Winters are here and so is the winter special food ‘Tilkut’. When the temperature drops and cold weather sets in, fuel your body with this sesame seed delicacy that can help raise your body temperature and make you feel warm. Sesame seeds are high in healthy fats, essential minerals, protein, antioxidants and dietary fiber. They are an indispensable part of winter foods especially in North India since time immemorial.

In India it is difficult to imagine winter season without taking sesame seed sweets like sesame laddoo, sesame gajjak and tilkut into account. Being loaded with nutrition, sesame seeds provide numerous beauty and hair benefits. In addition, they are quite popular to generate heat and energy in the body which is much required in the cold weather. These properties make it a must-have food in your winter diet.

Tilkut is a delicious way to add sesame seeds in your warming winter diet. What’s better than making tilkut at home? Here is the amazing recipe for you:

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds: 500 grams

Boora/shakkar: 250 grams

Cashew nuts: 10-12 (coarsely chopped)

Almonds: 10-12 (coarsely chopped)

Raisins: ½ cup

Pure ghee: 2 tsp

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan. Add coarsely chopped almonds and cashew nuts. Roast on medium-low flame until golden brown and crunchy. Take the nuts out of the pan and keep aside. Clean the sesame seeds and dry roast them on low flame in the same pan. Keep stirring until the seeds become light golden in colour and start leaving a nutty fragrance. Turn off the flame and transfer the roasted seeds in a plate immediately to stop further cooking. Let them cool completely at room temperature. Mix boora or shakkar in them after they cool down. Blend them in a food processor to grind the sesame seeds into rough powder form and mix boora well with this sesame seed powder. The tilkut is ready. Take out from the blender and transfer the tilkut in a big mixing bowl. Add raisins, roasted almonds and cashew nuts to enhance the richness and taste of this delicacy. Mix well with a spoon. Store in an airtight box.

With a nutty crunch and sweet flavour, tilkut is a popular traditional sweet treat loved extremely in India during cold months. Apart from its sweet and lip-smacking taste, the combination of protein and minerals makes it a wholesome food. Roast them and blend with boora or shakkar, the choice is all yours.

Tips to make perfect tilkut:

Clean the sesame seeds before roasting. Check for adulterants or small stones.

Dry roast sesame seeds in a thick-bottomed pan on low flame so that they become crunchy inside-out.

Keep stirring frequently while roasting so as to prevent the burning of the seeds and allow even roasting.

Before grinding them with boora or shakkar, let them cool down properly at room temperature to make perfect crunchy tilkut.

Never mix boora in hot sesame seeds, otherwise, boora or shakkar will melt and leave moisture in the tilkut spoiling its taste and texture.

Store it in an airtight box so that it remains crispy and fresh for two to three weeks. It does not taste good when chilled. So do not store it in a refrigerator.

Benefits of eating tilkut:

The sweet delicacy is a high-quality vegetarian source of protein.

It is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Being loaded with zinc, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients, tilkut is good for bone health.

It is rich in good fats – monounsaturated fatty acids as well as oleic acid that is beneficial for curbing high cholesterol and promoting heart health.

This nutty sweet is so delicious that you would not be able to turn the spoon down once you start eating it. Cold weather welcomes you with the goodness of tilkut. Relish it and protect yourself from the chills.