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Chettinad Pepper Chicken
Made with Bharat Sesame Oil
✨ Made with Bharat Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil
Til Chikki — Traditional Sesame Brittle for Makar Sankranti
Five ingredients, fifteen minutes, and a technique that hasn't changed in generations. Sesame seeds and jaggery melted to the precise hard-ball stage, pressed thin, and set to a brittle that shatters cleanly. Bharat Sesame Oil is the final touch — used to grease the surface and tools, preventing sticking while adding a whisper of the same sesame character that runs through the entire sweet.
Prep Time5 min
Cook Time10 min
Makes15–20 pieces
DifficultyMedium
DietaryVegan · GF
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Method
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Dry roast the sesame seeds in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until the seeds turn faintly golden and begin to pop and jump in the pan — this is the point. You will smell a warm, deep nuttiness. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a bowl. Do not let them sit in the hot pan or they will continue cooking and turn bitter.
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Prepare your work surface while the seeds are still warm. Using a brush, cloth, or your fingers, grease the rolling pin, flat surface, and spatula generously with Bharat Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil. Work quickly — the jaggery syrup sets fast and a well-greased surface is the difference between chikki that releases cleanly and chikki that tears. The subtle nutty character of the oil adds a traditional finishing note to the brittle.
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In the same pan (wiped clean), combine the grated jaggery and 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over medium flame, stirring until the jaggery dissolves completely into a smooth syrup. Once dissolved, stop stirring and let it boil undisturbed.
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Cook the jaggery syrup until it reaches the hard-ball stage — approximately 3–4 minutes after it begins boiling. To test: drop a small amount of syrup into the bowl of cold water. It should immediately form a firm, non-sticky ball that holds its shape when you press it between your fingers but doesn't crack. If the ball is soft and sticky, cook for another 30 seconds. If it snaps hard, you've gone too far. The hard-ball stage is the precise window for chikki — too soft and it won't set; too hard and it will be brittle and difficult to eat.
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Turn off the heat. Working quickly, add the roasted sesame seeds to the jaggery syrup and stir vigorously with a dry spatula to coat every seed evenly. If using, add cardamom powder and dry ginger powder now. Mix fast — the mixture begins to stiffen within seconds.
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Immediately transfer the hot mixture onto the greased surface. Place a sheet of parchment on top and use the greased rolling pin to press and roll it out to an even thickness of about ½ inch (1.25 cm). Work quickly — the mixture hardens as it cools.
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While the chikki is still warm and pliable (not yet hard), score it into rectangles or squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Press firmly straight down — do not drag the knife or the edges will crumble. The scoring must be done now; once fully cooled, the brittle will not cut cleanly.
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Allow to cool completely at room temperature — 15 to 20 minutes. Once cool, snap the pieces apart along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container. Til chikki keeps well for 2–3 weeks if stored away from moisture.
Why Bharat Sesame Oil for Greasing
Traditional chikki recipes always call for sesame oil (or ghee) for greasing — never refined vegetable oil, and never butter. The reason is both practical and flavour-driven. Bharat Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil has the right viscosity to coat metal and marble surfaces evenly, and its natural compounds don't interfere with the jaggery's setting process. But more than that, the sesame oil completes the flavour circle — the same sesame character that roasting brings to the seeds is present in the greasing oil, reinforcing the whole sweet with a consistent, warm nuttiness. A neutral oil would work technically but miss this entirely.
Learn about Bharat Sesame Oil →Cook's Notes
- The hard-ball stage (118–121°C / 245–250°F) is the single most important technical element of this recipe. If you have a candy thermometer, use it. If not, the cold-water test is reliable — a firm but pliable ball that doesn't stick to your fingers is exactly right.
- Speed matters after the sesame seeds go in. Have your greased surface, rolling pin, and knife ready before you turn on the heat. You have roughly 60–90 seconds from pan to pressed slab before the mixture hardens.
- Marble slabs are the traditional choice — they conduct heat away from the brittle quickly, helping it set evenly. A steel tray works well too. If using parchment on a counter, work fast as the surface doesn't cool the mixture as effectively.
- Jaggery quality varies significantly. Softer, moister jaggery (common in Indian stores) has more water content and may need slightly longer cooking. Taste a small piece — good jaggery should be deeply caramel, not bitter or astringent. Bitter jaggery will make bitter chikki.
- For black sesame chikki (kala til chikki), substitute black sesame seeds. The roasting step is the same but slightly trickier to judge by colour — go by the popping sound and the aroma instead.
- Moisture is the enemy of chikki storage. Store only after completely cooled, in an airtight tin or jar. A single piece of moisture-absorbing silica packet in the container extends shelf life significantly.
Get Bharat Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil
Pure, nutty, aromatic — the traditional choice for chikki greasing and far beyond.