Teel Gool!

My grandma's recipe for teeL gooL made on Makar Sankranta. This year amazingly, Sankranta is on the 15th of Jan.

1/4 kg (250g or 1 lb) sesame seeds, roast on low flame. Roast evenly and thoroughly(smell test) as it will taste uncooked in the final 'vadi' or cake otherwise. After roasting, grind them in a mixer where they are just ground, not fine powder, just ground looks like some powder, most sesame seeds broken and some fully intact seeds.

Keep elaichi i.e. cardamom powder ready to be added, about 2 tsp.

1/4 kg grated jaggery ( I used powdered Jaggery which needed little ghee at the outset for it to melt smoothly instead of into crystals first) to be melted over low flame. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee along to aid the smooth texture. While still on low flame, add 2-3 tea spoons of milk. The mixture rises with bubbles and this is to be expected. Let the molten jaggery cool to the point where it just feels too hot to touch (45-50'C). Add the teel and elaichi in batches while stirring with a strong ladle until evenly mixed. Keep on going until most of the teel is incorporated. Take a small amount of mixture, roll in ball in your fist and open the hand. If the mixture breaks open, then add milk DROP by DROP!! If the ball stays intact but is too shiny, add some more teel.

Either roll them into balls or flatten mixture over wax paper in a tray. Sprinkle desiccated coconut on the top, pat down the mixture to compact the sheet so that when cut later, it doesn't crumble. While still slightly hot, use pizza cutter to make squares. Let it rest and then transfer to a container when at room temperature.

Eat at a slow pace with a good tea. Too many of them at 1 time and you are sure to have pimples the next day and more than that you'd be seeing a lot of the bathroom!! ;)

Other tips - Use a light colored jaggery to make the final dish look more appetizing. If individual cakes are to be made, the mixture utensil needs to be covered all the time.