don’t forget to share it with your family and friends.

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