There’s nothing quite like the snap of a freshly made til patti. It’s the golden, nutty sweet that shows up around Makar Sankranti and Lohri, and it’s much easier to make than most people expect. Sesame seeds, jaggery and a little ghee are all you need, and the whole thing comes together in under half an hour.
Ingredients
1 cup white sesame seeds1 cup jaggery, grated or chopped1 tablespoon ghee, plus extra for greasingA pinch of cardamom powder (optional)
Method
Toast the sesame seeds
Dry roast the seeds in a pan on low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. You’re looking for a light golden colour and a warm, nutty smell. Take them off the heat as soon as they’re ready, because seeds that brown too much turn bitter. Set aside.
Melt the jaggery
In a heavy-bottomed pan, melt the jaggery with the ghee on low heat. Stir until the mixture turns smooth and starts to bubble gently. A heavy base matters here, since jaggery burns quickly in a thin pan.
Test the syrup
Drop a small amount of syrup into a bowl of cold water. If it hardens right away and snaps cleanly, it’s ready. If it feels soft or chewy, cook it for another minute or two and test again. This one step is what separates a crisp patti from a sticky one.
Add the sesame
Switch off the heat and stir in the toasted seeds and cardamom. Mix quickly, because the mixture begins to set almost immediately.
Spread and cut
Pour it onto a greased plate or a sheet of parchment paper. Roll it thin with a greased rolling pin or the back of a greased spoon. Let it cool for a minute or two, then cut it into squares or diamonds while it’s still warm. Once it hardens fully, it will crack instead of cutting cleanly.
Tips for the perfect patti
Grease everything that touches the mixture, including your spoon, rolling pin and knife.Roll it as thin as you can for the crunchiest bite.Let the pieces cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They stay crisp for up to two weeks.Try a handful of crushed peanuts or chopped almonds for extra texture.
Why you’ll love it
Til patti is crunchy, lightly sweet and made from simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Sesame seeds are a good source of calcium and iron, and jaggery gives it a deeper, more caramel-like sweetness than refined sugar. It’s a snack you can feel good about, especially on a cold evening with a cup of hot tea.Once you’ve made it at home, the store-bought kind is hard to go back to. Make a batch, keep a box on the counter, and watch how quickly it disappears.