Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars

// This delicious Til Chikki (sesame seeds brittle) recipe yields flavorful, crunchy, sweet, nutty chikki. Learn to make til chikki with a simple video.



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Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bar is a traditional Indian brittle recipe generally prepared during the festivals of Lohri and Makar Sankranti (kite flying festival). 

Learn to make this delicious til chikki with a simple step-by-step video guide. This is the best and fail-proof Til Chikki recipe you will ever need to make homemade til chikkis.

a man holding a sesame seed bar

These bars are a delectable winter delicacy that is enjoyed throughout the winter season. This is because sesame seeds and jaggery both give energy, nourish us, and keep the body warm during winters.

Like Til Laddu, these irresistible and yummy Til Chikkis (sesame seeds bars), and  Aate Ki Pinni are also gifted to neighbors, friends, and family during the Makar Sankranti festival. 

Making til chikki at home is surely an art, and this recipe writeup on this page covers all the tips, tricks, and variations that will help you make the best crunchy and delicious Til Chikki at home.

Hard to resist Til Chikki recipe yields crunchy, sweet, nutty til chikki that has a touch of cardamom — exactly the kind of sesame seed brittle anyone would love. 

It is a healthy and delicious sweet snack. Til Chikki is easy and simple to make and it only takes 15 minutes, plus, 10-15 minutes to cool.

overhead shot of sesame seed bars and some nuts in a metal bowl

What is Til Chikki?

It is a flavorful and delicious Indian sweet brittle prepared with roasted sesame seeds and melted jaggery which adds the stickiness and helps to shape it.

Til Chikki or Sesame Seed Chikki is also known as ‘Til Gur Ki Patti’ or ‘Til aur Gur ki Chikki’, which is a simple translation of Sesame Jaggery Bar.

What are the other types of chikki?

There are also other popular chikkis like peanut chikki, dry fruits chikki, peanut cashew chikki, cashew chikki, almonds chikki, Peanut Coconut Chikki, and Murmura Chikki.

This Til Chikki (Sesame Seeds Brittle) recipe:

✓ makes a guilt-free sweet that gives a perfect satisfaction of sweet dish.

✓ is quick, easy and fuss-free.

✓ healthy and delicious and loaded with nutritional properties.

✓ can be prepared at festivals such as Makar Sankranti and Lohri.

✓ makes a warming winter sweet.

✓ is ready under 15 minutes.

✓ makes a perfect gift for festivals or munch.

✓ is gluten-free and can be made vegan.

✓ stays fresh for up to 1 month.

✓ is perfectly sweet, nutty, gluten-free, paleo, and (could be vegan).

til chikki served in a metal plate and a candle in backdrop

What are the ingredients to make Til Chikki?

This mouth-watering til chikki recipe is prepared using simple ingredients. 

You require very few ingredients to make Til Chikki. This recipe calls for 3 main ingredients, and the other 2 ingredients are completely optional.

All you need is 5 ingredients which are:

  • Raw white sesame seeds (safed til)

  • Jaggery (gur) or sugar (shakkar)

  • Clarified butter (ghee)

  • Sliced chopped nuts (almonds and pistachios) - optional

  • Cardamom powder (elaichi powder) - optional

How to make Til Chikki?

Making til Chikki at home is very simple. Here is a step-by-step guide for no-fail Til Chikki (Tilachi Chikki):

Step 1: Dry roast sesame seeds - Add the sesame seeds to a heavy bottom pan and roast on medium heat for 3-5 mins until they are aromatic and lightly golden. Transfer roasted sesame seeds in a plate and keep aside to cool.

Step 2: Make the jaggery syrup - Next, in the same pan, add ghee. Once the ghee is melted, add jaggery powder. Stir constantly and cook on low heat until the jaggery melts completely and form a syrup.

You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of water at this point if the syrup is too thick. Once, the jaggery melts, boil it for 1-2 minutes or until it forms a hard-ball. At this stage, it will start forming bubbles and become slightly dark in color.

Step 3: Check the syrup consistency - To check consistency, do a cold water test by pouring a few drops of jaggery syrup to the cold water. Jaggery syrup will harden immediately when dropped to cold water and forms a brittle. Remove it and snap it.

It should be easy to brittle like candy. This is the perfect hard-ball stage we are looking for. 

Step 4: Add nuts and sesame seeds to the syrup - Once the syrup is ready, add the nuts and cardamom powder and give it a mix. Next, turn off the heat and add roasted sesame seeds, and quickly mix everything well.

Step 5: Spread mixture and cut bars - Immediately pour the mixture onto a greased parchment paper-lined worktop. Quickly spread it as thin as you can and shape it to a square using a wooden spatula. 

Let it cool for a couple of minutes. With the help of the greased rolling pin, roll it evenly into a thin sheet. You can also use a greased cup to even up the top. Cut the til chikki into desired pieces while it is hot. Loosen chikki pieces after 10 minutes.

Now let it cool completely for 30 minutes before storing it in an airtight container.

You can check out detailed recipe in the recipe box on this page.

overhead shot of til chikki

When to make Til Chikki?

You can make Til Chikki throughout the winter. Or you can make this til chikki anytime when you want to satisfy a craving for sesame seed brittle.

You can also make them for parties or get-togethers, I am sure these sesame seed bars would be a magnificent enhancement to your dessert table. It can easily be prepared at home without putting much effort. 

Can I replace jaggery with sugar?

Yes, you can certainly replace jaggery with sugar. For making this til chikki with sugar, you can use the same amount of granulated or powdered sugar. 

**There are two versions of Til Chikki: **

  1. If you use sugar for making til chikki then the chikki would be called ‘Shakkar Til Ki Chikki’ which translates to ‘Sugar Sesame Bars.

  2. If you are making til chikki with jaggery then the name of jaggery is Til Gur Ki Chikki’ which means ‘Jaggery Sesame Bars (Til Gur ki Chikki).

Some snacks that go well with chikki are:

Corn Pakora

Crispy Aloo Palak Pakora

Gobi Pakora

Onion Pakoda (Fritters)

til chikki arranged in a pile

What sweetener is used in Til chikki?

Chikkis are either made with jaggery or sugar. Traditional chikkis are either made using a mixture of jaggery/sugar and some ghee.

How do you serve Til Chikki?

Til Chikki is a perfectly healthy and delicious substitute for rich chocolates and candies. Til Chikki can be eaten alone as a candy or along with tea. You can also enjoy this as an after-meal light dessert.

Make this til chikki recipe for your family and friends, I am sure they will not be able to stop at just 1 bar.  

sesame seeds bars arranged in a pile

Tips and variations to make your best Til Chikki:

Making these til chikkis might look a little intimidating, but unlike their looks, these sesame seed bars are not hard to deal with. In fact, this must be one of the easiest sweet things.

Just follow the procedure and these tips carefully, and you would be able to make the best til chikki. 

  1. Before adding roasted sesame and nuts into the jaggery syrup, you can check the temperature using a candy thermometer. It is important to cook the jaggery to the right stage for a perfect result. When boiling jaggery or sugar syrup, always look for the hard-ball stage (which is around 270°F = 132°C) while making til chikkis. For making this til chikki, you need to boil the jaggery syrup till its temperature becomes approx 270°F (=132°C).

  2. If you don’t have a digital candy thermometer, then you can simply pour a drop of jaggery (gur) syrup in a bowl of cold water. Wait for a few seconds before checking the consistency. The temperature is perfect if the syrup immediately turns hard and forms a solid ball. It gets hardened to a brittle consistency, at this stage, it would be easy to snap. Boil for some more time if the syrup is not ready.

  3. Don’t overcook or undercook the jaggery jaggery syrup. If you cook syrup too much then the chikkis will turn hard and bitter. If the syrup is undercooked then it will stick to your teeth.

  4. If making sugar sesame chikki, then simply replace jaggery with the same amount of granulated sugar. The rest of the recipe will be the same.

  5. I have only used white sesame seeds for this recipe but it can also be prepared with brown sesame seeds. Or you can also use a mix of sesame seeds.

  6. To make it nuttier, you can also add other nuts and seeds like roasted peanuts, roasted coconut, roasted poppy seeds, roasted flax seeds, and sunflower seeds to this chikki.

  7. Try to use a wider pan when melting jaggery, this way jaggery/sugar caramelizes more evenly. 

  8. The perfect ratio of sesame and jaggery (sugar) is 1:1 for making til chikkis. However, if you want more jaggery in chikki then use 1 ¼ cups of jaggery for 1 cup of roasted sesame seeds.

  9. Store Til Chikki at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.

  10. The final color of til chikkis depends on the type of jaggery you have used. If you have used golden brown jaggery then the chikkis will turn dark brown. If you have used yellow jaggery then the chikkis would come out light brown in color.

  11. For the ease of rolling, always spread the mixture on a greased surface and use a greased rolling pin, preferably a wooden rolling pin.  

  12. Roll out the sesame jaggery mixture when it is hot. It’s because it will be difficult to roll once the mixture cools down.

a hand showing a til chikki

Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars (Step-by-step photo instructions)

How To Roast Til (Sesame Seeds) //

  1. Add sesame seeds to a heavy bottomed pan.
  2. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-1 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  3. Dry roast sesame seeds over medium heat. Keep roasting for 3-4 minutes until you get a nice roasting nutty aroma, and they become light golden in color. They would also swell up and start crackling at this point.
  4. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-2 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  5. Once done, turn off the heat. Keep the pan aside and let it cool.
  6. Image of the recipe cooking step-1-3 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars

How To Make Jaggery Syrup //

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee to a non-stick pan.
  2. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-1 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  3. Once the ghee melts, add the powdered jaggery.
  4. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-2 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  5. Stir constantly and cook over low heat until the jaggery melts completely. This whole process would take around around 4-5 minutes. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of water at this point if the syrup is too thick.
  6. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-3 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  7. Once, ths jaggery melts, boil it for 1-2 minutes or until it forms a hard ball. At this stage it will start forming bubbles and become slightly dark in colour.
  8. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-4 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  9. To check consistency, do a cold water test by pouring a few drops of jaggery syrup to the cold water. Jaggery syrup will harden immediately when dropped to cold water and forms a brittle. Remove it and snap it. It should be easy to brittle like a candy. This is the perfect hard ball stage we are looking for. If it is stringy, cook jaggery syrup further until you get hard ball consistency.(You can also use a candy thermometer. If you are using a candy thermometer, then cook the syrup until it reaches 270 degrees.)
  10. Image of the recipe cooking step-2-5 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars

How To Make Til Chikki //

  1. Add chopped pistachios, sliced almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder to jaggery syrup and give it a mix. Turn off the heat.
  2. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-1 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  3. Add roasted sesame seeds to the jaggery syrup.
  4. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-2 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  5. Mix until well combined.
  6. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-3 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  7. Grease your worktop or a parchment paper with ghee on which you will roll the chikki.
  8. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-4 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  9. Also, grease a wooden rolling pin and a knife.
  10. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-5 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  11. Immediately pour this jaggery sesame mixture onto the greased surface.
  12. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-6 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  13. Quickly shape it to a square using a greased knife or a wooden spatula. Let it cool for a couple of minutes.
  14. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-7 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  15. With the help of the greased rolling pin, roll it evenly into a thin sheet. You can also use a greased cup to even up the top.
  16. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-8 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  17. Sprinkle the rolled sheet with chopped pistachios and roll again.
  18. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-9 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  19. Cut the sesame chikki into desired pieces while it is hot.
  20. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-10 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  21. Loosen chikki pieces and lift them from the parchment and break along the lines after 10 minutes.
  22. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-11 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  23. Now let it cool completely for 30 minutes before storing it in an air tight container.
  24. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-12 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars
  25. Store sesame chikki in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 1 month.
  26. Image of the recipe cooking step-3-13 for Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars

Recipe Card


Til Chikki - Sesame Seed Bars [Recipe]

Recipe Image
This delicious Til Chikki (sesame seeds brittle) recipe yields flavorful, crunchy, sweet, nutty chikki. Learn to make til chikki with a simple video.
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 47 reviews)

Prep time 🕐 Cook time 🕐 Total time 🕐
15 mins
Category ☶ Cuisine ♨ Serves ☺
Desserts Indian 12 jumbo bars
Nutrition Info ⊛ Serving size ⊚
74 calories 1 bar

INGREDIENTS

For Til Chikki //
  • 1 cup sesame seeds (til)
  • 1 cup jaggery (gud) or sugar (shakkar)
  • 2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), use vegan butter for vegan version
  • 1/2 teaspoon ghee for greasing surface, rolling pin and knife

INSTRUCTIONS:

How To Roast Til (Sesame Seeds) //
  1. Add sesame seeds to a heavy bottomed pan.
  2. Dry roast sesame seeds over medium heat. Keep roasting for 3-4 minutes until you get a nice roasting nutty aroma, and they become light golden in color. They would also swell up and start crackling at this point.
  3. Once done, turn off the heat. Keep the pan aside and let it cool.
How To Make Jaggery Syrup //
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee to a non-stick pan.
  2. Once the ghee melts, add the powdered jaggery.
  3. Stir constantly and cook over low heat until the jaggery melts completely. This whole process would take around around 4-5 minutes. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of water at this point if the syrup is too thick.
  4. Once, ths jaggery melts, boil it for 1-2 minutes or until it forms a hard ball. At this stage it will start forming bubbles and become slightly dark in colour.
  5. To check consistency, do a cold water test by pouring a few drops of jaggery syrup to the cold water. Jaggery syrup will harden immediately when dropped to cold water and forms a brittle. Remove it and snap it. It should be easy to brittle like a candy. This is the perfect hard ball stage we are looking for. If it is stringy, cook jaggery syrup further until you get hard ball consistency.(You can also use a candy thermometer. If you are using a candy thermometer, then cook the syrup until it reaches 270 degrees.)
How To Make Til Chikki //
  1. Add chopped pistachios, sliced almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder to jaggery syrup and give it a mix. Turn off the heat.
  2. Add roasted sesame seeds to the jaggery syrup.
  3. Mix until well combined.
  4. Grease your worktop or a parchment paper with ghee on which you will roll the chikki.
  5. Also, grease a wooden rolling pin and a knife.
  6. Immediately pour this jaggery sesame mixture onto the greased surface.
  7. Quickly shape it to a square using a greased knife or a wooden spatula. Let it cool for a couple of minutes.
  8. With the help of the greased rolling pin, roll it evenly into a thin sheet. You can also use a greased cup to even up the top.
  9. Sprinkle the rolled sheet with chopped pistachios and roll again.
  10. Cut the sesame chikki into desired pieces while it is hot.
  11. Loosen chikki pieces and lift them from the parchment and break along the lines after 10 minutes.
  12. Now let it cool completely for 30 minutes before storing it in an air tight container.
  13. Store sesame chikki in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 1 month.

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NOTES:

  1. Make sure to cook jaggery syrup until it gets the right hard ball consistency.
  2. Don’t over cook or under cook the jaggery jaggery syrup. If you cook syrup too much then the chikkis will turn hard and bitter. If the syrup is undercooked then it will stick to your teeth.
  3. Let the mixture cool down for a couple of minutes before rolling chikki.
  4. Don’t roll the chikki while the mixture is very hot, or else the mixture will stick to the rolling pin.
  5. You can replace jaggery with the same amount of sugar.
  6. It would be hard to cut chikki into pieces if it is firmed up. So always cut chikki when it is slightly hot. This way the chikkis will easily come out.


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