Till Chikki Playful Cooking

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

The below two step is the more critical step to make the brittle.

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.
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.
Once the jaggery is cooked, add the ghee and mix it around. It will look shiny and glossy.
Switch off the heat and add the sesame seeds.
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.
Transfer the Mixture to a greased pan, parchment paper or baking mat. And roll it out using a rolling pin.
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.
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.

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.