Sesame Seeds and Til Oil: Winter Sweets, Massage and Oil Pulling
Til seeds jump in a dry pan like tiny popping corn, and that sound is the sign that winter cooking has started. Sesame is also one of the most common food allergens in the world, so it deserves a careful read.
At a glance
- Traditionally used for: winter sweets made with jaggery, tahini and halva, warm oil massage before a bath, and oil pulling in the morning.
- Typical amount: 1 to 2 tablespoons of seeds a day, about 9 to 18 g, as part of food.
- Buying tip: buy seeds whole and unhulled where you can, in small quantities, and smell them. Sesame turns rancid faster than people expect.
- Go easy if: anyone in the house has a sesame allergy, which is common and can be severe.
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Seed, hull and oil
Sesame is one of the oldest cultivated oilseeds there is, grown across India, Pakistan, Sudan, Myanmar and the Middle East. The pods split when ripe, which is where the open sesame line comes from, and the small flat seeds inside come in white, brown, red and black depending on variety.
The hull matters more than people realise. Unhulled seeds keep their tan or brown skin, taste more bitter and mineral, and hold more calcium and fibre. Hulled seeds are pale, creamy white, sweeter, and are what most tahini and most bakery topping is made from. Black til is a separate variety, stronger and slightly bitter, used in Chinese and Japanese cooking and in some Indian sweets. For everyday cooking, keep hulled white seeds for toppings and sweets and unhulled for anything where you want the deeper flavour.
Til oil, and the confusion around it
Two very different oils are both sold as sesame oil. Cold pressed or wood pressed (kachi ghani) sesame oil is pale gold, mild, and is the oil used across South India for cooking and across the region for body massage. Toasted sesame oil is dark brown, made from roasted seeds, intensely nutty, and is a finishing oil for East Asian dishes. Using the toasted one for a massage would be a memorable mistake.
Sesame oil is naturally quite stable for a seed oil, which is one reason it has been used for thousands of years in hot climates. Buy it in dark glass or tin, in the smallest bottle you will get through in three months, and look for cold pressed or wood pressed on the label with a pressing date. Refined sesame oil sold in a clear plastic bottle with no date is a cooking fat and nothing more.
Storage, and the rancidity problem
Sesame is high in unsaturated fat, and unsaturated fat goes off. This is the single most common reason sesame dishes taste wrong, and most people do not recognise the flavour, they just decide they do not like til.
Keep seeds in a sealed glass jar in the fridge, where they hold for about six months, or the freezer for a year. In a warm kitchen cupboard, count on two to three months at best. Before you use them, smell the jar. Fresh sesame smells faintly sweet and nutty. Rancid sesame smells like old paint or crayons, and once you have smelled it you will never miss it again. Tahini and sesame oil go the same way. Oil lives in a cool dark cupboard, tightly capped, and in a hot climate the fridge is better even though it may cloud.
Sesame oil is the classic base oil of Ayurvedic abhyanga, the warm self massage done before bathing, particularly in the cold months, and til is described in those texts as warming and grounding. In Unani practice roghan e kunjad (sesame oil) appears in preparations applied to the scalp and joints. Oil pulling, or kavala, is described in old Ayurvedic writing as part of a morning routine of mouth care. All of this is tradition, and long practice is a reason to find something interesting, not proof that it does anything specific.
The til and gur tradition
In January, around Makar Sankranti and Lohri, sesame and jaggery come together across northern India, Pakistan and Nepal. Til gul in Maharashtra, til ke laddu in the north, tilkut in Bihar, chikki everywhere. The reasoning offered is that both are warming foods for the coldest weeks. The custom in Maharashtra is to hand someone a piece and say a line that means take this sweet and speak sweetly, which is a better argument for the practice than any nutrition claim.
Til and gur laddu, properly measured
Makes about 12 laddus, roughly 20 g each.
- Dry roast 150 g of white sesame seeds in a heavy pan over low to medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 7 minutes. They will start to jump and turn a pale gold and smell nutty. Take them off before they brown properly, because sesame goes from golden to bitter very quickly. Tip onto a plate to cool.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons of the roasted seeds whole. Pulse the rest in a grinder for 4 to 5 short bursts so they break up but do not turn into paste.
- Grate or finely chop 120 g of jaggery. Put it in the same pan with 1 tablespoon (15 g) of ghee over low heat.
- Stir until it melts and bubbles, about 3 to 4 minutes. Test a drop in cold water: when it forms a soft ball you can roll between finger and thumb, it is ready. Do not take it to the hard crack stage or the laddus will not shape.
- Turn off the heat. Add the ground and whole seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder and a tablespoon of chopped almonds if you like. Stir hard for 20 seconds until evenly coated.
- Wait 60 to 90 seconds until you can just bear to touch it. Grease your palms with a little ghee and roll walnut sized balls, pressing firmly. Work fast, because the mixture stiffens as it cools. If it hardens in the pan, warm it gently for 20 seconds.
- Cool completely on a plate, then store in an airtight jar. They keep two to three weeks at room temperature.
One laddu is about 20 g and carries roughly 8 g of sugar. One or two with afternoon tea in January is the tradition. Six in one sitting is not.
If your sesame smells like crayons, it is not an acquired taste. It is rancid.
How much sesame, and how
As food, one to two tablespoons of seeds a day, 9 to 18 g, is a comfortable amount. Sprinkled on salad, stirred into raita, rolled onto roti dough, baked onto bread, or eaten as tahini. Whole sesame seeds pass through largely undigested if they are not chewed thoroughly, so grinding or crushing them lightly gets more out of them. Tahini is simply ground hulled sesame and a tablespoon, about 15 g, is a generous serving.
Oil pulling, done properly
This is a morning mouth care routine from Ayurvedic tradition. What is fair to say is that swishing oil dislodges debris and leaves the mouth feeling clean, and that plenty of people find it pleasant. It does not replace brushing, it does not replace a dentist, and it does not remove anything from the rest of your body.
- Do it first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking.
- Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of cold pressed, untoasted sesame oil into the mouth. Start with 2 teaspoons if a full tablespoon feels like too much.
- Swish gently and steadily for 10 to 15 minutes. Push it between the teeth. Do not gargle and do not tilt your head back, because swallowing it is the main thing to avoid.
- If your jaw aches, stop at 5 minutes and build up over a week. This is meant to be relaxed, not a workout.
- Spit into a bin or a tissue, never the sink, because oil sets in the drain. The oil should look thin and milky white.
- Rinse the mouth with warm water, then brush your teeth as normal. Every day or a few times a week is plenty.
Sesame oil on the skin and hair
Warm massage with sesame oil before a bath is a genuine and pleasant tradition, especially in winter. Warm about 30 ml by standing the bottle or a small bowl in hot water for a few minutes until it is comfortably warm, never hot. Work it over the body with long strokes on the limbs and circles on the joints, leave it 15 to 20 minutes, then bathe with warm water. It leaves the skin soft, and it is a good half hour of quiet.
Patch test first. A few drops on the inside of the forearm, left for 24 hours, checking for redness or itching before you use it more widely. Anyone with a sesame allergy should avoid it on skin as well as in food. Keep it away from acne prone areas of the face if you find it heavy, and never use toasted sesame oil on skin.
| What gets repeated | What is actually true |
|---|---|
| “Til is a warming food for winter.” | It is a traditional winter food across the region and a calorie dense one. The warming description belongs to a traditional framework, not to measurable body temperature. |
| “Sesame is a great source of calcium.” | Unhulled sesame does contain notable calcium, though much of it is in the hull and absorption is limited. It contributes to the diet. It is not a substitute for advice on bone health. |
| “Oil pulling pulls toxins out of the body.” | It cleans the mouth and feels pleasant. Nothing is drawn out of the body, and it is an addition to brushing rather than a replacement. |
| “Sesame oil is good for the skin.” | It is a pleasant, traditional massage oil that softens skin. Patch test first, and remember sesame is a common allergen on skin as well as in food. |
| “Til laddu is a healthy sweet.” | It has seeds and jaggery rather than refined flour and white sugar, which is a better recipe. It is still a sweet and still full of sugar. |
Sesame is one of the most common food allergens and reactions can be severe, including in people who already react to nuts. If anyone in your household has a known allergy, keep sesame out entirely, including the oil and anything containing tahini, and read labels carefully. Sesame seeds are small and a choking risk in quantity for very young children, so introduce them mashed or as thin tahini and follow your paediatrician’s guidance on allergen introduction. Sesame is calorie dense, so anyone watching weight should measure rather than pour. Oil pulling should never be done by young children who may swallow the oil. During pregnancy, sesame is eaten as ordinary food in many households, though some traditional advice cautions against large amounts, so ask your own doctor rather than following either the tradition or a website. Anyone on medication or managing a condition should ask their own doctor.Treat this as kitchen lore, not medical guidance.
Keeping til in the house
A small jar of hulled seeds in the fridge for topping and sweets, a bottle of cold pressed oil in a dark cupboard for cooking and massage, and a tiny bottle of toasted oil for finishing noodles and stir fries. Buy all three in small quantities and replace them often, because freshness is the whole game with sesame.
It pairs most naturally with jaggery in winter sweets, and it belongs to the same family of seeds as flaxseed, which has its own rules about grinding and storage. The whole shelf is covered in our Desi Remedies series.
Try this
Roast 50 g of sesame seeds in a dry pan for five minutes until they jump and smell nutty, cool them, then crush them roughly with a pinch of rock salt. Sprinkle that over a bowl of yoghurt, over rice, over a salad, over anything. It keeps a week in a jar in the fridge and it will change how often you reach for the seeds.
How much sesame is a sensible daily amount?
One to two tablespoons of seeds, about 9 to 18 g, or a tablespoon of tahini, eaten as part of meals. There is no traditional reason to go higher and it is an energy dense food. Anyone with an allergy should have none at all, and anyone with a condition or on medication should ask their own doctor.
Til seeds and sesame oil, answered
How much sesame should I eat in a day?
One to two tablespoons of seeds (about 9 to 18 g), or a tablespoon of tahini, eaten as part of meals. There’s no reason to go higher, and sesame is energy dense, so measure rather than pour if you’re watching your weight.
Is sesame a good source of calcium?
Unhulled sesame does contain notable calcium, but much of it sits in the hull and the body doesn’t absorb all of it. It adds to your diet; it isn’t a substitute for advice on bone health or a supplement your doctor has prescribed.
Can I eat sesame seeds during pregnancy?
In many households sesame is eaten as ordinary food in pregnancy, though some traditional advice cautions against large amounts. Stick to food amounts and ask your own doctor rather than following either the tradition or a website.
When can babies start eating sesame?
Sesame is a common allergen and whole seeds can be a choking risk for very young children. Introduce it mashed or as thinned tahini once your baby is on solids, following your paediatrician’s guidance on allergens. Keep it out entirely if anyone has a known sesame allergy.
How serious is a sesame allergy?
It can be severe, and it often turns up in people who already react to nuts. If anyone at home is allergic, keep sesame out completely, including the oil, tahini and bakery goods with seeds on top, and read labels every time, because sesame hides in spice mixes, hummus, chikki and many biscuits. Swelling of the lips or throat, vomiting or any trouble breathing after eating is an emergency: call for help straight away.
How do I do oil pulling with sesame oil?
First thing in the morning, swish a tablespoon of cold pressed, untoasted sesame oil gently for 10 to 15 minutes (start at 5 if your jaw aches), then spit it into a bin, rinse and brush. Don’t swallow it, and never let young children try it.
Does oil pulling really work?
It dislodges debris and leaves the mouth feeling clean, and many people like it. It doesn’t draw anything out of the body, and it doesn’t replace brushing, flossing or a dentist. Our oil pulling verdicts compare sesame and coconut.
Is sesame oil good for body massage in winter?
Warm sesame oil massage before a bath is a genuine and pleasant tradition, and it leaves skin soft. Warm about 30 ml until comfortable, never hot, leave it 15 to 20 minutes and bathe. Patch test first. See sesame vs coconut for winter massage.
Can I use toasted sesame oil for oil pulling or massage?
No. Toasted sesame oil is a dark, strongly flavoured finishing oil for noodles and stir fries. Pulling and massage need the pale gold cold pressed kind.
Should I buy hulled or unhulled sesame seeds?
Unhulled seeds keep their skin, taste more mineral and slightly bitter, and carry more fibre and calcium. Hulled seeds are sweeter and creamier, and most tahini is made from them. Hulled for sweets and toppings, unhulled for depth; many kitchens keep both in small jars in the fridge.
How do I know if sesame seeds or oil have gone rancid?
Smell them. Fresh sesame smells faintly sweet and nutty. Rancid sesame smells like old paint or crayons and tastes bitter at the back of the throat, so throw it out. Seeds keep about six months in the fridge, two to three months in a warm cupboard.
Are til laddu healthy?
They’re a better recipe than refined flour and white sugar, but they’re still a sweet. One 20 g laddu carries roughly 8 g of sugar. One or two with tea in January is the tradition; count them if you have diabetes.
Do I need to grind sesame seeds?
It helps. Whole seeds often pass through undigested if they aren’t chewed well, so a light crush in a mortar or a few pulses in a grinder gets more out of them. Don’t grind them to paste unless you’re making tahini, and crush small batches, since broken seeds go rancid faster.