Tilkut Recipe (Pounded Sesame and Jaggery Sweet from Bihar)

Quick answer: Tilkut is a flat, crumbly disc of pounded sesame (til) with jaggery or sugar. It is the sweet of Makar Sankranti in Bihar and is closely linked with the city of Gaya. At home you can make it without a pounding setup in about 45 minutes, using a food processor or a short jaggery syrup.

Kitchen note: This recipe is not yet kitchen-tested by a HinduTone cook. The quantities and timings follow common home methods; judge doneness by look and texture, and adjust for your stove and ingredients.

What is tilkut and why is it linked with Gaya?

The name joins til (sesame) and kut (pounded). Bihar Tourism describes tilkut as a disc-shaped sweet made of pounded sesame seeds and sugar or jaggery, and says the Sankranti custom is to serve it with dahi chura. The Government of Bihar's state portal lists tilkut, tilwa and lai among the sesame sweets of Makar Sankranti.

Gaya is the town most people name for tilkut. Patna Press reported in January 2025 that customers queue for hours at the tilkut shops on Gaya's Ramna Road and Tikari Road as Sankranti approaches, and that pilgrims carry tilkut home from the city. In September 2022 a Gaya-based association of sweet makers, the Bihar Rajya Mishthan Bhojan Vikreta Sangh, applied to India's Geographical Indications Registry to register "Gaya Tilkut". As of 12 November 2026 the registry lists the application as under examination, with no registration certificate. So Gaya tilkut has applied for a GI tag but has not been granted one; check the registry for the current status.

The same report describes the shop method: sesame and sugar or jaggery are cooked over a slow fire and then pounded by hand, which is slow, skilled work and gives tilkut its fine, flaky bite. A home kitchen cannot copy that exactly. The two methods below get close.

Ingredients

Tilkut is made with either jaggery or sugar. Jaggery gives a brown, caramel disc; sugar gives a pale one. For method A use a soft, crumbly jaggery that you can powder; for method B any jaggery works.

Step 1: toast the sesame (both methods)

1. Pick over the sesame for small stones. Rinse only if it is dusty, then dry it completely on a cloth.
2. Toast in a heavy, dry pan on low to medium heat, stirring all the time, for 5 to 7 minutes. The seeds will start to pop, smell nutty and turn a shade darker.
3. Tip them onto a plate at once. Sesame keeps cooking in a hot pan and turns bitter if it browns.
4. Let them cool completely.

Method A: pounded style in a food processor (no syrup)

This is closest to the crumbly texture of shop tilkut.

1. Powder the jaggery finely. A dry grinder jar is easiest.
2. Put the cooled sesame in the food processor or a large grinder jar. Pulse in short bursts, 2 to 3 seconds each, until about half the seeds are broken.
3. Add the jaggery powder and cardamom. Pulse again in short bursts, scraping down, until the mixture clumps when you press it. Stop before it turns to paste: sesame releases oil quickly and becomes butter.
4. Grease a flat-bottomed steel cup or a small bowl with a little ghee.
5. Take 2 tablespoons of the mixture, place it on a greased plate or a sheet of baking paper, and press it firmly with the cup into a disc about 6 cm (2 1/2 inches) across and 1 cm thick.
6. Lift it with a thin spatula and let the discs firm up for an hour.

If you have a large stone mortar, you can pound the sesame and jaggery together by hand instead. It takes longer and gives the most traditional texture.

Method B: quick syrup style (crisper)

1. Melt the jaggery with the water in a heavy pan on low heat, stirring until smooth. Strain it if your jaggery has grit.
2. Simmer on low to medium heat, stirring, for 6 to 10 minutes as the syrup thickens and darkens.
3. Water test: drop a little syrup into a bowl of cold water. When it is ready, it sets at once into a firm thread or lump that snaps cleanly when you bend it. If it bends like toffee, cook for another minute and test again.
4. Take the pan off the heat, add the cardamom, then the sesame (coarsely pulsed or whole), and stir fast to coat.
5. Turn it onto a greased plate. Let it cool for a minute or two until you can handle it, then grease your palms and shape quickly into small balls.
6. Flatten each ball into a disc with a greased cup. Work fast: the mixture hardens as it cools. If it sets too soon, warm the plate over the pan for a few seconds.

Safety: jaggery syrup is far hotter than boiling water and sticks to skin. Keep children away from the pan, use a long spoon, and test the heat of the mixture with a spoon before you touch it.

There is no pressure cooker, Instant Pot or rice cooker version: tilkut needs a dry toast and, for method B, an open pan.

Naivedyam notes

The Government of Bihar describes households beginning Makar Sankranti by putting sesame into the fire. Many families keep a few tilkut aside as an offering before sharing them; customs vary. Use a clean pan and dish if you are offering it, and follow your family practice or ask your priest.

Substitutions abroad

Black sesame also works, though tilkut is usually made with white. Unhulled sesame is chewier and slightly bitter.

Vegan option

Tilkut is vegan if you grease with a neutral oil instead of ghee.

Common mistakes

• Over-toasted sesame: bitter. Take it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty.
• Over-processing: you end up with sesame butter. Pulse, do not run the motor.
• Under-cooked syrup: the discs stay sticky. Use the water test.
• Over-cooked syrup: it tastes burnt and sets before you can shape it.
• Damp sesame: wet seeds spatter and do not crisp. Dry them fully.

Storage

Store in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place. Home tilkut is usually eaten within one to two weeks; humidity makes it soft. In hot, humid climates keep it in the fridge in a sealed box.

Allergens

Contains sesame, which is a major food allergen in the USA, the UK and Canada and is labelled in Australia. Contains milk if greased with ghee. If you add nuts, tell your guests. Bought tilkut may be made in kitchens that also handle nuts and milk, so check the label or ask the shop.

Frequently asked questions

Does Gaya tilkut have a GI tag?

Not yet, as far as the official registry shows. An application for "Gaya Tilkut" filed in September 2022 was listed as under examination when we checked on 12 November 2026. Check the Geographical Indications Registry for later updates.

Can I make tilkut with sugar?

Yes. Bihar Tourism describes tilkut as made with sugar or jaggery. For method A use powdered sugar; for method B make a sugar syrup and use the same water test.

Why does my tilkut fall apart?

The mixture was not pressed hard enough or the sesame was ground too coarse. Pulse a little longer and press firmly. For method B, the syrup may have been under-cooked.

What is the difference between tilkut and til ladoo?

Til ladoo is usually whole sesame bound in jaggery syrup and rolled into balls. Tilkut is pounded so the sesame breaks down, then pressed into flat, crumbly discs.

When is tilkut eaten?

On Makar Sankranti, with dahi chura, and through the cold weeks around it. In 2027 Makar Sankranti is 15 January in India per the panchang; some government lists mark 14 January.

Can people with a sesame allergy eat tilkut?

No. Sesame is the main ingredient, and there is no safe swap that keeps the dish.

Sources

• Bihar Tourism (Government of Bihar), "Dahi Chuda" (describes tilkut and the Sankranti custom): https://tourism.bihar.gov.in/en/experiences/food-and-cuisine/main-course/dahi-chuda (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Government of Bihar, state portal, "Fairs and Festivals" (Makar Sankranti entry): https://betastate.bihar.gov.in/fairs.aspx (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Patna Press, "Gaya's Tilkut: A Sweet Taste of Tradition Draws Crowds This Makar Sankranti", 14 January 2025: https://patnapress.com/gayas-tilkut-a-sweet-taste-of-tradition-draws-crowds-this-makar-sankranti/ (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Geographical Indications Registry, Government of India, application 987 "Gaya Tilkut (Sweet)", status "Examination": https://search.ipindia.gov.in/GIRPublicSearch/Application/Details/987 (accessed 12 November 2026)
• US Food and Drug Administration, "Food Allergies" (sesame as a major allergen): https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies (accessed 12 November 2026)
• Food Standards Agency (UK), "Food allergy and intolerance advice for consumers": https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-allergy-and-intolerance-advice-for-consumers (accessed 12 November 2026)

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.

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