Tilkut also known as tilkutam, gajak, tilpatti, is a sweet made in the Indian states of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
.
Tilkut is especially made and eaten during Sakraat or "
Makar sankranti
Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sag ...
" festival. It is made of pounded 'til' or
sesame seeds
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus '' Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
(''Sesamum indicum'') and jaggery or sugar. The best tilkut is said to be from
Gaya and is native to
Magadh
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
region only. Reference to this dry sweet is found in the Buddhist literature as ''palala''.
Normally, three types of tilkuts are available — the refined sugar tilkut is white in colour, the ''shakkar'' tilkut is made of unrefined sugar and is light brown in colour and the ''gur'' tilkut is made of jaggery and is dark brown in colour. Each of these varieties has its own flavour. The circular shaped savoury is called tilkut and the smaller nut-sized ones are called tillouri.
Winter is the period when sugarcane is harvested. It is also when large quantities of tilkut are made in many towns and even villages. However, as the demand persists throughout the year, smaller quantities are made round the year.
Regions
Tilkut is Seasonal Dessert used in the Indian States of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
,
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
. During the time of December and January tilkut is sold widely in these regions and it is loved dessert for all ages. it is also related to ''grah'' and ''nakshatra dos''.
See also
*
Bihari cuisine
Bihari cuisine is eaten mainly in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, as well as in the places where people originating from the state of Bihar have settled: Jharkhand, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji ...
*
Cuisine of Jharkhand
*
List of sesame seed dishes
This is a list of notable sesame seed dishes and foods, which are prepared using sesame, sesame seed as a main ingredient. Sesame seed is a common ingredient in various cuisines, and is used whole in cooking for its rich, nutty flavor. It is also ...
Indian desserts
Bihari cuisine
Sesame dishes
References
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