Tila laddus (Sesame seeds ladoo) are easy and simple to make. This is actually a Maharastrian dish prepared during Makara sankrathi day. It is made in majority of other Indian states as well but with slight variations in the recipe. We Konkani’s also make this laddu on festive occasion, Diwali as well as on 13th day ceremony of the death, Varshik and also for Brahmana Samaradhana. It is a healthy and nutritious and delicious laddu liked by both young and old. We prepare it usually out of sesame seeds (Tilu) both white and black. The Black tila laddu is usually the one prepared during Varshik.The method of preparation of this laddu is similar to how I have prepared Puffed rice, Groundnut & Sev ladoo so I have not included the photos for the preparation.
Ingredients
You need
- 1 cup Tilu (White)
- 1 cup normal jaggery (Panka godu)
- Ghee as required to apply to hands while making the laddus
- 1/4th cup water
- 8 to 10 numbers of elaichi/cardamom (Powder and use)
Method
Dry roast the tilu in a kadai or pan till they become light brown in colour. You will get a sweet aroma of roasted tilu. They will start to splutter also. This will take only 2 to 3 minutes. You have to use medium to low flame for roasting. See that they get roasted uniformly as well as they do not get burned also.
Once you have roasted them transfer them on to a dry plate to cool.
Now grate jaggery and add it to a heavy bottom pan. Add 1/4th cup of water to it and keep on a low flame. The jaggery will begin to dissolve (When it has dissolved completely and if you find there are impurities in it then pass it through a sieve or a fine mesh). Keep stirring the jaggery syrup. The jaggery will melt and start bubbling. But you have to continue stirring. The jaggery should reach one strand consistency (You can check this stage by dropping some jaggery syrup into a bowl of water. It will sink to the bottom and solidify).
Once the jaggery syrup has reached the one strand consistency stage you can switch off the flame. Immediately add the roasted tilu and powdered elaichi to the syrup. Mix well as well as quickly till the tilu are evenly coated with the syrup.
Apply some ghee on to your hands and even while hot start making small/medium size ladoos out of it.
Once the ladoos are cooled store in air tight containers
Shelf life: 1 month
Tips
Always go for the normal jaggery (Panka godu). If you go for the organic or premium ones you will not get single strand consistency stage correctly and your ladoos instead of becoming crunchy will become soft and stick or you will not be able to form ladoos at all.
Keep a bowl of water ready before starting to make the jaggery syrup to check for its consistency.
Make ladoos while hot itself as it will harden very fast. If at all it hardens again heat it for a few seconds and make ladoos out of it. Do not forget to apply ghee on your hands while making the ladoos.
