Ellunda | Til-Gud Laddu | Sweet Sesame Balls

Sweet sesame balls or Ellunda is a popular snack in India.I used to munch loads of these in childhood days and now my kids love these too.These guilt free snack makes a great choice for kids snacks.The best part is that sesame seed contains many essential health benefiting minerals,anti oxidants and vitamins.Though they come in different colors-white ,yellow ,balck and red but I have seen only black and the white ones.I have used white here as I like its flavor more than the black ones but you can always use black ones to make these balls.It hardly requires any preparations ahead but the secret lies in getting the correct consistency of jaggery.Do give this healthy snack if you like it !!

Ingredients
sesame seeds 3 cups 
jaggery 2 large balls or 5-6 small cubes
water 1 cup
cardamom powder 1 tsp
salt a pinch

Method

• Roast sesame seeds until it starts to pop over medium heat.It may take 5 minutes. 
• Heat a pan,add jaggery and water.Make  a syrup consistency,switch off flame.Strain the impurities.
• Then,re boil the jaggery syrup,cardamom powder and pinch of salt on medium heat.When the syrup reaches the soft crack stage(read notes below),switch off flame.Remove the pan from heat and toss in the roasted sesame seeds.
• Mix it well,leave aside until its warm to touch or can bear the heat in palms.Now scoop out small balls of mixture and shape in balls.If its sticky use a little oil or ghee to grease your hands and then shape.If the jaggery becomes too dry,then reheat the mixture on very low flame just to warm up and repeat making balls with rest of the mixture.Place the balls on a plate and wait to cool.
• Serve just like that or store in ziploc bags after cooling.

Servings~ 30 sesame balls

NOTES
*The staging is as follows-The one thread (230 degrees F)consistency is a familiar one with all;in which sugar forms one thread when pressed between thumb and index finger.After the one thread comsistency,keep stirring the jaggery to avoid burning at the bottom and keep flame on medium heat.Then is the second and third stage where there are two and three threads formation respectively when pressed between the fingers.After this is the soft ball stage,when a drop of sugar/jaggery put in cold water becomes a soft pliable ball.Then comes the hard ball stage,dripping a drop of sugar/jaggery in cold water forms a hard ball.(260 degrees F)Keep stirring to get the next final stage or soft crack stage(270 degrees F)-a drop of syrup in cold water becomes pliable non brittle thread when pulled.(At this stage the bubble formed are less)Any temperature below the soft crack stage will give you a chewy mittai and not the hard ones.It takes 45 seconds -1minute to attain the soft crack stage after the hard ball,so keep a watch closely.
(P.S.I didn't have a helping hand to click pics,so couldn't click the staging)

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