You could use the same recipe to make til mawa ke ladoo(by simply rolling the mixture into small balls). It’s a perfect beginner recipe for those who feel intimidated by syrup(chashni). These come together in about 30 minutes are truly delicious with the nutty taste of til and creaminess of mawa. If you love indian mithai recipes with mawa, you will love these heavenly bites. I love making these til mawa roll for Makar Sankranti festival however this is an awesome recipe entire winter long. Til or sesame seeds are iron and calcium rich and provide warmth to the body during the cold season. Growing up, Makar Sankrati was such a huge celeberation in our home. A ton of Sankranti dishes were cooked at my grandmother’s home and we used to have an afternoon feast. There used to be usually store bought chikkis and popcorn however many savory dishes were made at home. Here, in the States I don’t like the taste of sweet delicacies from indian stores, so I prefer to make simple sweets to celebrate this festival each year.
What is Makar Sankranti
The festival of Makar Sankranti or Sankranthi is celebrated all over India. Different regions have different names for this festival like Lohri, Pongal or Bihu. Makar Sankranti is dedicated to solar deity in the Hindu calendar since this day marks the movement of sun from southern to northern hemisphere. It is associated with traditions like kite flying, making khichdi and sweets with til (sesame) and peanuts.
About the recipe
In this mawa roll with til, I simply combined toasted white sesame seeds with softened mawa and sweetened it with powdered jaggery. This is such a fuss free recipe since you dont need to worry about nuances of jaggery syrup. These roll are melt in the mouth soft and perfect to satiate your sweet tooth. You could also exchange them in gift boxes.
Ingredients
Til (White Sesame Seeds)- These are easily available all over. Purchase a fresh pack because sometimes old stash lying in your pantry could be smelly because of oil. Mawa or Khoya - Easily available in most indian grocery stores. Or make homemade khoya to use in this recipe. Jaggery Powder- This is easily available in indian grocery stores. If you cannot find, simply fine grate block of jaggery using a box grater. I use punjabi gud. Green cardamom- I make a fresh powder by grinding the seeds in a mortar pestle. The aroma of fresh ground cardamom is unbeatable. However, you can certainly use store bought powder. Any nuts of choice, I use chopped pistachios.
Some Tips
Use fresh ingredients for the best tasting mithai. To prevent them from burning, keep the heat low when toasting sesame seeds. If you are making jaggery powder at home, use a grater to do so. This makes sure that there aren’t any big lumps. Troubleshooting - If after cooking, the mixture feels wet add little extra coarse sesame powder.If its dry, add 1-2 tablespoon of milk to bring it together.
How To Make Til Mawa Roll
Start by lightly toasting the til (sesame seeds). Do so on low heat because til burn quickly. Transfer the toasted seeds to a plate and cool down. Add the toasted til to a blender and make a coarse powder. Add grated mawa to a wide non stick pan and on low heat cook it for a few minutes until super soft and pasty. Keep heat on low and next add the til powder and combine with mawa. Add the jaggery powder next and combine together with mawa and til mixture. Continue to cook for maximum 2-3 minutes. We dont want the jaggery to melt. Its okay if you still see some small jaggery lumps. Remove the pan from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Let cool down.
Pro Tip :- Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, you can roll into small rounds (ladoo) if you wish.
To make a roll, transfer the mixture on a foil or parchment paper. Press down to flatten slightly and then roll out into a 8 or 9 inch round shape using a rolling pin. Spread some ghee on rolling pin if needed. Once rolled, sprinkle finely chopped pistachios and press down with hands so that the nuts stick. Using the slides of the aluminum foil as a guide, roll the mawa dough over itself a few times to make a log. Roll the log in toasted sesame seeds to cover its outside. Trim the ends using a sharp knife and cut into ½ inch pieces. You will get about 12 to 15 portions from this recipe.
Recipe
