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    Home » Sweets

    Published: Jan 12, 2017 · Modified: Jan 9, 2023 by Smruti · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    Til Chikki | Sesame Brittle

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    A 20 minute recipe to make crisp, sweet til chikki. A blend of sesame seeds, jaggery and cardamom; these are great through the winter months; especially for Makar Sankranti!

    Til Chikki in a plate

    January is on and we are almost into Sankranti and Lohri. These harvest festivals are celebrated in all their glory in India. From worshipping the winter produce to flying kites and having a great time with family, these festivals are great.

    Whenever we talk of festivals, we also discuss festive food. The same goes for Sankranti. This festival is celebrated with rewdi, chikki, undhiyu and ponk. All traditional recipes; there is a different experience to enjoy them while flying kites over terraces.

    Jump to:
    • What is Chikki?
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredients for Til Chikki
    • Step by Step Instructions to make Til Chikki
    • Tips and Notes
    • More Chikki recipes to try
    • Til Chikki

    What is Chikki?

    Chikki is a sweet made from seeds or nuts in a sweetener. Jaggery or sugar are the primary sweeteners we use in making chikki.

    These crisps or brittles can be flavored with different ingredients like rose water, kewra essence or cardamom powder.

    The seasonal bounty of winter which includes peanuts, sesame and coconut are combined with jaggery to make these brittles 'good for you' through the winter months. Moreover, these are super delicious too.

    Til chikki in particular is popular for the Sankranti. I Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra they hand out ladoos or chikki made with sesame i.e. til and say 'tilgud ghya goad goad bola' which translates to 'have some til chikki and talk sweetly'.

    I have grown up enjoying chikki on terraces and have always loved it. And now I am glad my toddler is loving these too.

    Why This Recipe Works

    • Comes together in 20 minutes of active time from start to finish. It is a super quick recipe so have everything including the parchment paper ready before you start.
    • Needs only three essential ingredients; sesame seeds, jaggery and ghee. However, any flavoring like cardamom is optional.
    • This chikki is definitely on the healthier side of sweets. No frying, no excess ghee and just a few good-for-you ingredients makes it perfect for sweet cravings.
    • We can make this ahead of time and it stays well in air tight containers at room temperature for 10-12 days.

    The recipe is really easy with just one essential checkpoint; the time to add sesame seeds to jaggery. Once that is right, making this or any other chikki is just a matter of minutes.

    Popularly known as Tilachi Chikki in Marathi, Tal ni chikki in Gujarati or Til Gajak or Til Gur ki Chikki up North; this one is a favorite.

    Ingredients for Til Chikki

    Ingredients for til chikki
    • Til/ Sesame Seeds: We use til as the base for the chikki. I use white til for this one. However, I use a mix of white and black til and it works perfectly well too. We need raw til for the chikki and not the roasted ones. We do lightly roast them but the pre-roasted ones tend to be brownish and do not taste as good in the chikki.
    • Jaggery: The sweetener here is jaggery. Though sugar works too, I like to stick to jaggery for all my chikki recipes. If you use white colored jaggery, the end result will be lighter. However, I use desi jaggery and it is darker in color. So the chikki tends to be darker too.
    • Ghee: I add a little ghee to the chikki. It not only keeps the whole thing moist, it also imparts a shine to the end product. Do not skip this for the best texture and gloss.
    • Cardamom Powder: I also like to add some cardamom powder to my chikki. It makes them super flavorful. However, skip this if you do not like it or do not have it. Moreover, chopped nuts, dried rose petals and other spice powders can be added too.

    See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information and measurements.

    Step by Step Instructions to make Til Chikki

    1- In a dry pan add til (sesame) seeds.

    2- Let them roast for 3-4 minutes till they start to splutter. Do not brown them a lot as they will start tasting bitter. Remove and set aside.

    Dry roast sesame seeds (til) in a pan till crisp but not brown.

    3- In the same pan add ghee and jaggery.

    4- The jaggery will start to melt; reduce the flame to the lowest setting and mix the jaggery intermittently.

    Add jaggery in a pan and let it melt on the lowest flame.

    5- The jaggery will melt completely and start to bubble. It takes about 10-12 minutes for this stage.

    6- Then drop a small amount of the molten jaggery in a bowl of cold water. If it forms a hard ball that can be broken into two without any strings, it is ready. Else cook for another couple minutes and check again.

    Once the jaggery melts completely, test using a bowl of cold water.

    7- Then transfer the sesame seeds back into the cooked jaggery. Turn down the flame.

    8- Mix well till all the sesame seeds are coated with jaggery. Add the cardamom powder and mix well.

    Add the sesame seeds and mix them in.

    9- Then transfer the mix on to a parchment paper.

    10- Place another parchment paper on top and roll into a thin sheet. I rolled it to ¼ inch thickness. The thinner it is the crisper it will be.

    Transfer to a parchment paper and roll thin using a rolling pin.

    11- Carefully peel the top parchment paper.

    12- Using a sharp knife mark out the pieces immediately. I made them 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch.

    Then cut the chikki into pieces.

    13- Then cool completely for 60-90 minutes before breaking the pieces apart.

    14- Transfer to an airtight container.

    Cool and separate into pieces. Store in an air tight container.

    Tips and Notes

    • The process for making chikki is quick. So ensure everything is ready before you start.
    • The recipe is easy to make with white sesame seeds, black seeds or a mix of both. However, the process remains same.
    • Use a non-stick thick bottom pan for the recipe. It helps keep the process smooth with the ingredients not sticking to the base.
    • Dry roast the sesame seeds for a nutty feel. Do not over roast them else they turn bitter.
    • Use soft jaggery for the recipe. I personally do not like jaggery powder as it has anti-caking agents that do not completely melt and give the same texture of chikki.
    • The color of the chikki will depend on the color of jaggery. Darker desi jaggery gives a darker shade while white jaggery gives a light tinge.
    Sesame and mamra chikki

    More Chikki recipes to try

    • Oats and Dry Fruit Chikki
    • How to make Sankranti special mamra chikki
      Mamra Chikki | Puffed Rice Brittle
    • Shing Chikki | Peanut Brittle
    • Til Ladoo | Sesame Brittle

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments, thanks!

    Til Chikki in a plate

    Til Chikki

    Smruti
    A 20 minute recipe to make crisp, sweet til chikki.
    A blend of sesame seeds, jaggery and cardamom; these are great through the winter months; especially for Makar Sankranti!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Resting Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Sweets
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 8
    Calories 219 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup til/ sesame seeds
    • 1 cup jaggery
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
    • 1 teaspoon ghee

    Instructions
     

    • In a dry pan add til (sesame) seeds.
    • Let them roast for 3-4 minutes till they start to splutter. Do not brown them a lot as they will start tasting bitter. Remove and set aside.
    • In the same pan add ghee and jaggery.
    • The jaggery will start to melt; reduce the flame to the lowest setting and mix the jaggery intermittently.
    • The jaggery will melt completely and start to bubble. It takes about 10-12 minutes for this stage.
    • Then drop a small amount of the molten jaggery in a bowl of cold water. If it forms a hard ball that can be broken into two without any strings, it is ready. Else cook for another couple minutes and check again.
    • Then transfer the sesame seeds back into the cooked jaggery. Turn down the flame.
    • Mix well till all the sesame seeds are coated with jaggery. Add the cardamom powder and mix.
    • Then transfer the mix on to a parchment paper
    • Place another parchment paper on top and roll into a thin sheet. I rolled it to ¼ inch thickness. The thinner it is the crisper it will be.
    • Carefully peel the top parchment paper.
    • Using a sharp knife mark out the pieces immediately. I made them 1.5 inch by 1.5 inch.
    • Then cool completely for 60-90 minutes before breaking the pieces apart.
    • Transfer to an airtight container.

    Video

    Notes

    • The process for making chikki is quick. So ensure everything is ready before you start.
    • The recipe is easy to make with white sesame seeds, black seeds or a mix of both. However, the process remains same.
    • Use a non-stick thick bottom pan for the recipe. It helps keep the process smooth with the ingredients not sticking to the base.
    • Dry roast the sesame seeds for a nutty feel. Do not over roast them else they turn bitter.
    • Use soft jaggery for the recipe. I personally do not like jaggery powder as it has anti-caking agents that do not completely melt and give the same texture of chikki.
    • The color of the chikki will depend on the color of jaggery. Darker desi jaggery gives a darker shade while white jaggery gives a light tinge.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 219kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 2mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 2gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

     

     

    « Ponk Vada | Green Jowar Fritters
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. vaishali sabnani says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      The chikki looks super tempting, lovely presentation too.

      Reply
    2. Srivalli says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Smruti, your chikki has turned out perfect!..and look at those evenly sliced pieces!..wow..very nicely captured..and btw do you dry the rose petals yourself?

      Reply
    3. Sharmila kingsly says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Always a great fan of your clicks Smruti.. Love this yummy chikki 🙂

      Reply
    4. Gayathri Kumar says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      The chikkis look perfect. And your presentation is so nice..

      Reply
    5. MySpicyKitchen says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Chikki has come out perfect. Looking forward to your other chikki recipes you make this festive season and hope you can capture them all for the blog.

      Reply
    6. cookingwithsapana says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Til chikki is a must for Sankranti and Lohri. Looks perfectly made like store bought Ines.

      Reply
    7. Priya Suresh says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Can you send me some, those prefectly sliced sesame brittle makes me drool.

      Reply
    8. Harini R says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      A very traditional brittle. Love the pictures.

      Reply
    9. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Perfectly sliced chikkis are so tempting. Looks wonderful!

      Reply
    10. Pavani says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      perfectly made til chikki. Lovely clicks.

      Reply
    11. preeti garg says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      love this chikki specially with rose petals

      Reply
    12. Priya Srinivasan - I Camp in My Kitchen says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Beautifully styled dear!! perfectly made chikki!

      Reply
    13. Anonymous says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      what kind of gud do you use?

      Reply
    14. Smruti Ashar says

      March 10, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      I used the soft jaggery from India. The one with no salt in it!

      Reply

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