There is always a leftover half-cup of white sesame after I make til gud ladoo. It used to sit until it smelled stale. Now it becomes a small katori of sesame chutney we eat with bajra rotlo and leftover rice, the same way a South Indian house puts nuvvula chutney on the table.
This sesame chutney is til chutney, also called til ki chutney: dry-roasted sesame seeds, dry red chillies, one garlic clove, tamarind, jaggery, and roasted cumin. It is not sesame lime dressing. That one is a salad pour. This one is a coarse, nutty grind you eat with bread or rice.
Come make it with me. A half cup of seeds is enough for the week. It is vegan and gluten-free.
What is sesame chutney?
Sesame chutney, til chutney, and nuvvula chutney are the same idea: roasted sesame ground with chilli and a sweet-sour note. You see it in Andhra and Telangana homes with rice, and in some Maharashtrian kitchens as a dry-ish til thecha cousin. I keep this sesame seed chutney wet enough to spoon. Skip the water if you want a dry powder for rice.
It sits next to wet garlic chutney on rotlo nights. Sesame is quieter than peanut. The jaggery and tamarind keep it from tasting like tahini with chilli dumped in. The finished grind is russet from the dry red chillies, not pale beige.
Why you must cool the seeds
Hot sesame seeds release oil in the blender and turn bitter-pasty. I learned that by grinding them straight off the tawa. The jar looked shiny and the chutney tasted like burnt oil. Cool 5 to 10 minutes on a plate, spread out. Then grind.
The roast cue is a few seeds popping and a toasty smell. They should stay cream-colored. Brown sesame is already too far. Extra jaggery will not save a burnt roast.
Why you’ll love this
- Tiny batch: 1/2 cup seeds
- Ready in about 10 minutes
- Vegan and gluten-free
- Uses leftover til from sweets
- Keeps a week in the fridge
- Works with rice, roti, and millet rotlo
Sesame brings calcium and fat to a vegetarian plate. That matters on rotlo nights when the bread is the main event and the side has to carry flavor.
Test note: I dry-roasted 1/2 cup white sesame on medium 3 minutes, until 8 or 10 seeds popped and the rest smelled nutty. Cooled 8 minutes. Ground with 2 dry red chillies, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp, 1/2 teaspoon jaggery, 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then 3 tablespoons water. The batch I roasted 5 minutes went beige-brown and bitter. A pinch more jaggery did not save it. I started the roast over.
Perfect for
- Bajra rotlo with ghee
- Steamed rice and a dal
- A second katori next to mint chutney or date tamarind chutney
- Leftover methi thepla when garlic chutney is already open
White vs black sesame
White sesame is the default. The seeds stay cream when roasted and taste sweeter.
Black sesame makes a darker, more bitter chutney. If you use it, drop the roast time by 30 seconds and add an extra pinch of jaggery.
Do not use sesame oil in the grind. You want seeds, not a slick.
Sesame Chutney (Til / Nuvvula Chutney)
Equipment
- Kadhai or skillet
- Blender or small mixer jar
Ingredients
For the chutney
- 1/2 cup white sesame seeds
- 2 dry red chillies stalks removed
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons water plus more as needed
Instructions
Roast and cool
- Dry roast the sesame seeds on medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until a few seeds pop and they smell nutty. They should stay light. Tip onto a plate to cool 5 to 10 minutes.
- In the same pan, toast the dry red chillies 20 to 30 seconds until they darken slightly. Cool.
Grind
- Add cooled sesame, chillies, garlic, tamarind, jaggery, roasted cumin, and salt to the blender. Pulse to a coarse powder.
- Add 2 tablespoons water. Blend to a thick paste. Add the last tablespoon, or more by the teaspoon, until it is spoonable. Taste for salt and jaggery.
Notes
Tips from the tawa
Stay at the stove. Sesame goes from pale to bitter in the time you answer a text. I use a light-colored pan so I can see the color.
Grind in a dry jar first, then add water. A wet jar from coconut chutney will seize the seeds into a paste before they break.
One garlic clove is enough for 1/2 cup seeds. Two cloves take over and you lose the til.
Variations and swaps
- No garlic: skip it. Add a pinch of hing if you want a savory note.
- Milder: 1 dry red chilli.
- Dry til chutney: skip the water and keep it a coarse powder to sprinkle on rice. Store it extra dry.
- Peanut-sesame: 1/4 cup peanuts + 1/4 cup sesame. Closer to a mixed-seed chutney.
FAQs
Q1. What is the difference between sesame chutney and til chutney?
None. Til is sesame. Til ki chutney is the Hindi name. Nuvvula is the Telugu name.
Q2. Why is my sesame chutney bitter?
The seeds roasted too long, or you ground them hot. Roast only until they pop and smell nutty. Cool on a plate.
Q3. Can I use tahini instead of sesame seeds?
I would not for this recipe. Tahini is already oily and the texture goes pasty. Roast whole seeds.
Q4. Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. It keeps a week. Stir and loosen before serving.
Q5. Is sesame chutney vegan and gluten-free?
Yes, as written.
Q6. What do I serve til chutney with?
Rice, roti, bajra rotlo, and thepla. It is quieter than peanut chutney, so I like it when the rest of the plate is already loud.
Use the leftover til
This sesame chutney recipe is the small russet bowl that emptied the sesame jar I kept forgetting. The seeds should stay pale on the tawa. The paste should taste nutty, then sour, then a little sweet.
If you try it, tell me: rotlo, rice, or a thepla night?
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
