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.