What is thala guli made of?

Roasted sesame seeds pounded with jaggery, toasted coconut and a pinch of salt. The oil released from the sesame binds the mixture, which is shaped into small balls or rolls.

What does thala guli mean?

Thala is Sinhala for sesame and guli means balls. The sweet is also called thala bola, and in Tamil ellu urundai.

Why is my thala guli mixture crumbly?

The sesame was probably not pounded enough to release its oil, or the mixture has cooled. Pound a little longer while warm, and add a few drops of kithul treacle or coconut oil if it still will not hold.

Can I make thala guli in a blender?

Yes, but pulse in short bursts. Blending too long turns the sesame into a smooth paste instead of the coarse, crunchy texture of the traditional pounded version.

How are thala guli wrapped?

Each ball or roll is rolled in a small rectangle of white greaseproof or waxed paper with fringed ends, and the ends are twisted closed.

Thala Guli Recipe: Sri Lankan Sesame Rolls

Name: Thala Guli (Sri Lankan Sesame and Jaggery Balls)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 20 pieces
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 200 g white sesame seeds; 50 g desiccated coconut, or 75 g freshly grated coconut; 150 g kithul jaggery or palm jaggery, finely grated; A pinch of salt; 1 to 2 tsp kithul treacle or coconut oil, only if needed to bind

Thala guli (තල ගුලි), also called thala bola, are small Sri Lankan sweets of roasted sesame seeds pounded with jaggery, toasted coconut and a pinch of salt until the oil from the seeds binds everything together. Thala is Sinhala for sesame and guli means balls, although the mixture is shaped into short rolls just as often. In the Tamil-speaking north and east the same sweet is called ellu urundai, sesame balls. Each piece is traditionally wrapped in a twist of white paper with fringed ends, which makes them easy to spot on a shop counter.

Thala guli are eaten at the end of a meal or as a snack between meals, often with a cup of Ceylon tea. Unlike fried festival sweets such as kokis and kavum, they need no oil and no cooking beyond roasting the sesame and coconut, so they are quick to make at home.

How to make thala guli

Makes about 20 pieces
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

200 g white sesame seeds
50 g desiccated coconut, or 75 g freshly grated coconut
150 g kithul jaggery or palm jaggery, finely grated
A pinch of salt
1 to 2 tsp kithul treacle or coconut oil, only if needed to bind

Method

Roast the sesame. Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a heavy pan over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to pop and turn pale golden. Tip them onto a plate at once so they do not darken.
Toast the coconut. In the same pan, toast the coconut over a medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until dry and lightly golden. Fresh coconut takes a few minutes longer.
Pound the sesame. While still warm, pound the sesame with the salt in a mortar, in batches, until it is crushed and looks oily. A spice grinder works too; pulse in short bursts so it stays coarse rather than turning to paste.
Add the jaggery. Add the grated jaggery and keep pounding or pulsing until it is evenly mixed and the mixture starts to clump.
Add the coconut. Work in the toasted coconut. Squeeze a little of the mixture in your hand: it should hold together. If it crumbles, add the treacle or coconut oil a few drops at a time.
Shape. While the mixture is still warm, press about a heaped teaspoon at a time firmly between your palms into balls, or into short rolls about 4 cm long.
Wrap. Cut white greaseproof or waxed paper into rectangles about 10 by 8 cm, snip fringes into both short ends, roll each piece in a rectangle and twist the ends.

Why roast and pound the sesame?

Roasting brings out the nutty flavour and dries the seeds. Pounding while they are warm crushes them enough to release their oil, and it is this oil, with the sticky jaggery, that holds the balls together without any added fat. A mortar and pestle gives the traditional coarse, slightly crunchy texture. A blender is faster, but run it too long and the sesame turns into a smooth paste that is hard to shape.

Which jaggery should you use?

Kithul jaggery, made from the sap of the kithul palm, is the traditional choice and gives the deepest flavour; the page on kithul tapping explains how the sap is collected. Coconut or palmyra jaggery work well too. Grate it finely so it blends evenly. White sugar does not bind the mixture in the same way and is best avoided.

What variations are there?

Black sesame: replace half the white sesame with black for a darker, slightly more bitter sweet.
Cardamom: a pinch of ground cardamom added with the jaggery is a common touch.
No coconut: some cooks use sesame, jaggery and salt only, which gives a denser sweet.
Peanuts or dates: either can be pounded in with the sesame.

How long do thala guli keep?

Wrapped individually and kept in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place, thala guli keep for about a week. Made with fresh coconut they are best eaten within 2 to 3 days. If the balls soften in humid weather, chill them briefly before eating.

What other traditional sweets are similar?

Thala guli belong to a family of simple Sri Lankan sweets that pair a nut or seed with palm sugar. Pani kadju, for example, is roasted cashews coated in treacle. The broader range of island sweets is gathered on the page about Sri Lankan sweets.