✨ Sesame Seeds Laddu – A Healthy & Tasty Delight! ✨
Sweet, crunchy, and full of goodness—these traditional sesame laddus made with jaggery are delicious and nutrient-packed. Perfect for festivals or a quick energy boost, rich in calcium, iron, and healthy fats. Simple to prepare and bursting with flavor, this treat brings health and happiness to your plate. 🍯🌿
Sesame Laddu
( Ellu Urundai / Til ke Ladoo / Nuvvula Undalu)
Traditional & Cultural Significance
Sesame laddu, made with sesame seeds and jaggery, holds a special place in Indian traditions. It is most commonly prepared during Makar Sankranti (known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Uttarayan in Gujarat), symbolizing togetherness, warmth, and the sharing of sweetness in relationships. In Maharashtra, it is associated with the phrase “Tilgul ghya, god god bola”, meaning “ Take sesame and jaggery, speak sweetly.”
Apart from Sankranti, sesame laddus are also prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi, Magh Bihu in Assam, Khichdi festival in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and Paush Parva in Odisha and Bengal, where they mark the harvest season and the transition to longer, warmer days. Across regions, offering sesame laddu is seen as an auspicious act that brings blessings, health, and prosperity.
Sesame laddu is not only a traditional sweet but also a powerhouse of nutrition 🌿. Rich in calcium, iron, and zinc 🥛🥬, it helps strengthen bones, boost immunity 💪, and improve overall vitality. The healthy fats in sesame seeds support heart health ❤️ and provide long-lasting energy ⚡, while the jaggery 🍯 aids in digestion, detoxification 🌱, and maintaining hemoglobin levels 🩸. This combination also helps keep the body warm in winter ❄️🔥, making it a seasonal favorite during harvest festivals. Additionally, sesame is known to enhance skin glow ✨ and hair health 💇♀️, making sesame laddu a wholesome sweet that nourishes the body while delighting the taste buds 😋
Health Benefits
Sesame Seeds ( Ellu / Til / Nuvvulu) – 1 cup
Jaggery (Vellam / Gude / Bellam) – 1/2 cup 🍯
Ghee – 1-2 teaspoon 🧈
Ingredients
Step by step preparation
Roast the sesame seeds – Heat a pan and dry roast the sesame seeds on low flame until they release a nutty aroma and turn light golden 🌰. Set aside to cool.
Powder the sesame seeds – Once cooled, grind the roasted sesame seeds coarsely or finely, depending on your preference.
Prepare the jaggery syrup – In the pan, add jaggery (1/2 cup) and 2–3 tbsp water 🍯. Heat until it melts and forms a thick syrup (drop test: when a drop in water turns hard, it’s ready)
Mix & shape – Add the powdered sesame seeds 🌰 and ghee 🧈 to the jaggery syrup 🍯. Mix quickly and shape into small laddus 🔹 while still warm
Cool & store – Let the laddus 🟤 cool completely ❄️. Store in an airtight container 📦 for up to 2-4 weeks
