Til Chikki

5 from 1 vote

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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Resting Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Smruti

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.

Shape the chikki quickly, especially if working in cold environment. The jaggery tends to set super quick making it difficult to shape later.

Make the cuts in the chikki when it is still warm. It is difficult to cut it neatly once the chikki sets completely.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition