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Peanut and Til Chikki / Laddu

This sweet has been one of my favorites since childhood. I first tried making these at home on Sat Tilla Ekadashi and after a few trials managed to get them to be perfect. Just the way I like them. I like them broken in uneven pieces rather than straight edged perfect squares.


Heres what you need:

3/4th Cup white Sesame seeds (140g)
1/2 Cup Jaggery (140g)
2 Tbsp Peanuts + 2 Tbsp Almonds (dryroasted peeled and roughly chopped) (total 50g)

Heres what you do:

In a wide straight bottom nonstick pan, first dry roast the peanuts and almonds, get them ready as suggested above. Keep aside and dryroast the sesame seeds till it looks oily and coloured. You want them to be browned and shiny like so:


Remove & keep aside. Both need continuous stirring to make sure they are evenly roasted.

Then in the hot pan add the block of jaggery (you may chop it). Toss it around a bit to enable faster melting. Keep mixing it as it melts and bubbles, this ensures that it is cooked evenly.

Reduce flame once it melts completely. Continue mixing while it bubbles and boils.


Once you see the bubbling has stopped and its getting darker, add a tablespoon of water and continue cooking till it is smooth again. You want all moisture to evaporate. The water added here is to cool the mixture a little so its easier to work with in the next step.



Now switch off the flame and add the crushed nuts with the powder and sesame seeds and mix until it is all well combined.

Flatten it in the same pan where its cooked and with wet hands, start plucking the edges to make balls out of it. Peel and turn over the entire block to ensure it doesn't stick. Continue making balls or just tear up pieces.


Be as quick as you can because it hardens as it cools. Work with wet hands but ensure u do not get water in the mixture for that destroys the crunch.

And heres why we do what we do:

Tilgud chikki or laddu is a very nourishing snack. Both Til and Peanuts are heavy, oily and heating (ushna virya) in nature. So, they are excellent foods for pacifying the cold dryness of Vata airs collected in the body from the environment. Almonds though heavy are warming rather than heating when blanched so anywhich ways they are also good for balancing Vata dosha. They are not generally added to til chikki so feel free to replace it with peanuts.

The trick to get them crunchy and sticky enough to bind is cooking the gud to the right consistency before adding the seeds and nuts.

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