Crushed Peanut Chikki
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Crushed Peanut Chikki - A Sweet and Crunchy Indian Winter Treat, Chikki is a traditional Indian candy made from nuts and jaggery (unrefined cane sugar). One popular type of chikki is made with crushed peanuts, creating a sweet and crunchy treat that is especially popular during the winter months and Makar Sankranti celebrations.
Author: Binjal Pandya
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
- 2 cups Raw Peanuts
- 1 ½ cups Jaggery (Gur), Grated or Chopped Into Small Pieces
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- ½ Cardamom Powder
Instructions
- Roast the peanuts until crunchy and aromatic. Let cool completely, husk the skin rubbing in between your palm, then crush into coarse mixture.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add the jaggery, ghee and water. Heat on medium, stirring frequently, until the jaggery has melted.
- Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes until the mixture reaches to the bubbly but hard syrup or 3000°F on a candy thermometer.
- Drop few drops of syrup in a small water bowl if syrup immediately turns into hard crunchy candy that means syrup is ready.
- Add crushed nuts, cardamom powder into the syrup and combine until thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the mixture onto a greased surface or over parchment paper, cover with another paper to avoid sticking while rolling and spread into a thin sheet using a spatula or rolling pin.
- Allow to cool slightly then cut into squares or diamond shapes.
- Let cool and set completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Roast the peanuts well to achieve maximum crunch. Constant stirring prevents burning. Cool completely before crushing.
Grate or finely chop the jaggery so it melts smoothly. Soft jaggery blends quicker when cooking the syrup.
Cook the jaggery syrup to hard ball candy. Going beyond risks overcooking.
Quickly mix in the nuts and pour immediately once the syrup is ready. The thicker it gets; the harder spreading becomes.
Use a greased surface and roll out evenly into a thin sheet of uniform thickness before cutting.
Cool completely before storing so the chikki sets up crunchy.
Store in air-tight containers to maximize shelf life of up to a month.
Grate or finely chop the jaggery so it melts smoothly. Soft jaggery blends quicker when cooking the syrup.
Cook the jaggery syrup to hard ball candy. Going beyond risks overcooking.
Quickly mix in the nuts and pour immediately once the syrup is ready. The thicker it gets; the harder spreading becomes.
Use a greased surface and roll out evenly into a thin sheet of uniform thickness before cutting.
Cool completely before storing so the chikki sets up crunchy.
Store in air-tight containers to maximize shelf life of up to a month.
Recipe by Binjal's VEG Kitchen at https://binjalsvegkitchen.com/crushed-peanut-chikki/