Soft Til Chikki (Sesame Chikki)

My family recipe of Til Chikki is made within 15 minutes. Just 3 ingredients - roasted sesame seeds, melted jaggery and ghee and special techniques make a soft sesame chikki that melts in the mouth. This Indian sweet is popular during the Indian harvest festivals (Makarsankranti and Lohri).

Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published 25th Feb 2012. I’ve added new images and helpful content, the recipe remains the same.

I often write on here that I wait all year round to make and enjoy particular dishes. Gujarati winter cuisine is all about surti undhiyu and gajar halwa. This sesame seed chikki is yet another one! My Mum would make these on rotation over winters with mixed nut (dry fruit) chikki, mixed seed jaggery chikki, murmura ladoo and kachariyu.

In our house, we specifically call these "tal papdi". You'll find there are variations in recipes out there - thin, hard sesame "snaps" which have chewiness or softer ones.

I've picked up my Mum's techniques to get soft chikki, where the gor has a moist, almost juiciness when you bite into a piece. It's the same idea in our crushed peanut chikki. This happens when the jaggery melts in the mouth. It's achieved by only melting the jaggery and not cooking it further. Cooked jaggery hardens as it cools and leads to hard, chewy chikki.

Luckily it's easy and quick to make - usually within 15 minutes. It can also be stored for a couple of weeks thanks to the shelf life of the ingredients used.

Ingredients notes

Sesame seeds - specifically raw sesame seeds that are brown or un-hulled.

Jaggery - or gor is the other main ingredient. Different brands and types of jaggery lead to different tastes and textures.

Ghee - ghee is melted with the jaggery and a little is also used to grease the tray. To make vegan til chikki, avoid the ghee and use melted coconut oil.

I've used slivered pistachio and dried rose petals for photographic purposes only.

My way to make soft sesame chikki

Here are the step by step instructions to prepare soft tal papdi.

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds on a low heat in a heavy bottom pan until you hear a popping sound. Make sure to stir continuously so that the sesame seeds roast evenly and do not burn.
2. Remove the pan from the heat source and transfer the sesame seeds to a plate/container. The pan will still be hot and will continue to roast the sesame seeds.
3. If you want to lightly crush the sesame seeds, you can do so at this stage. Alternatively, keep them whole.

1. Once the pan is slightly cooler, add a little ghee and the jaggery that has been crumbled or grated. This ensures that the jaggery melts quickly and does not overcook.
2. As soon as the jaggery has melted, switch off the heat.

1. Add the sesame seeds to the jaggery and combine quickly.
2. Once well combined, transfer the mixture to a pre-greased plate or tray and spread it out evenly. Aim for a thickness of 1 inch.
3. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into your desired shape with a sharp knife.

FAQS

Other quick Indian sweets recipes

• Sukhdi
• Peanut Katli
• Shrikhand

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