Do you, like me, also eagerly await the winters for its cooler temperatures and delicious produce? Many Indian homes gather in the warmth to churn out heirloom recipes like panjiri, halwa, pinni etc, to pay homage to winter’s harvest - packed with essential nutrients and goodness.

Mine was no different and come December, my masi (mother’s sister) placed herself at the helm of the kitchen to bring out her kadai and craft her famed til ladoos. Unlike the many kinds of til gajjaks and rewdis ubiquitous in the market, Chitra masi’s ladoos were a league apart. They were made from the lesser popular, harder to find, but nuttier and more nutritious toasted black sesame combined with raw jaggery and churned peanuts - a combination that temporarily transported you to dessert heaven. Years later, when studying in the deathly, cold winters of Chicago and desperately missing home, I sat with a steel casserole devouring the mountain of these ladoos with tears.

Nostalgia has a beautiful way to manifest itself when it comes to food and traditions. So much so that any attempt to savour the same nuttiness never let me shy away to sample black sesame ice creams, mochis, etc. This year for Lohri and Sankrant, I wanted to bring to life a version of her recipe to share the same comfort and joy it has given me over the years. Vegan white chocolate (made with cashews and pure, cocoa butter) is caramelised to perfection to lend the same depth as jaggery before folding it in with toasted black sesame and a hint of salt. This layered goodness is combined with almonds as a modern reinterpretation with its roots in happy memories. 

You can now relish the Caramel and Black Sesame Almond Dragées here.