What is Til Chikki?
Til Chikki, also known as sesame brittle, is a traditional Indian sweet made from toasted sesame seeds and jaggery. This popular naturally vegan treat is especially common during the winter months as well as on festive occasions. Despite being made with cane sugar, it’s not only a delicious snack but also a great source of energy and healthy fats, making it a wholesome and satisfying treat.
Til Chikki has deep roots in Indian culture, where it’s more than just a winter treat—it carries meaning and tradition. Sesame seeds, long prized for their health benefits, are seen as symbols of vitality and warmth in Ayurvedic treatments, making Til Chikki especially popular in the colder months. The combination of jaggery and sesame isn’t just about flavor; jaggery brings strength and sweetness, while sesame is believed to represent longevity and prosperity. Together, they’re thought to attract good fortune, especially during festivals like Makar Sankranti, when Til Chikki plays a central role.
Is Til Chikki Healthy?
If eaten in moderation, Til Chikki is considered a healthy treat that is packed with nutrients. Sesame seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron, making them great for bone health and heart health. Jaggery, a natural sweetener, is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as iron, which supports digestion and boosts energy levels. When eaten together, the unsaturated fats of the seeds also slow down the glucose release into the bloodstream, thereby limiting a potential blood sugar spike.
Ingredients You’ll Need & How to Substitute
- Sesame seeds: The main ingredient for this recipe, sesame seeds are toasted to bring out their nutty flavor. You can substitute with any nut or seed, or even use ingredients like puffed rice and dried fruit.
- Jaggery: This traditional sweetener gives Til Chikki its unique flavor and is preferred for its health benefits. You can replace it with light brown sugar.
- Ground cardamom: Used for a subtle aromatic flavor, ground cardamom can be left out if you prefer a simpler taste. Alternatively, you can substitute with a pinch of cinnamon for a different aromatic twist.
- Vegetable oil: This is used for greasing to prevent sticking. You can use any oil of your choice, as long as it doesn’t impart a strong flavor.
- Salt: Optional, a pinch of salt enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
How to Make Til Chikki (Step-by-Step)
Toast the sesame seeds. In a dry frying pan over medium-low heat, toast the sesame seeds until they are slightly golden, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Prepare cardamom. If using, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and grind them into a fine powder using a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle the ground cardamom and salt over the sesame seeds and stir to mix.
Make the jaggery syrup. Wipe the frying pan clean and coarsely grate the jaggery. Add it to the pan with some water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often with a spatula. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning. The syrup will bubble furiously and gradually darken. To test the consistency, drop a bit of the jaggery into a bowl of water; it should harden almost instantly into a texture that you can easily break with a snap (the ‘hard-ball’ stage). If it’s still soft or breaks into strings, continue cooking.
Combine and shape. Working quickly, turn off the heat, add the sesame seeds to the pan and fold them in until they are evenly coated with jaggery. Transfer the mixture to the greased baking paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a thin layer, maintaining a rectangular shape by pressing the rolling pin and knife against the sides as needed. While it’s still warm, use the greased knife to make incisions along the length and width of the brittle to pre-shape smaller pieces. Allow it to cool completely before breaking it apart and tucking in.
Useful Tips
- Jaggery isn’t reaching the hard-ball stage: Depending on the quality of the jaggery, it might be trickier to reach the hard-ball stage. Try opting for golden rather than dark brown jaggery (though the darker the jaggery, the less processed it usually is). If you still struggle, you can also use half jaggery and half golden granulated sugar.
- Mixture hardening too fast: Only add the sesame seeds to the jaggery if you have everything else set up and ready to go. The moment the sugar cools down, it’ll begin to harden, so speed is of the essence here.
- Sesame seeds sticking to rolling pin: If the seeds still stick to the rolling pin despite greasing it, you can also roll the chikki out between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Cut while warm: Score the chikki while warm to make cutting easier.
- Chikki are not crunchy: The sugar most likely hasn’t reached the hard-ball stage. Try cooking it a little longer next time using the water method above to check for the right stage.
- Dried Chikki looking dull rather than glossy: This can depend on the jaggery, but if the Chikki doesn’t have a shine, try adding a teaspoon of oil to the jaggery while melting it next time.
- Change it up: You can make Chikki with pretty much any nut or seed, following the same quantities and method.
Why You’ll Love This Til Chikki Recipe
- naturally & traditionally vegan
- source of energy
- versatile – use the seeds or nuts you like most
- crunchy texture & nutty flavour
How to Store Til Chikki
You can store Til Chikki in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 1 month. If they stick to each other, place layers of parchment paper between the pieces. Avoid refrigeration, as it can soften the Chikki.
Other Sweets Recipes You Might Like
- Pani Walalu: A Sri Lankan New Year’s sweet
- Jian Dui: Chinese sesame seed balls filled with a red bean paste
- Castagnaccio: Tuscany’s gluten-free chestnut cake
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Til Chikki (Indian Sesame Seed Brittle)
Ingredients
- 200 g sesame seeds
- 1 pinch ground cardamom (from 4 pods, optional)
- Pinch salt
- 150 g jaggery (or light brown sugar)
- Vegetable oil for greasing
Instructions
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat until slightly golden (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, if using, and grind them to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar. Sprinkle the ground cardamom and salt over the sesame seeds and stir to mix.
- Fill a small bowl with water, line your kitchen counter with a piece of baking paper the size of a medium baking tray and grease the paper, a knife and rolling pin with a little oil. Give the frying pan a wipe, then coarsely grate the jaggery and add it to the pan with 1 tablespoon of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring often with a spatula. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5-10 minutes more, stirring regularly to prevent the sides from burning. It will first bubble furiously and eventually turn darker. To test the consistency, drop a bit of the jaggery into the bowl of water. It should harden almost instantly into a texture that you can easily break with a snap (the ‘hard-crack’ stage). If it’s still soft or breaks into strings, cook it longer.
- Working quickly, turn off the heat, add the sesame seeds to the pan and fold them in until the jaggery coats them evenly. Transfer to the baking paper and use the rolling pin to flatten the mixture into a thin layer (around 5mm), keeping a rectangular shape by pressing the rolling pin and knife against the sides occasionally. While it’s still warm, use the greased knife to make incisions along the length and width of the brittle to pre-shape smaller pieces, then let them cool entirely (10-15 minutes) before breaking them apart and tucking in.
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hi hermann, i enjoy your videos and enthusiasm – the candy stage for the jaggery should be hard crack not hard ball, which is still too soft for the snap. someone looking up hard ball would get a temperature indication that is too low.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, you’re absolutely right! I have changed that now.