Description

Til Mawa Gajak” is a traditional North Indian winter sweet confection made primarily from sesame seeds (til), milk solids (mawa or khoya), and jaggery (gur) or sugar. It is a dry, nutrient-dense delicacy cherished for its warmth-inducing properties during the cold season. 

Key Characteristics
Ingredients: The core ingredients are sesame seeds (white or black), jaggery (raw sugar syrup) or regular sugar, and mawa (a soft, grainy textured milk-based ingredient). Optional additions include cardamom powder and nuts like almonds, pistachios, or peanuts.
Texture and Form: The texture can vary. It is often a soft, chewy roll or bar (sometimes called til mawa roll or mawa patti) where the mawa provides a creamy richness. Other variations are more brittle and crunchy, similar to a chikki or til papdi.
Flavor: It features a prominent nutty flavor from the roasted sesame seeds, combined with the caramelized sweetness of jaggery and the rich, milky taste of mawa.
Cultural Significance: Gajak is particularly popular in winter and is widely consumed during festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Lohri, where the combination of til and gur is considered both traditional and healthy.
Preparation: The process typically involves dry-roasting the sesame seeds, preparing a jaggery or sugar syrup, mixing in the mawa and seeds, and then setting the mixture into desired shapes, such as flat squares, rolls, or balls (laddus).