Recipe: Oats Sesame Ladoos
Oats Sesame Ladoos are full of healthy nuts, seeds and dates. These ladoos are easy to make, delicious, gluten free, provides energy and come together within 20 minutes. Without any refines sugar, I have added jaggery powder for some earthy flavour and as I make them for Makar Sankranti. Skip jaggery if you want to.
I like to prepare these ladoos for Makar Sankranti for those who don’t want to have sweets loaded with sugar or jaggery. The recipe takes care of the traditional requirement of enjoying til and gud. I add little gud for that reason. However, you can omit it altogether. If you don’t want to add ghee, add extra dates as they will add as the binder.
Happy Makar Sankranti
“Til-gul ghya ani gud gud bola”, which translates to ‘eat sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words’.
Makar Sankranti is a festival that bonds all communities and encourages us to love all. Lohri, Pongal, Makar Sankranti are the only festivals in India which is based on the solar calendar and not the lunar one. That means it falls on 14th January every year and sometimes on 15th. This is another festival celebrated by all in India, just the names vary – pongal, lohri, uttarayan, makar sankranti, maghi, khichdi. Day and night are equally long on this day.
The tradition of eating sesame seeds and jaggery during winter is considered good for health and provides required warmth to the body. Some parts of India like Gujarat, kites are flown on this auspicious day.
Some Makar Sankranti Recipes You May Like
Memories
In the year 2015, during our community ladies meeting, I learned how to make a proper kite for the first time. When I was teaching in school, we usually just painted on manila sheets or newspapers and made fake kites. So much technique is involved in making a kite… its all about aerodynamics. It was a fun activity. My partner and I added all sorts of decorations to make the kite attractive not realizing that we just made it heavier! Oh well, as I say, there is no age limit to learning new things. Do I know how to fly a kite? Not at all! Had never even heard of this festival when I was growing up. Came to know about it when I went to a boarding school in Mt. Abu.
Kids And Oats
Many children do not like to have oats. I too intially was like that. I hated the gooey, cold porridge. But then I learned how to make it the way I like it, with spices, fruits, nuts, etc. Now it is a comforting meal for me especially when it is cold. My kids too didn’t care much about oats when they were growing up. So always had to find ways to add it to their favourite foods. Check out some what I use to make for them.
Ingredients Required For Oats Sesame Ladoos
Oats
Quick cooking rolled oats work well for this recipe. Dry roast the oats over medium to low heat in a pan till it becomes a bit crispy. Takes about 4-5 minutes. Stir all the time so the oats do not burn. Also you will get a pleasant oats aroma once they are roasted.
Dates
Best to use soft dates. It is difficult for the ladoo mixture to become a bit pasty if the dates are dry. If you don’t add jaggery, add 1-2 more dates. Remove the seeds.
Almonds
About 1 tbsp is required. Roast the almond for 3-4 minutes in a pan over low to medium heat. Alternately roast them in the microwave oven for 2 minutes.
Cashew Nuts
1 tbsp of cashew nuts. Roast for 2-3 minutes in a pan over low to medium heat. Alternately roast them in the microwave oven for 1-2 minutes.
Peanuts
Preferably without the skin and unsalted. Need about 2 tbsp. Roast them in a pan over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Alternately roast them in the microwave oven for 1-2 minutes.
Pistachios
Need about 1 tbsp. Roast them in a pan over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Alternately roast them in the microwave oven for 1-2 minutes.
Sesame Seeds
Need about ¼ cup sesame seeds. Roast them in a pan over low to medium heat till they begin to pop. This takes about 1-2 minutes. Can roast them in the microwave oven for 1 minute.
Pumpkin Seeds
1 tbsp is enough. Roast them in a pan over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Or roast them in the microwave oven for 1 minute.
Sunflower Seed or Melon Seeds
1 tbsp is enough. Roast them in a pan over low to medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Or roast them in the microwave oven for 1 minute.
Poppy Seeds
Optional. Roast them in a pan over low for 1 minute or till they begin to pop. In the microwave oven 30 seconds are enough.
Jaggery
Powdered jaggery or grated. I have used only 2 tbsp. Add more if you want to.
Cardamom Powder
Add according to your taste.
Ghee
I add about 1 tbsp ghee for the flavour and also because ghee is good for the bones. If you don’t want to add ghee then process the dates with the nuts and seeds without roasting it. Or you can use coconut oil or any oil of your choice. Vegans should not add ghee.
OATS SESAME LADOO
Ingredients
- ½ cup oats
- 12-14 dates soft and pitted
- 16 -18 almonds
- 10 -12 cashew nuts
- 20 pistachios
- ¼ peanuts shelled
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 1 tsp poppy seeds optional
- 2 tbsp jaggery powder/grated
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
- Heat a wide pan over medium heat till it becomes warm and not hot.
- Lower the heat.
- Roast the oats for 4-5 minutes or till it becomes a bit crispy.
- Roast almonds for about 1 minute.
- Add cashew nuts and roast for 1 minute.
- Add peanuts and pistachios. Roast for 1 minute. Keep stirring all the time.
- Add the roasted nuts to the roasted oats.
- Roast the pumpkin seeds for 1 minute.
- Add sunflower seeds and roast for 1 minute.
- Add sesame seeds. Keep roasting till they begin to pop. Also you will get a pleasant aroma.
- Add poppy seeds and roast for 30 seconds.
- Add the roasted seeds to the nuts and oats mixture.
- Heat ghee in the pan.
- Add the dates without the seeds.
- Roast till it almost becomes pasty.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Transfer everything to a food processor.
- Add jaggery powder. Add the cardamom powder.
- Process the mixture till it becomes a bit sticky.
- While it is still warm, take about a tablespoon and roll it into a ball by pressing the mixture in your hand and rolling it.
- Store the ladoos in an aitight container.
- Best to keep it in the fridge to maintain the freshness.
Notes
Make sure you process the mixture till it is sticky. Otherwise you will not be able to roll the ladoos.
If that happens add 1-2 more dates.
If the mixture becomes cold and you cannot roll it, warm it up a bit.
Can omit jaggery. Add 1-2 more dates.
Pin For Later
A Small 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