Til Chikki recipe is a traditional Indian brittle (sweet) made of roasted sesame seeds and jaggery on the festive occasion of Lohri and Makar Sankranti. It is also known as Til Gajak, Til Gud Chikki, or sesame chikki.
In this post, sharing Til ki Chikki recipe with detailed step by step photos and video.
Lohri and Makarsankranti festivities are just around the corner. I usually make Tilgul ladoo on this occasion but instead tried Til chikki this year and was so good!
I've used white and black sesame seeds to make it and love how they looked. You can definitely make it with just white sesame seeds too!
Both til and gud are considered good for eating during the winter season due to their heat-inducing properties which help keep the body warm against the cold and also provide a boost of energy that is much needed during those dull winter days.
But you can definitely make this til gur ki chikki any time of the year as a sweet threat.
This Til Gud Chikki is
- made of just 4 ingredients
- easy to make
- can be made ahead
- stores well
- is crunchy and healthy
- satisfies all sweet cravings
Chikki is a traditional Indian sweet usually made for Lohri and Makar Sankranti (kite flying festival).
It is made of jaggery and the main ingredient like peanuts, dry fruits, sesame seeds, or a combination or mix of all.
Sesame seeds are known as til in Hindi and jaggery is known as gud so when chikki is made with sesame seeds and jaggery it's called til gud chikki.
Til Chikki is also known as Tilachi Chikki in Marathi, Til Gajak or Til gur ki chikki in Hindi (North India) and sesame seeds bar in English.
Til chikki recipe is really easy to make. Just mix the sesame seeds with the jaggery syrup, spread it thin, and cut into squares while the mixture is still warm. Once it has cooled, break it into pieces to make brittles or chikki.
Isn't that easy!! Let's see how to make til chikki recipe in detail. Be sure to read all the tips and watch the video before you make it!!
Ingredients for Til ki Chikki
Til ki chikki is made of two main ingredients sesame seeds and jaggery.
Sesame seeds - I've used both white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds for this recipe. Either or could work.
Black sesame seeds are unhulled and hence have more nutrients, strong flavor, and are crunchier, and nuttier than white sesame seeds which are sweeter and mild.
Thus the blend adds a nice flavor and crunch as well as enhances the overall look of this chikki.
Jaggery - It is also known as gul in Marathi and gud or gur in hindi. Use good quality jaggery. I've used natural jaggery for this recipe.
In addition to these two, the other ingredients are
Cardamom powder - optional and can be skipped but definitely recommend adding as it provides a nice touch of warmth and flavor to this nutty dish.
Ghee - Indian clarified butter helps provide a wonderful shine to the chikki. Little goes a long way. Skip to make it vegan.
Step by Step Method
Prep Work
Keep two large parchment papers ready and a rolling pin ready. We will use this to spread and shape the mixture.
Roasting sesame seeds
1 - Heat a pan on medium heat and dry roast the sesame seeds for 4-5 mins stirring intermittently. Ensure they don't burn.
2 - Once they are toasted, you can see the start to splutter and white sesame seeds will also turn slightly golden brown in color.
3 - Take them off the heat and transfer sesame seeds to a clean dry bowl or plate so they don't cook further. Add cardamom powder to it.
4 - Mix well and keep aside.
Making Jaggery Syrup for Chikki
5 - Heat a pan (nonstick preferably) on medium heat and add jaggery to it.
6 - Keep stirring continuously till the jaggery melts and starts bubbling.
7 and 8 - Add ghee and keep stirring until jaggery turns frothy and the color changes to a slightly dark amber color. (texture and color almost looks like whipped coffee)
9 - At this point take a small bowl of cold water and drop a few drops of jaggery into it to see if it has reached the hardball consistency.
10 - If it hardens and breaks easily like candy without any stringy consistency that means the syrup is ready. The hardened jaggery should be brittle and not soft.
You can also check by tasting the hardened jaggery to see if it sticks to your teeth in which case you can cook for a couple of mins and do the water test again.
Do not cook past the hardball consistency as the jaggery will burn, taste bitter, and give a very dark amber color.
Making Til Chikki
11 - Once you have the right jaggery syrup consistency, stir in the roasted sesame seeds.
12 - Mix until well combined.
These next steps should be done quickly and while the mixture is still warm.
13 - Turn off the heat and immediately transfer the mixture to one parchment paper.
14 and 15 - Cover it with the second parchment paper and using a rolling pin, spread the mixture as thin as you like but not too thin. I like to keep it ¼ inch thick.
16 - Cut into 1-inch squares while it is hot. Allow to set about 5-10 mins or as long as needed and then break to separate the squares. They should snap off easily.
Til Chikki is ready! Store in an airtight container and enjoy for up to a month.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Recommend using a nonstick pan when you make Chikki, makes it easier to handle melted jaggery.
- Roast the sesame seeds as it helps bring out their nutty flavor even more. Be cautious not to burn them though.
- You can use white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds or a mix of both to make this til chikki.
- Don’t cook jaggery on high heat it will stick to the pan and burn. Always cook on medium heat stirring continuously
- Use good quality jaggery.
- Jaggery syrup consistency is very important. If overcooked, chikki will become very hard to eat. And if undercooked, chikki will stick to your teeth. The consistency should be such that when it sets its forms the perfect brittle that is crunchy (not chewy).
- Spread the hot chikki mixture sandwiched between two parchment papers using a rolling pin. Makes it clean and mess-free.
- Spread, roll, and cut the chikki squares while the mixture is still hot. It hardens pretty fast making rolling and cutting difficult. If that happens, heat the mixture only until it's warm and spreadable and work quickly. Do not overcook as it will make chikki hard.
- You can also add other nuts and seeds along with sesame seeds to add more texture and nutrition.
- The chikki color is dependent on jaggery color and cooking it to the right consistency.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, replace jaggery with granulated sugar (same amount). The rest of the process remains the same.
Til and gud are considered good to consume during the winter months as they provide the heat required to warm the body against the cold as well as boost energy during the slump that winter brings.
In addition, they are a good source of fiber, iron, calcium, and other minerals, as well as a rich source of antioxidants and anti-aging properties thus considered good for hair growth, and bones, and boosting skin health.
Having said that anything in excess is bad so make sure to eat small portions.
More Makar Sankranti and Lohri recipes
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Til Chikki Recipe | Sesame Chikki Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame seeds used mix of white and black sesame seeds
- 1 cup jaggery roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
Prep Work
- Keep two large parchment papers and a rolling pin ready. We will use this to spread and shape the mixture.
Roasting sesame seeds
- Heat a pan on medium heat and dry roast the sesame seeds for 4-5 mins stirring intermittently. Ensure they don't burn.
- Once they are toasted, you can see the start to splutter and white sesame seeds will also turn slightly golden brown in color.
- Take them off the heat and transfer sesame seeds to a clean dry bowl or plate so they don't cook further.
- Add cardamom powder to it. Mix well and keep aside.
Making Jaggery Syrup
- Heat a pan (nonstick preferably) on medium heat and add jaggery to it.
- Keep stirring continuously till the jaggery melts and starts bubbling.
- Add ghee and keep stirring until jaggery turns frothy and the color changes to a slightly dark amber color (texture and color almost looks like whipped coffee).
- At this point, check the jaggery syrup consistency. Take a small bowl of cold water and drop a few drops of jaggery into it to see if it has reached the hardball consistency.
- If it hardens and breaks easily like candy without any stringy consistency that means the syrup is ready. You can also check by tasting the hardened jaggery to see if it sticks to your teeth in which case you can cook for a couple of mins and do the water test again. The hardened jaggery should be brittle and not soft.
- Do not cook past the hardball consistency as the jaggery will burn, taste bitter, and give a very dark amber color.
Making Til Chikki
- Once you have the right jaggery syrup consistency, stir in the roasted sesame seeds. Mix until well combined.
- These next steps should be done quickly and while the mixture is still warm.
- Turn off the heat and immediately transfer the mixture to one parchment paper.
- Cover it with the second parchment paper and using a rolling pin, spread the mixture as thin as you like but not too thin. I like to keep it ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into 1-inch squares (bite-size bites) while it is hot. Allow to set about 5-10 mins or as long as needed and then break to separate the squares. They should break easily.
- Til Chikki is ready! Store in an airtight container and enjoy for up to a month.
Notes
- Roast the sesame seeds as it helps bring out their nutty flavor even more. Be cautious not to burn them though.
- You can use white sesame seeds or black sesame seeds or a mix of both.
- Don’t cook jaggery on high heat it will stick to the pan and burn. Always cook on medium heat stirring continuously
- Jaggery syrup consistency is very important. If overcooked, chikki will become very hard to eat. And if undercooked then chikki will stick to your teeth. The consistency should be such that when it sets its forms the perfect brittle that is crunchy (not chewy or sticky).
- Spread the hot chikki mixture sandwiched between two parchment papers using a rolling pin. Makes it clean and mess-free.
- Spread, roll, and cut the chikki squares while the mixture is still hot. Chikki mixture hardens pretty fast and can make rolling and cutting difficult.
- If that happens, heat the mixture only until its warm and spreadable and work quickly. Do not overcook as it will make chikki hard.
- You can also add other nuts and seeds along with sesame seeds to add more texture and nutrition.
- Instead of jaggery sugar can be used but it tastes best with jaggery.
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