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
Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- If you want to lightly crush the sesame seeds, you can do so at this stage. Alternatively, keep them whole.
- 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.
- As soon as the jaggery has melted, switch off the heat.
- Add the sesame seeds to the jaggery and combine quickly.
- 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.
- Allow to cool slightly before cutting into your desired shape with a sharp knife.
Yes, you can. Whilst the mixture is still warm but not so hot that it can burn, you can roll it into small balls. Just apply a little ghee to your hands first.
Other quick Indian sweets recipes
- Sukhdi
- Peanut Katli
- Shrikhand
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Til Chikki (Sesame Chikki)
Equipment
- Thick bottomed pan/kadai
- Spatula
- Tray/thali
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame seeds raw
- ¾ cup jaggery grated or use jaggery powder
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- Grease a tray with a little ghee.
- Dry toast 1 cup sesame seeds on low heat in a heavy bottom pan. Keep stirring until you hear them gently pop.
- Remove from the heat. At this stage, you can grind the sesame seeds or keep them whole. I haven’t.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee and 3/4 cup jaggery until the jagger has just melted. Switch off the heat.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds and mix well.
- Transfer mixture into the greased tray.
- Quickly spread the mixture evenly.
- Whilst it’s just warm, cut into squares or diamonds.
- Once cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Til Chikki (Sesame Chikki)
Equipment
- Thick bottomed pan/kadai
- Spatula
- Tray/thali
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame seeds raw
- ¾ cup jaggery grated or use jaggery powder
- 1 tablespoon ghee
Instructions
- Grease a tray with a little ghee.
- Dry toast 1 cup sesame seeds on low heat in a heavy bottom pan. Keep stirring until you hear them gently pop.
- Remove from the heat. At this stage, you can grind the sesame seeds or keep them whole. I haven’t.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee and 3/4 cup jaggery until the jagger has just melted. Switch off the heat.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds and mix well.
- Transfer mixture into the greased tray.
- Quickly spread the mixture evenly.
- Whilst it’s just warm, cut into squares or diamonds.
- Once cooled completely, transfer to an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
rose, pistachio, coconut til gajak video recipe – this moreish winter treats, only takes 30 minutes to prepare with sesame seeds and other basic ingredients, an ideal dish for makarsankranti and lohri.
Have you ever thought about what we would’ve done if we never had any festivals in our life? Ohhh, it’s scary and don’t want to think about it right? when you are used to having almost various kinds of festivals and celebrations every few weeks.
Festivals and celebrations plays such an important role in our lives, and each festival holds very specific significance whether they could be religious, historical, the birth of god or arrival of the season.
Participation in festive celebrations has long been a part of the human experience. In our life, we are learning how to deal and cope with so many unpleasant incidents and situations, in between celebrating the festivals whether they are small or big gives us a chance to accept a positive influence in our life.
Since I have settled outside India for more than 25 years, I am not obliged to celebrate each and every Hindu festival, but a few main festivals we do celebrate because when you celebrate festival means respecting that event we are connecting our children to their roots in this modern and competitive world.
MakarSankranti, we can not celebrate this festival with so much zeal as I used to in India.
The Festival of Kite is quite unique and it is a special festival of Ahmedabad which is very popular amongst the Gujarati community and now especially Indian Prime Minister Mr. Modi has been promoting this event (aka) International Kite Festival al all over the world.
For us Brits, when temperatures are settled in minuses and pouring down heavily surely it dampens your mood, I am restricted to fly a kite but no one can stop me devouring that delectable food.
Every year I prepare one or two kind of dish, sometimes traditional like Til Papdi , Kachriyu , Crushed Peanut Chikki , Mamra Ladoo or something totally new recipe like Rose and Pistachio Sesame Tahini halwa and Mixed Seeds and Jaggery Fudge to beat cold weather as long as I include sesame seeds.
This Makarsankranti, I thought of trying my hands on making Til Gajak , my childhood favourite and every visit to India means pack of Gajak is in my suitcase when I return.
Our last visit to India, returning from Agra, our taxi driver and guide took us to this very famous Gajak Shop, ( Guessing they get some commission when they take people there ) because whenever I see any Gajak shop, they were refusing to take me saying ‘Arey nahi Madam, in logo ki Gajak tasty nahi hoti or they are not that fresh and hygienic’ well, I listened to them and next day I bought few packs of various kind of Gajak from the shop where they took me.
Gajak, sometimes it’s a little difficult when you make at home, perfect crunch which is not too tough when you bite and it is hard to make to perfection. But today is your lucky day because from now on you are going to make delicious, almost like shop-bought.
Although I have added rose flavours, pistachio, and coconut, you can omit and make just plain Gajak as well and you can prepare and cut this gajak in less than 30 minutes, just make sure you have every ingredient ready on your worktop.
Lol, ask someone to babysit your babies, because this dish needs all your attention, love and care, , then you have plenty of free time to enjoy Makarsankarnti with friends and family!
Share with friends and family on the roof of your house while enjoying kite flying, or pack in beautiful boxes or Jars as giveaways and receive so many ohhhhs and ahhhhhs !!!
ROSE, PISTACHIO, COCONUT TIL GAJAK
Equipment
- Heavy base pan or kadai
- Big spoon
- baking or parchment paper or a silicone mat
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Ingredients
- 225 g sesame seeds white or brown
- 25 g desiccated coconut
- 25 g pistachio slivers
- 1 tbsp. rose water
- 1 tbsp. edible rose petals dried
- 200 g sugar castor sugar or you can grind normal sugar into grinder
- 75 ml corn syrup light
- 3 tbsp. ghee
- 11/2 tsp. bi carbonate of soda baking soda
- 3 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. cardamom powder
Instructions
- Dry roast sesame seeds and pistachio nuts in a heavy bottom pan.
- Let it cool and grind or pound them in coarse texture and mix cardamom powder.
- In the same pan light roast desiccated coconut.
- Leave it aside.
- Now in the same pan add sugar, water, and corn syrup.
- Mix well.
- Turn on the heat on low and keep stirring, ( do not think even to stop one second )
- Keep cold water by side in a little bowl or saucer.
- Once sugar is melted, turn the heat a little higher, keep stirring.
- Once sugar syrup turns very light brown, put a drop of syrup in cold water.
- If syrup turns into hardball, the syrup is done..if not maybe half a minute keep on the heat and stirring.
- Once the syrup is done, quickly add soda.
- Combine well, switch off the heat and stir vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Quickly add sesame and pistachio powder, coconut, rose water and ghee.
- Mix well.
- Transfer mixture onto butter paper and with help of butter paper bring the mixture together.
- Now with all the speed start rolling the Gajak mixture as thin as possible.
- Sprinkle rose petals, pistachio slivers and coconut flakes and once again press down with the rolling pin.
- Once you are happy ( well, you should be ) with the thickness of the gajak ( try not to let it go cold ) quickly cut the gajak into the desired shape.
- They will cool in a few minutes, store them in an airtight container or arrange in a pretty gift box and give it as a gift.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
