14 January, 2019

Peanut Chikki, Peanut Brittle, Groundnut Chikki

Peanut chikki, peanut brittle, or groundnut chikki is my family’s favourite chikki and we always keep buying it.

Come January it is time for the first change in the zodiac after the winter solstice. According to the Hindu calendar is the first day of the month of Magha which is Makar Sankranti. It is also known as Makara Sankranti, Sankramana, Pongal. In Northern India, I believe Sankranti is the kites festival. In Karnataka, it is celebrated on two days. The first day being Bhogi and is always a day before Sankramana and the second day is Sankranti called Sankramana.

In Maharashtra and Goa, you will find ladies bedecked in their finery and with bags in their hands visiting their neighbours for Haldi Kumkum. The practice is to gift the lady visiting with a small token of saubhagya (good luck) may be kumkum, combs, bangles but then recently there are household articles making the round I always have about 2-3 dishwashing liquids or sooji, sugar.

Sankranti or Pongal marks the northward journey of the sun, and the change in seasons. It is basically the harvest season and the abundance of food is celebrated all around the country. Nature and its cycles are integral to Hinduism. We are aware of the fact that living in harmony with nature is beneficial to our wellbeing. It is all about live and let live. More importantly it is a good excuse to eat Chikki.

Chikki is a healthy alternative to most hard candy that we end up buying basically because it uses jaggery that is unrefined sugar and nuts. The most commonly used nuts are peanuts, sesame seeds, cashew nuts. Generally, groundnuts, sesame seeds both oilseeds are needed to fuel our body’s need for more energy in the cold season. Hence, they are made into brittles or chikkis with jaggery in the past. It is only now that sugar has become so common in our lives that we use sugar to make brittles. Though these sugar brittles look pretty the jaggery ones have more health benefits.

Here are some other Sankranti Specials that I have made in the past

• Gajak Recipe
• Tilgul Ladoo
• Til/Sesmae Seed Chikki
• Gul poli/Beld Holgi
• Sajji Rotti

In Foodie Monday BlogHop this week we are celebrating #178 Harvest Harmony. And finally, after sitting on my to-do list for ages this Groundnut Chikki or Peanut Brittle is seeing the light of the day in my kitchen.

SO as they say-

Ellu bele togond ellu bella hante ironu!

Tilgul ghya ani godd bola!

Wish you all a Very Happy Sankranti!

Groundnut Chikki, Peanut Brittle-Sankranti Special

• Serves:  A Small Plate
• Preparation time: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup groundnuts/peanuts
• ¾  cup  jaggery grated
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp  ghee/clarified butter+ more for greasing

Method:

• In thick kadhai/wok add the peanuts and roast them.  To roast the peanuts on low flame  initially till the pan heats up you can collect the rest of the ingredients then start stirring the nuts. You need to actually start stirring continuously after about 5-10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• While the nuts are cooling grate the jaggery. Only in my case the jaggery I picked up was so hard that I needed to pound it. The worst part way generally when you pound jaggery it becomes sticky here we were ‘jaise the’. I mean nothing happened. Add the water and set aside in a thick bottomed pan.
• Now rub the peanuts and remove the skin. I recently came across a suggestion (don’t remember the site) where the lady added the peanuts to a kitchen towel and then rubbed the peanuts with another kitchen towel. I will definitely be trying it next time.
• Coarsely grind the peanuts and set aside. You can use the peanuts whole.
• Grease a steel tray or plate also grease  the bottom of a small bowl  with ghee and set aside.
• Get a small bowl half filled with water and set aside. (This is to test the readiness of the jaggery).
• In the pan where you have soaked the jaggery by now the jaggery must have melted. However if you have stubborn jaggery like mine add a little more water. (You will have to cook a bit longer to get the necessary hardness of the syrup).
• Add the ghee and start heating on low-medium flame till the mixture starts boiling.
• After a boil for 10-15 minutes the syrup will thicken. Now test the syrup by adding a drop of the hot jaggery in the bowl of water. If the jaggery drop forms a soft ball when pressed it is ready else continue heating the mixture and testing the mixture. In case the jaggery is not ready it will spread.
• Add the groundnuts in the mixture and mix well. Work fast for the mixture thickens almost immediately.
• Remove from heat and spread the mixture on the greased plate press evenly with the katori. (Check notes).
• When the mixture is still warm cut in sizes using a sharp knife. Leave it alone and let it cool for an hour. Remember jaggery burns are very painful and hence leave it alone and they break too.
• Once cooled remove carefully bite into a few bits then store in an airtight container else they get sticky.

Notes:

• Get the ingredients lined up before you start making the chikki. Timing is crucial.
• Use the same katori to measure the peanuts and jaggery.
• In case your jaggery is hard like mine add water and let it sit on the counter for some time. You will need extra water that is fine you will have to boil it for a longer time.

Print Recipe

Peanut Chikki, Peanut Brittle, Groundnut Chikki

Chikki is a healthy alternative to most hard candy that we end up buying basically because it uses jaggery that is unrefined sugar and nuts

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Dessert, Elvenses, Festival Cooking, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Dessert, Festive Cooking, Groundnut Chikki, Nutritious Peanut Chikki, peanut Brittle, Peanut brittle in Jaggery, Peanut Chikki Bar

Servings: 1 small tray

Ingredients

• 1 cup groundnuts/peanuts
• 3/4 cup Jaggery grated
• 1 tbsp Water
• 1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter+ more for greasing

Instructions

• In thick kadhai/wok add the peanuts and roast them. To roast the peanuts on low flame initially till the pan heats up you can collect the rest of the ingredients then start stirring the nuts. You need to actually start stirring continuously after about 5-10 minutes.
• Set aside to cool.
• While the nuts are cooling grate the jaggery. Only in my case, the jaggery I picked up was so hard that I needed to pound it. The worst part way generally when you pound jaggery it becomes sticky here we were ‘jaise the’. I mean nothing happened. Add the water and set aside in a thick bottomed pan.
• Now rub the peanuts and remove the skin. I recently came across a suggestion (don’t remember the site) where the lady added the peanuts to a kitchen towel and then rubbed the peanuts with another kitchen towel. I will definitely be trying it next time.
• Coarsely grind the peanuts and set aside. ( You can use the peanuts whole.)
• Grease a steel tray or plate also grease the bottom of a small bowl with ghee and set aside.
• Get a small bowl half filled with water and set aside. (This is to test the readiness of the jaggery).
• In the pan where you have soaked the jaggery, by now the jaggery must have melted. However, if you have stubborn jaggery like mine add a little more water. (You will have to cook a bit longer to get the necessary hardness of the syrup).
• Add the ghee and start heating on low-medium flame till the mixture starts boiling.
• After a boil for 10-15 minutes, the syrup will thicken. Now test the syrup by adding a drop of the hot jaggery in the bowl of water. If the jaggery drop forms a soft ball when pressed it is ready else continue heating the mixture and testing the mixture. In case the jaggery is not ready it will spread.
• Add the groundnuts in the mixture and mix well. Work fast for the mixture thickens almost immediately.
• Remove from heat and spread the mixture on the greased plate press evenly with the katori. (Check notes).
• When the mixture is still warm cut in sizes using a sharp knife. Leave it alone and let it cool for an hour. Remember jaggery burns are very painful and hence leave it alone and they break too.
• Once cooled remove carefully bite into a few bits then store in an airtight container else they get sticky.

Notes

• Get the ingredients lined up before you start making the chikki. Timing is crucial.
• Use the same katori to measure the peanuts and jaggery.
• In case your jaggery is hard like mine add water and let it sit on the counter for some time. You will need extra water that is fine you will have to boil it for a longer time.