Thala Guli facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Thala bola, Gingelly balls, Gingili balls, Ellu urundai, Ellurundai |
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| Course | Snacks |
| Place of origin | Sri Lanka |
| Serving temperature | Cooled |
| Main ingredients | sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, jaggery, salt |
| Variations | dates, roasted peanuts |
Thala Guli (say it: 'tah-lah 'goo lee) is a yummy, traditional sweet treat from Sri Lanka. People also call it thala bola, gingelly balls, or gingili balls. It's mainly made from sesame seeds, a little salt, and jaggery, which is a type of palm sugar.
The name "Thala Guli" tells you what it is! "Thala" means sesame in the Sinhalese language. "Guli" or "boli" means it's shaped like a ball or a roll. In the northeast part of Sri Lanka, it's known as ellu urundai or ellurundai. This name comes from the Tamil language and also means "sesame balls."
Contents
Making Thala Guli: The Sweet Recipe
Thala Guli is a simple snack to make. It uses just a few ingredients. The process is also quite easy to follow.
What's Inside Thala Guli?
Thala Guli usually has four main things in it. These are white sesame seeds, dried coconut, jaggery, and salt. Sometimes, people like to add other things to change the taste. They might use dates, like Medjool dates, or roasted peanuts. If you can't find jaggery, you can use other natural sugars. A good choice is muscovado sugar, which is a type of unrefined sugar.
How to Prepare Thala Guli
Making Thala Guli involves a few steps. First, you need to dry roast the sesame seeds. You also dry roast the dried coconut separately. You keep roasting them until they turn a nice golden-brown color.
Next, you take the roasted sesame seeds and salt. You grind them together using a mortar and pestle. You keep grinding until the crushed seeds become a bit oily. Then, you grate the jaggery into this mixture and grind it all together. After that, you add the roasted coconut and continue to grind everything.
Once the mixture is ready, you shape it by hand. You can make it into small balls or little rolls. Sometimes, the mixture might be too dry to form shapes easily. If this happens, people add a little bit of warm kithul treacle. They might also use sesame oil, coconut oil, or ground dates. These help the mixture stick together better.
Enjoying Thala Guli
Thala Guli is often served in a special way. People traditionally wrap each ball or roll in white crêpe, waxed, or baking paper. The paper usually has fringes at the ends. Then, they twist the paper on both sides of the sweet. This makes them look like tiny bon bons or even small Christmas crackers.
You can eat Thala Guli at the end of a meal. It's also a great snack to have between meals. It's a popular treat in Sri Lanka.
