Makar Sankranti Special: Dryfruit ladoo and til chikki

Home chef Siddhi Panchal shares two sugar-free recipes. 

Dry fruit ladoo

Ingredients:

• 500 gm dates
• 1 tbsp clarified butter
• 4-5 finely chopped figs
• 200 gm finely chopped mix dry fruits

Method:

• Place and pan on the gas and heat it. Add clarified butter. On low flame, wait for it to melt.
• Add mixed dry fruits and on keep stirring for two minutes on a low-medium flame. Transfer the dry fruits to a plate and keep aside. 
• In the same pan, add ghee. Keep on low flame and add chopped figs and dates. Mix them well and roast for a minute. Add the roasted dry fruits and mix well. Roast for two minutes.
• The ladoo mixture is ready. You can turn off the flame. Empty the pan into a plate greased with ghee and let the mixture cool, before you start rolling the ladoos. 

Til chikki 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup jaggery, grated
• 1 tbsp ghee

Method:

• Heat the pan and add sesame seeds in it. On a medium flame roast sesame seeds till you hear the popup sound. Once it begins to pop up switch off the flame and remove it in a bowl or plate.
• Reheat the pan and add ghee. Once the ghee melts add grated jaggery. Mix well. Let the jaggery melt and do not overcook.
• Once the jaggery completely melts and gets a good consistency instantly add roasted sesame seeds in it and mix it well, stir continuously to infuse the ingredients together.
• Turn off the flame and transfer the content to a greased plate.
• Spread the mixture evenly and smooth the surface with spatula and cut in desired shape. Let it set for few minutes.