Sesame Seed and Pistachio Balls

Known as tiler naru in Bengal, these sweet nutty treats are hard on the outside and chewy in the centre. They are made with white sesame seeds and jaggery, sometimes with the addition of pistachios, almonds or sunflower seeds. You can often find them in the pantries of Bengali kitchens and misti dokan (sweet shops) throughout the year, probably because they are too tasty to keep just for the Bengali religious festival season which falls around October. They are great to make ahead of time a