Makar Sankranti means it’s going to get hotter and your days are going to be longer, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have delicious food. Today I’m going to show you how to make Til Chikki. Til or Sesame seeds are rich in fiber, antioxidants and have a lot of health benefits. They help in hair growth, keep your skin glowing and can reverse signs of aging. No wonder they are extensively used in Ayurveda. Let’s hop into the recipe.
We will start with roasting 200 g of sesame seeds in a pot. The seeds leave out a beautiful aroma while roasting and start dancing around when they are done. As soon as you see them dancing, switch off the flame and still keep stirring them around. Since the seeds are so tiny, carry overheat could burn them within seconds. Or you can transfer them to another bowl as I have.
In the same pot, I’m going to caramelize jaggery or gud. This is about 150g of gud. It can be difficult to tell if gud is caramelized, but here’s a tip for you. When you see small bubbles in the gud, and it starts smoking a little, take it off the heat. Another way to tell if gud is caramelized is to drop a small ball of molten gud onto a cold surface and check if it firms up. My gud is nice and bubbly, so I’m going to turn off the heat and add my roasted sesame seeds. Mix it quickly and pour it on a cool surface. I’m directly pouring it on my granite. You can also do it in a plate or on a chopping board. Always apply some oil to your palms, rolling pin and surface to avoid the chikki from sticking
Roll the mixture using a rolling pin. And let it sit for about 5 mins. After 5 mins you will notice that it starts firming up, which is the best time to make scoring marks on the chikki. I’m cutting them into squares. You can cut them into diamonds or just break them into shards. You healthy til chikki is now ready.
You can make this chikki along with some roasted peanuts, they go really well with sesame seeds. You can also add flavorings like elaichi powder if you wish. You can add a pinch of salt too, but I like them nice and plain. Try this recipe out, and let me know about your experience in the comments section below. Check out my video to see how to make this step by step.