HOW TO MAKE TILKUT

Ingredients –

2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

3 cups of sesame seeds

2 cups of jaggery

1/2 cup water

1. Heat the sesame seeds in the oil in a frying pan for 2 minutes. Up to a slight browning, stir continuously. Sesame seeds burn rapidly and taste unpleasant, so constant stirring is necessary.

2. Place the toasted sesame seeds in a basin. Grind the seeds into a coarse powder once they have fully cooled.

3. In a nonstick pan, bring water to a boil while adding jaggery. Once the jaggery has completely dissolved, pass it through a mesh strainer and get rid of any remaining impurities.

4. After adding the syrup back into the pan, stir continuously over low heat until a thick paste forms.

5. Gradually include ground sesame seeds into the syrup.

Rapid and continuous mixing is required to avoid crystallization of the jaggery syrup.

6. Spoon the seed-jaggery mixture onto a plate, and then form it into the appropriate shape with your hands and, preferably, a dab of ghee.

The best tilkuts are supposed to be found in Gaya. This confection is known as “Palala” in Buddhist literature. Sesame seeds have been grown for more than 3500 years. Africa and India are said to be their places of origin. The sesame plant is hardy and thrives in conditions where other seeds cannot be grown.