Til Ladoo (Laddu)

• Heat a wide non-stick pan, dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Transfer the til to a plate and set aside.
• Dry roast peanuts in the pan for 3 minutes and set aside. Grind slightly the roasted peanuts in a grinder for a few seconds.
• Heat the ghee in the non-stick pan on low flame and add jaggery. Keep stirring the jaggery with a spatula continuously on low flame for about 5 minutes so that it doesn’t burn and stick to the pan.
• Add the til, crushed peanuts, and cardamom powder to the melted jaggery. Cook for 1 minute on a low flame while stirring continuously.
• Grease a plate with ghee, pour the mixture into the plate, and let it cool for 2 minutes.
• Moist your hands with a little water, take a small portion from the mixture and roll into a small ball. Shape around 25 til ladoos out of the mixture.
• Allow them to cool and store in an air-tight jar.

Trivia

Sesame is believed to be one of the oldest spices known to us and was most probably the first crop to be grown for edible oil. Babylonians used the sesame oil to make wine, cakes, and toiletries. Ancient Egyptians believed that sesame has medicinal powers.

The phrase "Open Sesame", the magical password that opened the cave in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, refers to the sesame fruit, because on maturing, the fruit bursts open and scatters its seeds.