PEANUT DISCS/ PEANUT CHIKKI

Chikki a healthy snack, can be had at any time. It is an instant energy booster.

As a child I believed that Lonavla is the only place on this earth where one can get Chikki. Whenever we used to drive down to Mumbai my father would stop by to pick up some chikkis to be munched on the way and also gifted to our relatives.

Different types of chikkis were made with peanut, coconut, sesame, dry fruits, chocolate. In my recent visit to this place I got know about more different varieties of chikkis available like the low calorie types, sugarfree types, the list is quite long…

Jaggery is rich source of iron, eases digestion, good for bones, and excellent antioxidant. It is also known to be a very good cleanser for our body. Peanuts are rich in energy and a good source of dietary fiber. They are packed with Vitamins and minerals. Also when roasted the antioxidant properties of peanuts gets enhanced.

This is a very basic, easy and popular type of chikki. Instead of whole peanuts one can use them in crushed form also.

Peanut discs/ Peanut chikki

Ingredients

• 200 gms peanuts (roasted)
• 200 gms jaggery (crushed)
• 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
• ¼ tsp cardamom (powdered)

How to make

Grease two plates (diameter 8”) with some ghee. Keep aside.

Melt the jaggery in a nonstick pan on low heat. Add the ghee to it. Let it cook further for another minute stirring continuously.

Add the peanuts and cardamom powder to the jaggery. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Once well combined transfer the mixture to the greased plate in form of dollops. Then gently press with oiled spatula or a flat spoon to shape them into small discs.

I did a little variation to the same mixture by just dropping spoonful of the same mixture on the greased plate. When cooled they appeared like little rocks.

Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before transferring them into an air tight jar.

Tips

• Be careful while roasting the peanuts as over roasting may make the sesame bitter to taste.
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• To avoid burning, jaggery should be melted and cooked on low heat only.