Til Chikki aka Sesame Seed Brittle

Name: Til Chikki aka Sesame Seed Brittle
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 8 min
Ingredients: 200 gm jaggery; 200 gm sesame seeds; Pinch of salt; 1 tbsp ghee

Til chikki is brittle made out of sesame seeds and jaggery (gur). It is a simple Indian snack and sweet treat recipe that you can easily make at home.

Growing up I LOVED peanut and cashew chikki. I wasn’t a fan of til chikki. A few years ago, mum wanted to buy it as she was craving it and we couldn’t find it anywhere. We had the option of buying it online from amazon but delivery was going to take a week as it was getting shipped from India. I did a little digging and found that it only needs 2 ingredients and nothing fancy to make it. Needless to say I got to work and made it at home. She loved it but I was surprised as I loved it too. I remember hating til chikki as a kid. So now I make it every month. Let us understand it a little more before we get into the recipe.

What is chikki?

Chikki is brittle in Hindi. It is commonly made with jaggery and nuts/seeds. You can find it all across india in a variety of flavors and combinations.

What is chikki made of?

Chikki is made of some form of sugar and nuts/seeds. Authentically it is made with jaggery but you can use sugar to make it as well. Some recipes use date sugar, cane sugar and brown sugar too. The type of nut/seed you use is what give the chikki its name, for example, til chikki is sesame seed brittle as til is sesame seeds.

When making brittle at home there are a few pressure points to keep in mind which we will go into detail about and discuss so you can achieve the perfect brittle every time you make it at home. This recipe is a guide to making any kind of chikki at home as the principles are the same with any seed/nut you use.

What ingredients do you need to make Til Chikki (sesame seed brittle)?

Jaggery –

I have used light brown jaggery block to make this chikki (it is the most commonly used jaggery to make chikki in India). You can use jaggery powder, dark jaggery or palm sugar cubes as well. This recipe can be made with sugar, however I have noticed, sugar gives the chikki a bit more of a crunch/get hard easily.

Sesame seeds –

This is a til chikki hence the til aka sesame seeds. You can use any seeds you like or nuts as well. If you are feeling adventurous, use a combination of nuts and seeds, however they MUST be as per the volume to ensure the ratios aren’t wrong or else there wont be enough caramel for the seeds to allow the chikki to set.

What equipment do you need to make this Til Chikki (sesame seed brittle)?

I have used a heavy bottom pan to melt the jaggery and cook the sesame seeds in the mixture. You will need a wooden spatula/rubber spatula to mix it together. We need a small bowl/glass to do a soft ball water test. Once the mixture is ready I set it in a thali aka steel plate but you can set it in any container you prefer. We need a knife to cut the chikki into squares before it cools.

How to make this Til Chikki (sesame seed brittle)?

We start by weighing out our jaggery and sesame seeds. Using a little ghee or butter, brush the thali/pan you will set the chikki in – you must do this step now as once the mixture is hot and ready we don’t want to waste time as it starts to set fast. We then toast the sesame seeds in a heavy bottom pan on low to medium heat. Once you smell the seeds, take them off the heat and transfer to a plate. In the same pan add the jaggery and let it melt on low heat. Once the mixture is liquid we want to cook it for 3-4 minutes on low to medium heat, it will bubble up, make sure to stir it. We will do a water test to check the temperature of the jaggery, drop a little of the hot jaggery into a glass of room temperature water, if the mixture gets hard it means the jaggery has reached hard ball consistency, if the mixture is soft it means the jaggery is at soft ball consistency, if the mixture dissolves in the water it is not hot enough and needs to be cooked much longer. Take it off the heat once the jaggery is at hard ball consistency and add the toasted sesame seeds into the pan. Working quickly stir the mixture around until we coated and transfer to the thali, spread it out as evenly as possible and before it sets while still warm, cut into squares. Let this cool completely for a couple of hours at room temperature. Once cooled, break apart into pieces and serve with masala chai.

Storing this Til Chikki (sesame seed brittle)?

Chikki keeps for weeks if stored well. Make sure it is stored in an air tight container at room temperature once it is completely cooled.

Pro Tips for the PERFECT Chikki at home:

Weigh out your ingredients, this will ensure you are not going to have any issues with the ratios.
Brush the thali with ghee/butter before you start the cooking process as once you begin, you cannot leave the stove.
When cooking the jaggery try an use a heavy bottom pan as it will melt and heat the jaggery evenly without burning the sides.
Make sure to have a glass of room temperature water next to you to do the water test when cooking the jaggery, the time of 3-5 minutes is a ball park but this can vary depending on the size of the pan, the heat and the type of jaggery being used.
We want a hard ball consistency with the jaggery caramel – if it needs to be cooked longer to achieve it, cook it longer.
Always cook the caramel on a lower heat as it is easier to control.
Once the mixture is stirred together work quickly or else it will set.
Cut into the chikki while its warm so you can break it into squares once it has cooled down.

Looking for more Indian snack recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this Til Chikki (sesame seed brittle), you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.