Sesame and Peanut Chikki (Praline / Kadalai Mitai)

The festival of Sankranti was a delightful and busy time for us. We were fortunate to have my mother and mother-in-law with us, and they expertly prepared various traditional Sankranti recipes. I was amazed to discover how easy it was to make Chikki, a sweet and crunchy snack. Inspired by their expertise, I tried making this delicious treat using various ingredients such as almonds, cashews, pistachios, and melon seeds. It was a truly enriching experience for me.

Peanut Chikki

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 cup roasted peanuts or roasted sesame seeds (any nuts desired)

1 tsp ghee

Preparation

Heat a pan and add 1 tsp ghee, to this add sugar. Keep tossing the sugar on medium heat. No water should be added.



The sugar melts and caramelizes this way as shown in the picture and changes color.

As soon as all the sugar caramelizes and changes color, add the crushed peanuts. Peanuts should be slightly crushed to give a thick texture. Mix quickly turn off the heat immediately and transfer it to a clean surface in the kitchen which is slightly oiled. The whole process should be done very quickly and carefully before the sugar syrup starts getting a thicker consistency.

After pouring the mixture on a flat surface quickly roll it with a rolling pin to make it flat.

Cut them into pieces and let them cool.

After it cools down break them into pieces and enjoy. It is homemade and kids will cherish it.

The following is made of roasted sesame seeds with the same procedure.