One of the most required food items during the festival of Tihar in the western part of Nepal, especially Dang, Tilaura is a type of sweet made by mixing Til or the sesame seeds with peanuts (another essential ingredient in Tilaura). Mostly made in the western region of Nepal, Tilaura is one of the most essential food items in Tihar and the festival seems incomplete without it.

This easy to make dish is a ‘must’ while preparing the sagun to be given to the brothers during Bhai Tika. It is not only healthy with the presence of nutrients gained from dry fruits but also has high cultural values. This article mentions how you can make Tilaura in traditional way in your own kitchen.

Ingredients:

Til (sesame seeds), roasted peanuts, cashew, raisin, walnut (optional), sugar and ghee (clarified butter).

Procedure:

First of all, heat a pan and add sesame seeds (brown sesame seeds are preferable) to it. Roast the seeds until they start to crackle. Then, remove it from the heat. Now, in the same pan, heat some clarified butter. When it melts, add the sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, cashew, raisin, walnut and sugar to it and stir fry it for few minutes. When the dry fruits are slightly roasted, remove it from the heat. Do not let the sugar melt in the mixture. Your Tilauri is ready to be served.

This dish is known as ghaji in Lumbini district as it uses the inside of the walnut, known as ghaji in local language. The only difference between Tilaura and Ghaji is the use of peanut in the former and ghaji in the latter.