TIL KE LADOO: GUEST POST BY MALLIKA NANDA

TIL KE LADOO: GUEST POST BY MALLIKA NANDA

This guest post is from my friend, Mallika Nanda, who is an expert in making ladoos. At my request, she has prepared this post (and the delicious ladoos, of course) for the festival of Makara Sankranti.


This particular dessert is made of sesame seed/til.  Sesame or til has more health

benefits than most other seeds.  It is especially popular during winter months for Makara

Sankranti.  Sesame seeds are rich in oleic acid, a potent mono­unsaturated fatty acid

which lowers the ‘bad cholesterol’ or LDL cholesterol in the blood and increases the level

of ‘good cholesterol’ or HDL in the body.  Thereby helping you maintain a healthy lipid

profile. All this in turn protects you from heart disease, stroke and atherosclerosis.

Chikki ka gud/Antu bella is used here. If normal jaggery is used in the preparation of

these ladoos then there are chances that we sometimes will not be able to bind them

together since the normal jaggery doesn’t contain edible gum.

Ingredients:

250 g sesame seeds (white til)

250 g chikki ka gud/antu bella/jaggery

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tbsp roasted peanuts

1 tbsp roasted putani/ dalia/ roasted channa dal.

1 tbsp fresh coconut grated (optional)

Preparation:

Place a wide bottomed skillet on high flame and dry roast the sesame seeds taking only

one handful of it at a time. As soon as they start spluttering cover with a lid for half a

minute,  immediately remove when pale golden in color, on to a plate.  Then take 1

teaspoon of ghee in the same skillet.  On melting, add the roasted peanuts, dalia, then

add the jaggery to it. Just keep stirring and till it melts completely.  To test if it is done,

drop a few drops into a bowl of normal water.  If it forms a ball, the syrup is ready. If not

and dissolves then cook some more and test again till ready.  Switch off the flame and

add the dry roasted sesame seeds and  mix.  Grease your palms and when the mixture is

still hot (but cool enough to handle) take small portions in your hand to form lemon­sized

balls,  Roll between your palms till smooth.  Repeat till all the mixture is used up.  The

laddoos will soon harden.  Store in airtight jars.

Thanks so much, Mallika.