Tilgul

Tilgul ghya, godd godd bola!!!

Tilgul are traditional, crunchy Maharashtrian sweets/ ladoos made on the special occasion of Makarsankrant. On the eve of the festival, Tilgul along with multicolored sugar-coated granules (Sakharputane/ Halwa) are exchanged with friends and family.

What is Makarsankrant?

Makarsankrant is an Indian festival day devoted to the deity Sun (Surya). It is always celebrated each year on 14th January. It marks the first day of the sun’s transition into Capricorn (Makara). Makar Sankranti marks the start of the harvest season.

Makarsankrat from North to the South and East to the West

Different states in India celebrate Makar Sankranti with different names. In the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, the festival is celebrated as Pongal. In Punjab it is Lohri while in Gujarat it is known as Uttarayan. Maharashtra it is MakarSankrant. In Assam is known as Bhogali Bihu and Magh Bihu and in Bihar, Til Sankranti.

So what is Tilgul?

Til is sesame seeds and Gul is jaggery in Marathi and Tilgul is a mixture of these two which is usually shaped as Ladoo (balls) and hence the name. They are sweet, crunchy, nutty, the perfect bite sized to satisfy my sweet cravings post lunch/ dinner.

What is Tilgul ghya Godd Godd Bola?

According to legends, Lord Sun never got along with his son, Lord Shani. However, on the day of Makar Sankranti, Lord Sun visits Shani and finally forgives him. Thus, Makar Sankranti is marked as a day of forgiveness. Forgetting past quarrels, leaving all the grudges and begin new chapter.

Sankrant and Kite flying

This festival is also known as the Kite festival. Flying kites under the sun is a tradition on this occasion. The sky is filled with many colorful kites on this day. The scientific significance of this age-old tradition is that the Sun finally restores its capacity after a long winter and cleanses our bodies.

Makarsankrant and Haldi- Kunku

In a Maharashtrian home, Makarsankrant marks the beginning of Haldi Kunku programs. Haldi – turmeric and kunku is vermillion. Women visit each others houses and exchange haldi kunku, and tilgul, flowers and Vaan ( in Marathi) as a part of this tradition. Vaan is a auspicious gift given to a women to honor her. It is also the day when wearing black coloured saree/ clothes is not frowned upon.

If it is your first year as newly wed, then the woman wears halwayche dagine. Halwayche dagine are ornaments made from sugar coated sesame .This is called as Suneche Tilvan which is first welcome for the daughter in law.

Sankrant and Bornahan

Bornahan is a ceremony for babies. “Bor” in marathi is berries and nahan is shower/ bath and hence the word “Bor +Nahan” = “Berry +Shower” for this ceremony. In Bornahan, seasonal fruits obtained such as berries (Bor), sugarcane pieces, groundnuts, murmure, chocolates and candy (modern day additions) are showered over the child.

Need more Makarsankrant recipes?

Try our Tilwadi Recipe. Our Makarsankrant menu every year is Tilpoli/ Gulpoli, Bhogichi Bhaji, Bhakari and Khichdhi.

Tilgul

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: SnacksDifficulty: Medium

Servings

17 – 18

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/4 cup Sesame seeds

• 1 and 1/4 cup Jaggery

• 1/4 cup roasted groundnut powder

• 2 tablespoon dry coconut (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder

• 1 tablespoon Ghee

Directions

• In a non stick pan, roast the sesame seeds on medium heat until slightly golden and start to splutter or crackle (around 5-7 mins). Set it aside on a clean dry plate.
• Now in the same pan melt the ghee and add the jaggery to it.
• Keep mixing on medium-low heat until the jaggery has completely melted and is bubbling. Cook it for additional 2-3 mins until it reaches a softball stage.
• To test the softball stage, drop a small portion of the melted jaggery in the bowl of cold water. Touch with fingers and see if it forms a softball. If it does your jaggery is ready. If not, you need to cook it further.
• Turn the heat to low and start adding the sesame seeds mixture slowly, groundnut powder, cardamom powder and mix well. Turn off the heat.
• Apply some ghee or water to your palms and then start rolling this mixture into balls while it’s still hot or warm enough to handle.
• Take small portions at a time and shape them into round smooth balls and keep aside on a clean and dry plate. Make remaining til ladoo in the same way.
• If the mixture is getting hard to roll, warm it slightly just enough to loosen it a bit and then roll again. Overheating will make the tilgul hard so just warm it slightly.
• Allow to cool completely and then store air right at room temperature.

Notes

• You can use white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds or a mix of both.
• Use good quality jaggery. Don’t cook jaggery on high heat it will stick to the pan and burn. Always cook on medium heat stirring continuously 
• You can add dry fruits like . cashew nuts, crushed almonds, pistachios, seeds, etc. 
• If you are adding coconut flakes make sure to roast the coconut before adding it to the mixture. 
• The Til and Gul mixture has to be rolled into balls when the jaggery is hot or warm. The mixture hardens very fast.

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