Black sesame seeds roasted and cooked with jaggery and ghee into a dark, intensely flavoured halwa — a winter medicinal sweet of Uttarakhand prized for its warmth and nutrition.
Ingredients
1 cup black sesame seeds (kaale til)
1/2 cup jaggery — grated and dissolved in 1 cup warm water
3 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp cashews — fried in 1 tsp ghee until golden
Method
Dry-roast black sesame seeds in a heavy pan on medium-low heat, stirring continuously, for 5 to 6 minutes until they pop and smell nutty.
Black sesame is hard to judge by colour alone — they are ready when they pop frequently and smell roasted. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
Grind half the roasted sesame to a coarse powder in a blender.
Leave the remaining half whole. This combination of ground and whole gives the halwa a more interesting texture and appearance.
Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan. Add the ground sesame powder and whole sesame seeds together.
Stir on medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add jaggery water carefully — it will spatter.
Stir continuously on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
Add cardamom powder. Stir. Add fried cashews.
Test: the halwa should hold its shape when pressed on a plate.
It will be very dark — almost black. Serve warm in small portions. This is a powerfully flavoured, nutrient-dense preparation where a small serving is sufficient.