Peanut Chikki is sweet, crunchy, and a delicious Indian snack. Making the Chikki is easy and requires only two ingredients: Peanuts and Jaggery!
This sweet snack is trendy in India during the winter and especially during the Makar Sankranti festival. It is a perfect combination of protein from peanuts and iron from Jaggery.
About Peanut Chikki
Chikki is a traditional Indian sweet made with jaggery and nuts like peanuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews. The other varieties include the Chikki with sesame seeds, roasted Chana Dal, puffed rice, or mixed nuts.
Peanut Chikki is a simple recipe with two ingredients, but it is absolutely mouth-watering. When it is time for Makar Sankranti, we make different types of Chikki, but Peanut Chikki is a must.
It makes a delicious snack and immediate satisfaction to the sweet cravings. I can also call it the energy bite, as it is healthy and nutritious if eaten in moderation.
Ingredients For Peanut Chikki
- Peanuts: Choose good quality raw peanuts to make the Chikki. Also, roasting the peanuts till they get crunchy is essential for the crispy Peanut Chikki.
- Jaggery: I have used jaggery powder for this recipe. If you do not have the powder, you can use a jaggery block and chop or grate it before measuring it for the recipe.
Step by Step Directions
Roasting The Peanuts
- Heat a thick-bottomed pan and add peanuts to it.
- Roast the peanuts on medium-low heat, stirring continuously for uniform roasting.
- Roast the peanuts till they become crunchy, and there are some black-brown spots on peanuts.
- You can also taste the peanuts to make sure they are crunchy and well roasted.
- Once roasted, turn off the heat and transfer the peanuts into a bowl or plate.
- Allow them to cool down.
- Once peanuts are cool enough to handle, rub and crush them between your palms to remove the skin. It will come off easily.
- Then get rid of all the skin entirely and keep the peanuts aside. If you have difficulty getting rid of the skin, sift the peanuts using a sieve with large perforations.
- Keep the husked peanuts aside.
Preparations
- Grease the marble board or plate with oil or ghee. Set it aside.
- Also, keep the piece of parchment paper and rolling pin ready. If you want to roll the Chikki without parchment paper, grease the rolling pin as well.
- You can also roll the Chikki by placing the peanut mixture between the two pieces of parchment paper.
- Take cold water into a small bowl and keep it close while making jaggery syrup.
Making Jaggery Syrup
- Add jaggery powder or grated jaggery into the pan.
- Add water to it and turn the switch on low heat.
- Stir the mixture with a spatula or spoon, and jaggery will soon start to melt.
- Continue cooking jaggery syrup, stirring continuously.
- Soon, jaggery syrup will start to thicken and begin to bubble a lot.
- While cooking, keep checking the consistency of syrup by adding a few drops into a bowl of cold water.
- Cook the syrup until it starts to get thicker.
- The syrup will also change the color and become darker.
- At this point, do not leave it unattended and stir continuously to prevent the syrup from burning.
- The syrup should reach a hard ball stage.
- So when you add a couple of drops into a bowl of cold water, it should sink and solidify. Also, it should be firm and snap easily.
Making The Peanut Chikki
- So once the jaggery syrup reaches the right consistency (hard ball stage), quickly add roasted peanuts.
- Mix the peanuts into jaggery syrup until well combined; however, it should be done quickly.
- Now turn off the heat and quickly pour the Chikki mixture onto the greased marble board or plate.
- Place parchment paper on top, and with the rolling pin, roll the mixture into one even layer.
- Remove the parchment paper and mark lines into equal squares with a knife. So it will be easier to cut them into pieces once the Chikki mixture is set.
- The process of rolling and cutting the Peanut Chikki should be done immediately and when the peanut mixture is hot.
- However, you do not have to shape it; once the Chikki is cooled down, you can snap it into pieces.
- Allow the Peanut Chikki to cool down completely and break them into pieces.
- Store the Peanut Chikki into an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Variations
- Cardamom Flavor: Flavor the Peanut Chikki with cardamom by adding ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom while adding peanuts to the syrup.
- Rose Flavor: Add a teaspoon of rose water along with water into jaggery powder. You can also add edible rose petals for more flavors. Add a tablespoon of rose petals into jaggery syrup along with peanuts. Then after rolling the Chikki, you can stick more rose petals if you like.
Helpful Tips
- Jaggery Syrup: The crucial step of the recipe is the right consistency of the jaggery syrup. So cook the syrup until it reaches the hard-ball stage for a nice and crunchy Peanut Chikki. If the syrup is undercooked, the Chikki will be soft and sticky. On the other hand, if the syrup is overcooked, the Chikki will be hard and unpleasant. It is essential to keep checking the syrup consistency at intervals by adding a couple of drops into the bowl of cold water, to check the hard-ball stage and correct syrup consistency. The other option to check the consistency is to use a candy thermometer. Yes, you can use regular white sugar or brown sugar instead of jaggery. And cook the sugar syrup until it reaches a hard ball stage. You can check the consistency by adding sugar syrup drops into a bowl of cold water. If it is the right consistency, the drop will form into a hard ball. You can also use a candy thermometer to check the consistency. The temperature of the syrup should be between 250°F and 265°F.
- Peanuts: Roasting the peanuts well is essential for the crunchy Peanut Chikki. Also, make sure to remove the peanut skin entirely.
- Rolling and Cutting the Peanut Chikki: After transferring the peanut mixture onto a marble board or plate, roll it quickly when the mixture is hot. Then mark the deep lines with a knife into squares, so it is easier to cut the pieces once the Chikki is set. It won’t be easy to roll and slice the Chiki if the mixture cools down.
- Scaling: You can halve the recipe for a small batch or double it to feed the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Use Sugar or Brown Sugar Instead of Jaggery?
Yes, you can use regular white sugar or brown sugar instead of jaggery. And cook the sugar syrup until it reaches a hard ball stage. You can check the consistency by adding sugar syrup drops into a bowl of cold water. If it is the right consistency, the drop will form into a hard ball. You can also use a candy thermometer to check the consistency. The temperature of the syrup should be between 250°F and 265°F.
Why My Peanut Chikki is Soft and Sticky?
If you do not roast the peanuts until they are crunchy, the Chikki tastes soft without any crunch. And if the jaggery syrup is not cooked up to the right point (undercooked), the Chikki becomes sticky.
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Recipe Card
Peanut Chikki Recipe (Peanut Brittle)
Peanut Chikki is sweet, crunchy, and delicious. This mouth-watering candy is popular in India during winter, and it is beyond easy to make.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (320g) raw peanuts
- 1 cup (180g) tightly packed jaggery powder or grated jaggery
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon oil or ghee for greasing
Instructions
Roasting Peanuts
- Heat a thick-bottomed pan and add peanuts to it.
- Roast the peanuts on medium-low heat, stirring continuously for uniform roasting.
- Roast the peanuts till they become crunchy, and there are some black-brown spots on peanuts. You can also taste the peanuts to make sure they are crunchy and well roasted.
- Once roasted, turn off the heat and transfer the peanuts into a bowl or plate. Allow them to cool down.
- Once peanuts are cool enough to handle, rub and crush them between your palms to remove the skin. It will come off easily.
- Then get rid of all the skin entirely and keep the peanuts aside. If you have difficulty getting rid of the skin, sift the peanuts using a sieve with large perforations.
- Keep the husked peanuts aside.
Preparations
- Grease the marble board or plate with oil or ghee. Set it aside.
- Also, keep the piece of parchment paper and rolling pin ready. If you want to roll the Chikki without parchment paper, grease the rolling pin as well.
- Take cold water into a small bowl and keep it close while making jaggery syrup.
Making Jaggery Syrup
- Add jaggery powder or grated jaggery into the same pan. Add water to it and turn the switch on low heat.
- Stir the mixture with a spatula or spoon, and jaggery will soon start to melt.
- Continue cooking jaggery syrup, stirring continuously. Soon, jaggery syrup will start to thicken and begin to bubble a lot.
- While cooking, keep checking the consistency of syrup by adding a few drops into a bowl of cold water.
- Cook the syrup until it starts to get thicker. The syrup will also change the color and become darker. At this point, do not leave it unattended and stir continuously to prevent the syrup from burning.
- The syrup should reach a hard ball stage. So when you add a couple of drops into a bowl of cold water, it should sink and solidify. Also, it should be firm and snap easily.
Making Peanut Chikki
- So once the jaggery syrup reaches the right consistency (hard ball stage), quickly add roasted peanuts.
- Mix the peanuts into jaggery syrup until well combined; however, it should be done quickly.
- Now turn off the heat and quickly pour the Chikki mixture onto the greased marble board or plate.
- Place parchment paper on top, and with the rolling pin, roll the mixture into one even layer. Remove the parchment paper and mark lines into equal squares with a knife. So it will be easier to cut them into pieces once the Chikki is set.
- The process of rolling and cutting the Peanut Chikki should be done immediately and when the peanut mixture is hot.
- Allow the Peanut Chikki to cool down completely and then break them into pieces.
- Store the Peanut Chikki into an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Notes
- Jaggery Syrup: The crucial step of the recipe is the right consistency of the jaggery syrup. So cook the syrup until it reaches the hard-ball stage for a nice and crunchy Peanut Chikki. If the syrup is undercooked, the Chikki will be soft and sticky. On the other hand, if the syrup is overcooked, the Chikki will be hard and unpleasant. Therefore, it is essential to keep checking the syrup consistency at intervals by adding a couple of drops into the bowl of cold water to check the hard-ball stage and correct syrup consistency. The other option to check the consistency is to use a thermometer. The temperature of the syrup should be between 250°F and 265°F.
- Peanuts: Roasting the peanuts well is essential for the crunchy Peanut Chikki. Also, make sure to remove the peanut skin entirely.
- Rolling and Cutting the Peanut Chikki: After transferring the peanut mixture onto a marble board or plate, roll it quickly when the mixture is hot. Then mark the deep lines with a knife into squares, so it is easier to cut the pieces once the Chikki is set. It won’t be easy to roll and slice the Chiki if the mixture cools down. However, you do not have to shape the Chikki, but simply snap it into pieces once set.
- Scaling: You can halve the recipe for a small batch or double it to feed the crowd.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
Calories : 105kcalCarbohydrates : 9gProtein : 3gFat : 7gSaturated Fat : 1gPolyunsaturated Fat : 2gMonounsaturated Fat : 3gSodium : 1mgPotassium : 88mgFiber : 1gSugar : 7gCalcium : 9mgIron : 1mg
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