Anjali's Food Kaleidoscope

Til chikki / sesame and jaggery candy

“The  thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest”.

                                        William Blake

The golden  fields , galore with the promise of a good harvest , the winter season coming to an end , high spirits and festivity  in the air.

     Here comes lohri…the harvest festival of the Punjabis.

   Amongst the many sweets and delicacies prepared on this day , the one ubiquitous sweet is the “til chikki”. 
Til chikki is thrown in the bonfire while singing songs of celebration. Til chikki is made with sugar and jaggery both .It can be prepared in a matter of minutes.

Here is how you can make til chikki at home.

Ingredients for making til chikki:

1.    100 grams sesame seeds / til

2.    100 grams jaggery

3.     2 tablespoons pure ghee

 Method of making til chikki:

1.    Roast the sesame seeds / til in a heavy bottomed pan on a low flame for about five minutes till a few of them start to make a popping sound.

2.     Remove from the pan and transfer in another bowl.

3.    In the same pan add two tablesoons of ghee and the jaggery pieces.

4.     The jaggery will begin to melt , keep stirring till it melts completely.

5.     Add the sesame seeds / til and stir to mix evenly.

6.     Transfer on a greased aluminium plate or any flat dish lined with aluminium foil and liberally grease the surface. Now you must apply a lot of ghee on the aluminium foil so that the chikki comes off easily.

7.     Roll it flat with a rolling pin and cut into squares while the til chikki is still hot.

8.     As soon as the  til chikki cools , transfer into an airtight box. The til chikki can stay for weeks .Serve the delicious til chikki to friends and relatives on Lohri or after dinner .