Sesame laddoo, No oil or refined sugar or grain

 Sesame seeds are oftentimes found sprinkled on top of burger buns. In Kerala, they are made into a sweet ball along with melted jaggery called ellunda. Ellu refers to sesame seed in Malayalam. 

 

I thought the process of making these laddoos would be tedious, but it is quite straightforward and the end result is really worth the effort :-) For a smooth texture like a besan laddoo (made from chickpea flour), omit the tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds added to the mixture in the end. Then the laddoos will just melt in your mouth!

 

The additives of this amazing laddoo...

 

Sesame seeds, white - 1/2 cup

Almond - 1/2 cup

Coconut, freshly grated - 1/2 cup

Jaggery, powdered - 1/2 cup

Cardamom, green - 4

The modu operandi...

 

Toast sesame seeds on low flame, stirring regularly. Turn off heat when it starts to lightly brown and transfer to a bowl.

Chop the almonds roughly. Roast them on low heat for about 5 minutes and transfer to another bowl.

 

 

 Now, roast grated coconut on low heat until it turns light brown. Set aside the sesame seeds, almonds and coconut to cool. Grind cardamom with a mortar and pestle. Discard the outer covers. Crush the seeds to a powder.

Keep aside a tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds. Into a grinder jar, add the ingredients in the following order; almond, coconut, rest of the sesame seeds and cardamom powder. Coarsely grind for 30 to 40 seconds. Cast in jaggery and pulse 3 or 4 times. 

Transfer the ground contents onto a plate. Include the tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds that was kept aside earlier and intermingle with your fingers.

 

 

 

 

Make small balls. Roll them tightly with your fingers, otherwise they might break. Consume the delicious laddoos on the same day. If there are still a few left (very unlikely ;-)), refrigerate. The fact that the coconut has been roasted helps the laddoos to last longer. Enjoy!