These 2-ingredient sesame seed balls |til ke laddu| ellu urundai | nuvvula undalu| are sugar-free and a great way to boost your calcium levels in the most delicious and vegan way possible!!
My mother-in-law taught me this recipe more than 5 years ago. It is a super simple recipe, but always a constant hit. Every time I make it, I am always surprised at how quickly it gets over, despite the simplicity of the recipe.
You cannot go wrong much with this recipe, really!! All you need is to:
- Roast the seeds
- Process them into a coarse powder.
- Add dates
- Shape them
Ingredients
I like to use these natural sesame seeds – these are slightly brown in color, and not dehulled to the max. But, if you get the regular white ones, that’s fine too.
For the dates in the recipe, I use Deglet Noor dates from Costco store. These are soft and easy to crush. But if you get only hard dates where you live; you can easily modify the recipe by soaking the dates in water. Only downside if you use water- you have to store the balls in the refrigerator.
One thing I love about this recipe is the wonderful aroma of powdered, roasted sesame seeds!! There is something so earthy and appealing about the smell.
Recipe
These 2 ingredient sesame laddu or balls are soft, vegan and delicious. They are also called Til ke ladoo or Ellu urundai in parts of India.
- 1 cup Sesame Seeds
- 25 Dates (= roughly 1 cup + 5-6 more)
- 2 tsp Agave Nectar or Honey (Optional)
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Roast the seeds on a dry pan in medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the seeds are well roasted. The aroma and color should let you know when to stop. Do not get distracted during the process, because sesame seeds can burn easily.
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Transfer to a plate and cool.
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Add the cooled seeds to a food processor and run it till you get a coarse powder. If you want fine, run it some more. But, if you run it too much and the oil starts coming out, the final texture will also be oily.
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Start adding the dates one by one through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. You will end up with a buttery dough at the end.
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Add the sweetener of choice (agave or honey) at the end to increase sweetness and to keep the balls soft and moist for a long time.
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Transfer to a bowl. Start shaping the dough into balls using your palms. Serve!!
The amount of dates in the recipe is enough to give you stickiness to form laddoo. If the slight bitterness of sesame bothers you, increase the level of dates up to 2 cups. Or add the optional agave or honey for extra sweetness.
Conclusion
This healthy version of sesame laddu, a.k.a til ke laddu, is perfect for elderly folks too since it is much easier on the teeth. Plus, the subtle sweetness of dates, as opposed to the sharp sweetness of white sugar, is well appreciated by older folks.
I hope you give this recipe a try. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.
Looking for other healthy desserts? Try these:
I have at least 3 bags of sesame seeds in my fridge, and I was planning to make some barazek (Syrian cookies) but these are time-consuming so I had been procrastinating; now your balls are so easy, I cannot wait to try these! YUM
Yay!! So happy to hear that!!