TAL SANKARI/ TIL CHIKKI
Tal Sankari/ Til Chikki, a must have Indian sweet during the Makar Sankranti/ Uttarayan/ Lohri festival. Generally made during the winter season as it provides energy, is nourishing and keeps the body warm.
Ingredients
- 250 g sesame seeds (approx. 1¾ cups)
- 250 g jaggery (approx. 1¼ cups if in powder form or grated)
- ½ -1 tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
Instructions
- Roast sesame seeds in a wide frying pan over low heat till the begin to pop and you get the aroma of roasted sesame seeds.
- Remove the seeds from the pan into a tray or plate. Allow the seeds to cool a bit.
- Keep a glass of water ready.
- Also lightly grease a baking tray upside down, or grease your worktop. Or better still use a silicon mat. I prefer using the mat as you don't need to grease it. Grease a rolling pin lightly and keep it ready.
- In a heavy based pan, add jaggery. Put the pan on medium to low heat.
- Keep stirring the jaggery till it melts. Allow the jaggery to cook till it begins to bubble at the sides.
- Add a few drops of the melted jaggery in a glass of water. It should form a soft ball. This means that the jaggery is ready.
- Add ghee and mix well. The mixture will become frothy and begin to bubble.
- Add cardamom powder and mix well. Immediately add the roasted sesame seeds.
- Mix well.
- Immediately add the sesame mixture and mix well. Take the pan off the heat.
- Immediately put the mixture onto the prepared tray, worktop or the silicon mat. Using the spatula spread out quickly.
- Roll the mixture out as thin as possible.
- Immediately cut the chikki into squares or diamonds, using a sharp knife or a steel spatula.
- Allow the chikki or brittle to cool down for 10-15 minutes.
- Store the tal sankari or chikki in an airtight container.
Notes
- Use a baking tray turned upside down or your worktop if you don't have a silicon mat. Make sure you grease it lightly.
- Cut into squares or diamond shapes immediately as you will not be able to cut it when it becomes cold.
- Make sure you have everything ready, the rolling pin, the mat or tray etc before you begin making the tal sankari or chikki.
- Can use 200g of sesame seeds and 50g of coarsely chopped peanuts.
- When you roll out the chikki the edges will crack, but don't worry. You can trim it away when you cut the pieces. Crush it to sprinkle over your cereal or granola or its good to nibble on.
- Thickness of the tal sankari or chikki is depends on you how thin or thick you want it.