Till Chikki which is also referred to as Till Gajak is a winter specialty snack in India. It is a healthy snack that keeps your body warm during the cold days. It calls for only three ingredients and is very easy to prepare.
What is Till Chikki
Till Chikki is one of the most popular treat prepared during Makar Sankranti.
It is a healthy brittle that we make with white sesame seeds and jaggery or sugar. A famous North Indian winter treat.
To celebrate the mark of the new beginning, Sankranti is celebrated in January. Makar Sankranti is also one of the most auspicious harvest festival and on that day a lot of sweets are prepared using new harvested rice, jaggery, sesame and nuts.
Ingredients for Till Chikki
White Sesame Seeds - You can use a mix of black and white sesame seeds too. But typically it is prepared with just white sesame seeds. You can either use plain white sesame seeds or buy the pre roasted ones.
Jaggery - Till Chikki is prepares with either jaggery or white sugar that is caramelized. I like the taste of jaggery in the chikki, and so I used that. You can use brown sugar too.
Ghee - Ghee adds a mild shine to the chikki. Only a small teaspoon is needed. It is not a mandate, but if you have ghee at home, don't skip the ingredient. Homemade ghee is always the best.
The exact measurement is mentioned in the recipe card below.
Steps to prepare
- Using a sharp knife, grate the jaggery. You can use a grater too. You can prepare this using jaggery powder or even sugar. If you are using sugar, then traditionally white sugar is used, but brown sugar will work too.
- In a clean, dry pan, add the white sesame seeds and roast it at medium low heat. Don't leave it unattended as it can burn very quickly.
The below two step is the more critical step to make the brittle.
3. In a non stick pan, melt the jaggery by stirring constantly. You have to cook the jaggery in medium low heat until the color darkens a little. The temperature of the jaggery should be cooked to 300F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can use the following step to test.
4. To test if the jaggery is ready or not, switch off the heat, and add a drop of jaggery to a bowl of cold water. Give it a few seconds to cool down and then take it out and try to break. If the jaggery breaks with a snap, it is ready. If it's still soft, then cook for a few more minutes.
5. Once the jaggery is cooked, add the ghee and mix it around. It will look shiny and glossy.
6. Switch off the heat and add the sesame seeds.
7. You have to mix the sesame seeds to the jaggery while it is still hot. It will be sticky, and you have to do this step very fast.
8. Transfer the Mixture to a greased pan, parchment paper or baking mat. And roll it out using a rolling pin.
9. Slice it while it's still soft and leave it aside to set completely. You can also slice once it's set completely, but it will be difficult to get a neat shape as it might break unevenly.
10. Perfectly cooked chikki will not be chewy or sticky. You should be able to break it with a snap.
Recipe Video
Points to keep in mind
Although the treat is very easy to prepare with just three ingredients, you have to remember few key points while preparing Till Chikki.
- Make sure you dry roast the sesame seeds and keep an eye as it can get burnt quickly.
- Cooking the jaggery to perfect temperature is key to that snap we all like in brittle. It should be cooked to 300F or do the test that I mentioned in the steps above.
- Do not overcook the jaggery either, as that will make the Till Chikki very hard to bite.
- Once you roll the Till Chikki, make sure to make the score for the bites, as it will be very difficult to slice once it's set. I often tend to forget this step and land up getting a few rusting odd shapes in between.
Storing Till Chikki
Store in a clean air tight container. Perfectly cooked Till Chikki will last for 2 to 3 weeks easily. Also, since it if often made during winter months, the cold weather helps to keep it fresh longer.
If it's warm and humidity is high, then I would suggest to keep in the fridge.
Here are few more Makar Sankranti special dishes to try
Chanar sondesh/ Chenar sondesh
FAQs
Till Chikki is considered to be nutritious with a good boost of iron. It keeps the body warm and hence is suggested during winter months. However, do not consume too much since it is a sweet treat.
Yes, you can make Till chikki caramelizing the sugar. You can use brown sugar or white sugar. But it is often recommended to prepare with jaggery as it's a healthier choice.
If cooked properly, Till Chikki will last for a couple of weeks when stored in a clean air tight jar. If, however, the weather is hot and humid, then do store it in the refrigerator.
Till Chikki
Ingredients
- 1 cup White sesame seeds
- 1 cup jaggery
- 1 tbs ghee
Instructions
- In a non stick pan, dry roast the sesame seeds for 2 minutes, on medium low heat by stirring constantly. Don't leave unattended as it can burn easily. Once done, take it off the pan to a bowl.
- Keep a plate ready by rubbing a little ghee on it, or keep a baking mat ready with a rolling pin next to it.
- To the same pan add the jaggery and stir it around constantly to melt and cook the jaggery to 300 F. If you don't have a thermometer, then test it by adding a tiny drop of the jaggery to a bowl of cold water. It should set in a few seconds, and you should be able to break it with a crisp snap. Remember to remove the pan from the gas when you test the jaggery in cold water.
- Once the jaggery is cooked, switch off the heat and add the ghee. Give a mix and to make it shinny.
- Add the roasted sesame seeds and mix it around quickly. It will feel sticky, but you have to quickly mix it with a spatula while the jaggery is still soft.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased plate and press it down thin, or on a baking mat and spread it out thin using a rolling pin.
- While the mixture is still warm, shape the chikki by slicing with a knife. At this point, you are just making scores, so it will be easy to break apart once set.
- Once set, break the pieces and enjoy the chikki. If the jaggery is cooked perfectly, you should get a crisp snap when you break the chikki.
Video
Notes
Although the treat is very easy to prepare with just three ingredients, you have to remember few key points while preparing Till Chikki.
- Make sure you dry roast the sesame seeds and keep an eye as it can get burnt quickly.
- Cooking the jaggery to perfect temperature is key to that snap we all like in brittle. It should be cooked to 300F or do the test that I mentioned in the steps above.
- Do not overcook the jaggery either, as that will make the Till Chikki very hard to bite.
- Once you roll the Till Chikki, make sure to make the score for the bites, as it will be very difficult to slice once it's set. I often tend to forget this step and land up getting a few rusting odd shapes in between.
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