Tilgul Cookies(Naan Khatai)

Preparation Time - 10 Min                      Cooking Time - 15 Min  

Ingredients :

All purpose flour(Maida) - 1 1/4 Cup

Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup or 1 stick softened at room temp

Grated Jaggery (Gul) - 1/2 Cup

Sesame Seeds (Til) - 1/4 Cup

Nutmeg powder - 1/4 Tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 Tsp

Salt - 1/4 Tsp

Baking powder - 1/2 Tsp

Method :

1) Grate the jaggery and keep aside.

2) Fry sesame seeds on low flame till golden in color and keep aside.

3) In a bowl, beat butter for 2 mins , add nutmeg powder and cardamom powder, mix well.

4) Add jaggery and salt in it. mix well. If you use salted butter then do not add salt.

5) In this mixture add all purpose flour, baking powder and sesame seeds and mix well. Dough should be very soft.

6) Make small round balls of the dough and put it on greased tray approximately 2 inches apart. Make sure there are no cracks on balls.

7) On these balls put sesame seeds and press.

8) Preheat oven to 350° F or 175° C and bake for 13-15 mins depending on your oven.

Tilgul Cookies (Naan Khatai)

9) Let the cookies cool for 30 mins and then serve.

Til Gul Poli

Preparation Time - 30 Mins                   Cooking Time -  30 Mins           Serves - 4 

This is a Maharashtrian recipe for til-gul poli, generally made on Makar Sankranti.

Ingredients :

For Stuffing :

Til (Sesame Seeds) - 1/2 Cup

Gul (Jaggery) - 2 1/4 Cup

Gram Flour (Besan) - 1/4 Cup

Cardamom powder - 1/4 Tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1/4 Tsp (Optional)

Oil - 2 Tsp

For Cover :

Wheat Flour - 3/4 Cup

All purpose flour (Maida) - 3/4 Cup

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Method :

1) Fry sesame seeds on low flame till golden in color and keep aside. Grate jaggery and keep aside.

2) In a bowl mix wheat flour and all purpose flour. Heat 1 Tbsp oil and add it in the flour.

3) Add water to flour and knead a dough.

4) Cover the dough with wet cloth or paper napkin and keep aside.

5) Grind sesame seeds coarsely in mixer.

6) Heat 2 tsp oil in pan and add gram flour in it. Fry well for 3-4 mins on very low flame.

7) Add grated jaggery in it and mix well for 2-3 mins till jaggery start boiling.

8) Add cardamom powder,nutmeg powder and sesame seed powder mix well,switch off stove and keep this mixture aside.

9) Take a ball of dough and flatten it, place the stuffing and close all edges slightly. Flatten it carefully into circle of 6 inches diameter and fry both sides well on hot griddle.

10) Serve hot by adding a tsp of ghee on poli (chapati).

      You can add poppy seeds or ground nuts with sesame seeds if you like.

Til Gul Poli

Kaju Katli

Preparation Time - 10 Min                                        Cooking Time - 10 Min

This very easy recipe makes about 18-20 Kaju Katli.

Ingredients:

Cashew Nuts (Kaju) - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1/2 Cup

Milk Powder - 1 Tsp

Method:

1) Grind cashew nuts in mixer. Sieve the cashew nut flour and keep aside.

2) In a pan add 1/4 cup water and then add sugar. Let it boil to make sugar syrup of one string consistency.

     Always use heavy bottom pan to make kaju katli.
  
3) Add in cashew nut flour and milk powder and mix well.

4) Stir continuously till mixture becomes dry.Keep the flame very low else mixture may become little brown. 

4) Let it cool for 2 mins, it should form the dough.

5) Take a plastic paper and put the dough on it.

6) Take another plastic paper and put on the dough and then roll it. Keep thickness approximately 1/4 inch.

7) Cut the kaju katli in diamond shape. If you like you can add silver foil but I avoid to use it. You can grease the cutter or knife with a drop of ghee so that it will not stick to kaju katli and cutting becomes easier.

8) Let it cool for 15 mins and then serve.

Kaju Katli