Bhatia Til Chikki (Sesame-Jaggery Brittle)

About this recipe

Til chikki is winter in brittle form—sesame and jaggery snapped into shards, the kind of thing made in batches when the weather turns cold and stored in a tin that mysteriously empties within days. It's warming, nutty, faintly addictive, the way comfort food should be. The whole art is the jaggery. It needs to reach just the right stage—the hard-ball stage, where a drop in cold water forms a hard ball that doesn't shatter. Under-cooked chikki stays sticky and impossible to break cleanly; over-cooked chikki turns bitter and dark. This means paying close attention while the jaggery cooks, testing frequently after it reaches a deep mahogany colour. Once it's right, you have only seconds before it sets, so have your sesame roasted and ready. Sesame should be dry-roasted until lightly golden and fragrant; this brings out the nutty flavour that makes chikki worth making. Add it to the hot jaggery and stir frantically, then pour onto a greased surface, flatten thin, and score it while still warm. Breaking it along the lines while it's still slightly warm is easier than trying to smash hardened candy. A small piece is enough—this is intense, sweet, warming and deeply satisfying. It keeps indefinitely in an airtight tin, the texture staying crisp and the flavour developing over days. This is the snack to make when someone you love is cold, or when you want to fill a gift tin with something handmade and treasured.