Chocolate Sesame Fudge

Chocolate Sesame Fudge

Delectable, chocolatey and soft, Chocolate Sesame Fudge is a vegan take on the famous chocolate barfi or fudge. I replaced the ghee with olive oil. Also I have used homemade sesame seed paste. Not too sweet, Chocolate Sesame Fudge is different kind of sweet to enjoy during the Makar Sankranti festival. Don’t worry, the ‘must have’ sesame seeds and jaggery are included in the fudge.

Happy Uttarayan/ Makar Sankranti/ Pongal

    Come fly a kite

    And watch it sail

    Across the sky,

    Waving its tail.

    By Jean Warren

What is Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti

Once again it Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. Uttarayan is the Gujarati name for the festival celebrated all over India. Be it Pongal, Lohri, Magha Saaji, Suggi,Ghughuti or any other name,

•  Basically celebrates the transition of the sun from the Tropic of Capricorn in the south part of the world, to the north.
• Also marks the ending of the winter solstice. In addition, the festival is dedicated to the Sun God.
• In fact, it marks the end of the evil Poush (Kamudta) month.
• It is believed that Bhisma Pitah in spite of being on a bed of arrows and in grave pain, waited for the sun to be in Uttarayan to willingly die.
• Furthermore, it is the period when the Gods awaken from their deep slumber.
• In general, this festival is celebrated with a feeling of anticipation, joy and jubilation. Furthermore, its the celebration to mark the beginning of the harvest season.

Celebrations in Gujarat

Interestingly, Gujarat celebrates this festival over two days. The next day its called Vasi Uttarayan, meaning stale Uttarayan. I have no idea why its called Vasi Uttarayan. Usually during this festival most Gujarati homes prepare Undhiyu (winter vegetables cooked in with spices in an earthen pot), tal sankari (fudge made with sesame seeds and jaggery) or tal ladoos.

The people of Gujarat celebrate this festival by flying kites. Its a time when relatives and friends meet outdoors. People of all ages enjoy flying kites from the rooftops. Friendly competitions are held as to who can sustain their kite in the air for the longest time. The threads are sometimes laced with broken glass so it becomes easier to cut an opponents kite. Actually, kites are made from very light paper and bamboo. In the olden times, kite making before Uttaryan was a community affair. Families and neighbors would get together, make kites and enjoy meals together. Nowadays kites are readily available in the market in all shapes and sizes.

The skies all over Gujarat are dotted with a variety of colours. It is believed that many years ago kite flying was enjoyed by the Kings and Nawabs who showed off their prowess. It also was a form of entertainment also. Trained kite fliers were employed. Slowly kite flying became popular with the masses. In fact, Ahmedabad the kite capital hosts the International Kite Flying Competition during Uttarayan. I’m yearning to experience Uttarayan in Gujarat. The first time I experienced it, I was pretty young. Only remember enjoying peas undhiyu, tal sankari and getting a neck pain as I kept on looking up at the sky to spot different colored kites!

Chocolate Sesame Fudge

Luckily, I’ll be in Nairobi with family during Makar Sankranti. I’ve prepared the usual tal sankari. However, thought of making something different for my grand niece and my uncle, both chocolate lovers like me. Proudly can say, the recipe turned out well as its a mixture of several recipes. If you want to use tahini, go ahead. Then you will not require the oil. As a matter of fact, I’ve used unsweetened cocoa and soft jaggery. Accordingly, adjust the jaggery to how sweet it is. Here, I’ve used organic dark brown jaggery.

Veganuary Month

Besides Celebrating Makar Sankranti, Foodies+ bloggers also decided to celebrate Veganuary with some interesting Vegan recipes. Click on the links and please check out the recipes:

Vegan Mapo Tofu – by LinsFood

Afghani Tamarind Potatoes – by Foodaholic

Vegan Cucumber Coriander Raita – by Preethi’s Cuisine

Mock Asian Hot Pot Soup – The Mad Scientists Kitchen

Tuvar and Capsicum Masala – Ever Green Dishes

Kale & Quinoa with Tahini – The Joyous Kitchen

Black Til Laddu – Indrani will teach

Ingredients required for Chocolate Sesame Fudge

• Sesame Seeds – have used white ones. Must roast the seeds in a wide pan over low heat till they begin to pop and you get the aroma of roasted sesame seeds.
• Jaggery – best to use the soft variety. Use either jaggery powder or grate it. I’ve given the amount in grams as its so much easier. But if you don’t have kitchen scales then the amount required is approx 3/4 -1 cup.
• Mixed Nuts Powder – I’ve used coarse powder of cashew nuts and almonds
• Water or Coconut Milk – require a small quantity and either works well.
• Oil – I’ve used olive oil You can use coconut oil too. Some is required to grind the sesame seeds. A little is required to grease the tray.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Cinnamon Powder – for flavoring
• Cardamom Powder – for flavoring

Dietary Tips:

• Vegan Friendly
• Gluten Free
• Suitable for vegetarian diet
• As jaggery is sweet, consume in moderation

A little request:

If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
•  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
• or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962