Hindustan Times
The wonders of tiramisu and tilpatti
I am not a fan of dessert. That’s an unpopular position, and it usually draws sighs of dissatisfaction from anyone I’ve cooked for. It’s not that I want to stop people from feeding their sweet tooth; it’s just that dessert isn’t a part of my life.
And don’t tell me “I don’t know what you’re missing”.
As you might guess, I am not overly fond of sweets. I don’t like most chocolates-Swiss or Mayan or whatever. I do like a bit of Cadbury milk choclate or some of that imported liquor choclate after some good meat or pork. I don’t like flans, soufflés, ice-cream and such distractions.
However, two years ago, I found I liked tiramisu. Now, I order it when I can. My next step is to learn how to make it. When I do, I will post my version.
I am writing this blog actually to ask if anyone knows about a second sweet that’s growing on me. It’s called Tilpatti, a finely crafted papad of sesame seeds and something sweet that holds it all together. I had never heard of it until my mother-in-law sent a packet for my wife (who’s been told that sesame seeds are excellent for the lack of calcium in her life).
I grudgingly tried a piece, and it’s quite brilliant. Sweet and light.
Take a look at the packet. Some nice pop art. Some tradition there (1938, impressive). And made in a small town deep in the heart of Rajputana. It’s all quite romantic.
But how is it made? Who makes it? What’s the story of Tilpatti? Anyone?
Oh, and if you don’t have an answer, a recipe for tiramisu will do.
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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That sweet is a specialty of Rajasthan - don’t know how it’s made but was told that you get it there - apparently from a town called Beawar
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert which is supposed to literally mean “pick me up”. here is a recipe though it is slightly rich….
500gm - Mascarpone cheese (you can use cream cheese if you want, the type you use for cheesecake)
1 egg for every 100gm of cheese (but some go with just 3 eggs)
120 gms - sugar (grind it well to a fine powder)
cocoa to sprinkle on top of the dish
LIQUID - 2 cups of coffee and alcohol = espresso coffee (cold not hot) - you can even use mocha, + alcohol - marsala wine is authentic but rum also will do, some go with brandy/cognac. (here again some go with just 1 cup - use your discretion)
Just like you do when baking a cake, always separate the egg white and yellow. The white of the egg beats very well without the yellow so beat the egg white till very stiff and firm.
In another dish, beat together the egg yolk and sugar - this should form a thickish cream. Then add half the coffee and rum. Mix well. After that, add the cheese. Mix it well. Then fold in the egg white. keep mixing with a sppon or ladel till creamy light with no lumps.
You have to layer the dish with ladyfinger biscuits but I don’t know where you get it - a dry sponge cake will do. Sprinkle lavishly with the balance cold coffee+rum mixture.
Now put the above creamy mixture on this.
You can do a double layering by putting the sponge cake on this and again the mixture on top.
You can sprinkle the top with cocoa at the end. and yes, give this a few hours to settle - do not eat it immediately, like trifle it needs time to soak in and settle..
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 25th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
thanks Larissa!
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Hi,
Tilpatti is made of sesame seeds and gud (or jaggery). There are two versions one is tilpatti where the sesame seeds are intact. There is a slightly different and tastier version where the sesame seeds and jaggery are beaten together to give rise to white soft flaky thing. This is called til gazak/gajak. The gajak from Aligarh and Meerut (both towns in UP) is very famous. But you can get some from old Delhi area too.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 25th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
now I know. very interesting…
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A dash of khoya and nuts make for Lucknavi variant. Infact the first fortnight of January (Makar Sankrant) sees a whole lot of Gajak variety. During daytime you can put a handful of Rewaris and roasted ground nuts in the pocket. Makes for a good in between meals munching. The north Indians some how tend to eat this in winters. Water Melons, Mangoes Citreous fruits are the best bet. Talking of the sweet tooth can never resist Lassi for breakfast. Will find some classic delights in the walled city !!
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I had no idea there were so many variants of tilpatti!
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Well, the tilpati from these guys is great. It is the first time I have seen a contact number on the label. If possible, can you please post that here. It is not legible and I just find the idea of ordering too good to resist.
Thanks,
Ruchi
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Hope we still have the packet. Will check Ruchi and post
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Ruchi Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Thanks. Will await your response, Samar.
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Besides its cousin ‘gazak’, Tilpatti seems to have a closer relative. It’s called ‘Tilkoot’, and is found aplenty in parts of Bihar, especially Gaya (the older but poorer twin-city of Bodh Gaya). Every time we went there to our relatives, we would carry back big packgets of the item to Delhi for all and sundry. And we got it fresh - made before our own eyes. When fresh, it had the consistency to melt in the mouth, but turned harder once it set, which was easier to handle (and eat!).
Reg. the addition of khoya (as in Lucknow), this tends to make it a bit heavier, though some people may like it better this way.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
so is it supposed to be eaten soft or hard? or both?
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Hi, peeked in between sorting my stuff out and enjoyed reading Larissa’s tiramisu recipe. Want to tell you about a cool dessert experience I had just last evening. Philippe, a friend and demon cook (his daal and his rich chocolate cake with a thick topping of toasted almonds are superlative) made creme brulee for a ta-ta dinner (for me!) at the house of our common friends.
He brought the basic dish over in a bag on his bike. It’s topped with caramelised sugar and popped in the freezer before dinner so by the time you’re ready for dessert the burnt sugar is frozen in a thin elegant goldenbrown crust on top. Guess what Philippe brought with him for that? A mini blowtorch! So you had this rich creamy pudding portioned out in individual bowls and Philippe sprinkled sugar on top of each one and proceeded to zap his blowtorch on each to burn the sugar. Cool, huh? Of course I wanted to do some too and it was such fun. Best creme brulee I ever ate, even in my greedy life!
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
wow!
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Hey
My mom is a Rajput, betcha didn’t know that
Til = sesame seeds. Patti = leaf. Tilpatti = a leaf of sesame seeds.
Here’s how to make it, in the vague way these recipes are conveyed:
You need lightly toasted white til:jaggery:water in a 2:2:1 proportion.
Put the jaggery in the water and simmer over low heat till it turns syrupy and really thick, then add the toasted sesame seeds. Add anywhere between 1 and 3 tbsp of ghee, and a pinch of ground cardamom powder.
Lightly grease a flat plate (she says silver, but I see no reason why stainless steel won’t do) with ghee, then pour the til-laden syrup onto the plate. Spread, then flatten as much as you can/want to. Wait till cool and brittle. Store in an airtight container.
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
very interesting…
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How come Sharda never sent it to me ?
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
July 31st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Heh heh. Ask her…
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@ Mr. H: Better question… how come Samar never shared his packet with you?
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Samar Halarnkar Reply:
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Cause Mr H is in the U.S. of A
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