Makar Sankranti Special: Til Recipes Made with Cold Pressed Sesame Oil

Makar Sankranti is the one festival where sesame — til — takes centre stage. Across India, the same seed appears in dozens of forms: til chikki in Maharashtra, til laddoo in Rajasthan, ellu bella in Karnataka, til pitha in Assam, khichdi with til in UP and Bihar. The festival marks the sun's transition into Capricorn, the end of winter's peak, and the beginning of longer days.

Sesame has been associated with this transition for thousands of years in Indian tradition — Ayurveda considers til to be warming, nourishing, and particularly beneficial in winter. Modern nutrition confirms this: sesame seeds are rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, and lignans that support bone health and hormonal balance.

Cold pressed sesame oil — extracted from the same seeds without heat or chemicals — carries these benefits in concentrated form. Here are 6 traditional Makar Sankranti recipes, each made better with cold pressed til ka tel.

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1. Til Chikki (Sesame Brittle)

The most iconic Sankranti sweet. Crisp, golden, and deeply satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sesame seeds (til)
• ¾ cup jaggery (gur), grated
• 1 tsp cold pressed sesame oil (for greasing)
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds in a heavy pan on medium heat until golden and fragrant (3–4 minutes). Set aside.
2. In the same pan, melt jaggery on low heat without adding water. Stir continuously until it reaches soft ball stage — drop a small amount in cold water; it should form a soft ball.
3. Add roasted sesame seeds and cardamom. Mix quickly.
4. Pour onto a surface greased with cold pressed sesame oil. Flatten with a greased rolling pin to about 5mm thickness.
5. Cut into rectangles or diamonds while still warm. Allow to cool completely before breaking apart.

Why cold pressed sesame oil for greasing: The nutty flavour of cold pressed sesame oil adds a subtle depth to the chikki that refined oil cannot. It also prevents sticking without leaving any off-flavour.

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2. Til Laddoo

Softer and more yielding than chikki, til laddoo is the Rajasthani and UP version of the Sankranti sweet.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sesame seeds
• ½ cup jaggery, grated
• 2 tbsp cold pressed sesame oil
• ¼ tsp ginger powder (saunth)
• Pinch of black pepper

Method:

1. Dry roast sesame seeds until light golden. Cool completely.
2. Pulse in a mixer for 5 seconds — just enough to break some seeds, not to make a paste.
3. Melt jaggery with sesame oil on low heat. Add ginger powder and black pepper.
4. Remove from heat. Add sesame seeds and mix well.
5. While still warm, shape into laddoos. If the mixture is too dry, add a few drops more sesame oil.

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3. Ellu Sadam (South Indian Sesame Rice)

Tamil Nadu's Sankranti offering — fragrant, nutty rice that's eaten as prasad and as a meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked rice (slightly warm)
• 3 tbsp cold pressed sesame oil
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, roasted
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds, roasted
• 10–12 curry leaves
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp urad dal
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat cold pressed sesame oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
2. Add urad dal, dried red chillies, and curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add the roasted sesame seeds and mix.
4. Pour this tempering over the warm rice. Add salt and mix gently.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Cold pressed sesame oil is essential here — refined sesame oil lacks the nutty depth that makes ellu sadam distinctive.

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4. Til Ki Khichdi (Sesame Khichdi)

The UP and Bihar Sankranti tradition — a simple, warming khichdi made special with sesame.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• ½ cup moong dal (yellow)
• 3 tbsp cold pressed sesame oil
• 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 green chillies, slit
• Salt and turmeric to taste
• 4 cups water

Method:

1. Wash rice and dal together. Soak for 20 minutes.
2. Heat cold pressed sesame oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds.
3. Add ginger and green chillies. Sauté for 30 seconds.
4. Add sesame seeds and toast for 1 minute.
5. Add drained rice and dal. Mix well.
6. Add water, salt, and turmeric. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
7. Serve with a drizzle of cold pressed sesame oil on top.

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5. Til Pitha (Assamese Sesame Rice Pancakes)

Assam's Bihu (which coincides with Sankranti) is incomplete without til pitha — soft rice flour pancakes filled with sesame and jaggery.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice flour
• ½ cup black sesame seeds, roasted and coarsely ground
• ¼ cup jaggery, grated
• 1 tsp cold pressed sesame oil
• Warm water as needed

Method:

1. Mix rice flour with enough warm water to make a thin, pourable batter.
2. Mix ground sesame with jaggery for the filling.
3. Heat a non-stick pan. Brush with cold pressed sesame oil.
4. Pour a thin layer of batter. Place a spoonful of sesame-jaggery filling in the centre.
5. Fold the pancake over the filling and press gently.
6. Cook on low heat until both sides are golden.

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6. Til Gajak (Sesame and Jaggery Slab)

Harder and crunchier than chikki, gajak is the Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan version — made with a longer cooking time that caramelises the jaggery more deeply.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sesame seeds
• 1 cup jaggery
• 1 tsp cold pressed sesame oil
• ¼ tsp cardamom

Method:

1. Roast sesame seeds until deep golden (slightly darker than for chikki).
2. Cook jaggery on medium heat until it reaches hard crack stage — a drop in cold water should shatter, not bend.
3. Add sesame seeds and cardamom. Mix quickly.
4. Pour onto a greased marble or steel surface. Roll thin (3mm).
5. Cut into strips while warm. Cool completely before storing.

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The Significance of Sesame in Sankranti

The tradition of eating sesame at Makar Sankranti is not arbitrary. Winter in North India depletes the body's warmth and energy. Sesame seeds are rich in:

• Calcium (975mg per 100g — higher than milk)
• Magnesium (351mg per 100g — supports muscle and nerve function)
• Sesamin and sesamolin — lignans that support hormonal balance and reduce inflammation
• Healthy fats — primarily MUFA and PUFA that provide sustained energy

Cold pressed sesame oil concentrates these benefits. Using it in Sankranti cooking — whether for greasing, tempering, or finishing — is both traditional and nutritionally sound.

Til Sankranti. Punya Kaal. Makar Sankranti ki shubhkamnayein.

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Dune Aura cold pressed sesame oil is available from ₹300 for 500ml. Extracted at below 45°C to preserve the full nutritional profile of the sesame seed.

Order Cold Pressed Sesame Oil for Makar Sankranti

Dune Aura delivers cold pressed til ka tel to all major cities — order before 12 January for guaranteed Sankranti delivery:

• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Jaipur — Rajasthan's til heartland
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Kanpur
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Patna
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Kolkata
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Mumbai
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Hyderabad
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil in Chennai
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil — Gurugram Hub
• Cold Pressed Sesame Oil — Delhi NCR Hub

Frequently Asked Questions

Which sesame oil is best for Makar Sankranti til ke laddoo? Cold pressed (kachi ghani) sesame oil is the traditional choice. Its rich nutty aroma enhances the flavour of laddoo, chikki, and papdi. Refined sesame oil is pale and odourless — it will not give the authentic taste.

Can I use cold pressed sesame oil for til chikki? Yes. Cold pressed sesame oil is used to grease the surface when setting chikki and in some traditional recipes as a binding agent. The oil's nutty aroma complements the jaggery and sesame seeds.

Is cold pressed sesame oil the same as gingelly oil? Yes — sesame oil, gingelly oil, til ka tel, and nalla ennai all refer to the same oil. Cold pressed versions retain the full flavour and nutritional profile that refined sesame oil lacks.