October 17, 2008

Peanut Brittle Bar to you, Chikki to me

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"Chikki" is what we used to call peanut brittle bars as children (I still call them that). Sounds kind of cute isn't it?
It is a integral sweet part of every school going kid, little bars of chikkis bought from small-shop vendors at the corner of every street.
They are traditionally made from peanuts and jaggery (Indian brown sugar), but they can also be made from other ingredients that I will get to shortly.

Life before candy thermometers was a bowl of cold water sitting beside the hot sugar syrup which was boiling away in a hot pan.
We would take a little of the sugar syrup and drop it into the bowl of water to see what stage it was at.
If the syrup dissolved it meant we could only use it as a syrup.
If we were able to shape it with our fingers, then it was at the soft-ball stage, and if we could roll it out without the sugar dissolving into a very firm ball, then it was at the hard-crack stage.
Those were fun days, getting to dunk the sugar in the water, playing around with the various stages of melted sugar, and then since those little pieces couldn't be put back into the hot boiling liquid, we would end up eating them!
Life's little pleasures.

Now, I just fit the pan with the thermometer and forget about it. These are labor less pleasures, which seem to suit today's lifestyle.
And here I speak as though I am a hundred years old!

The recipe here today is for making peanut brittle, you may substitute the peanuts with other nuts (say almonds, pecans or cashews), sesame seeds, or even puffed/beaten rice. The procedure listed below remains the same.

Peanut Brittle to you, Chikki to me

Ingredients:

Skinned white peanuts - 2 1/2 cups (halved, not the whole peanuts)
Jaggery (Indian brown sugar) - 1 cup packed
Water - 1/4 cup
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Dried Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp

Hardware:
Greased tray
Candy thermometer

Method:

Dry roast the peanuts in a pan till lightly brown or microwave it for a couple of minutes till crunchy.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper/aluminium foil and either, grease liberally or use a non-stick spray to prevent sticking.

In a non-stick pan, fit a candy thermometer, bring the jaggery and water to a boil, mixing it frequently.

When it reaches close to hard-candy stage (a little lower than that stage), turn off the heat, and immediately add the peanuts, cardamom, and dried ginger powder.

Mix well, so the peanuts are coated with the sugar syrup.

Immediately pour the entire mixture onto the greased tray, and spread with the back of the spatula into a 1/2 inch thick layer. Do this as quickly as possible, since it tends to harden quickly.

Let it sit for about an hour to cool. If you can break off a small piece, it means the brittle has set.

Now, break the entire slab into smaller pieces by hand.

Store in an air tight container for later.

60 comments:

  1. Chikki looks perfect, nothing more or nothing less just perfect...

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  2. I love this Chikki and having it since my childhood.Looks inviting.I have another comment in Mahimaa's blog for you.
    Ramkumar

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  3. Chikki looks delicious..has come out great..

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  4. looks perfect anu..even i love this and used to call it chikki...same pinch! homemake chikki is cool re...never thought of making some..may b now i will

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  5. Chikki is what I call it...perfect bars...

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  6. Looks perfect...I love chikki but normally make it as kadalai urundai which is more labor intensive...I wonder why I never tried it out as chikki...will try this for sure :)

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  7. Hi hi for me also it is chikki.
    I love them. Never made them at home. When ever i go back home i eat them in loads.
    These looks so yumm

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  8. Seems you are a pro in chikki! They re just perfect!

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  9. I guess it is Chikki for most of us ... these days they are called peanut bars. I do not know why they were called Chikkis. Looks very good and tempting.

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  10. supera iruku paaka.. i have made with almonds.. ana ivlo perfect squares varaadhu enaku.

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  11. Anu chalo jaldi se mera pata note karo.. and parcel some to me. I am in west newyork new jersey.. m waiting for ur parcel.. :))

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  12. These chikkis make me nostalgic!! They are just perfect..

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  13. Chikkis they are to me too.

    You come up with such sweet things. Always look forward to come here to see what u have in store each day.

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  14. Glad you liked the potato buns Divya.I have added a pic with the potato filling..Thanks for letting me know.

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  15. Everytime my father traveled to Delhi on business he had to bring back Lonavla chikki for us :) I like the ones which are more chewier that brittle :) Can I have that loaded box ?

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  16. The bars sound great with cardamom and ginger. I have never used a cooking thermometer before and as you say people cooked before the thermometers as well.

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  17. i wish i could eat it right away! its my childhood fav too! thanks for sharing

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  18. Wow!!!!!!!! Divya! I cant wait to try it:) Love the chikkis:) Thank u!!!!!

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  19. one of my childhood favourites.. looks lovely.

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  20. Perfect chikki,I still use the water bath,not thermometers.Cheers

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  21. Hello Divya,

    Childhood memories about the syrup setting also. I always used to love eating that small ball up :D just like you said.

    While reading this, some more memories came to my mind. I am from Gujarat and we get Chikki during winter majorly. I used to love them so much I used to ask my mom why dont we get chikki all year round. To this my mommy used to say "ingredients of chikki - sesame seeds, gud/jaggery, peanuts are more suited for cold weather. They provide heat/warmth in the body and taking them in summer might have adverse effects, hence" This makes so much sense now.

    A very good variation that I see in your recipe is ginger powder (that I have never tasted in Gujarat) but again seems to go with my mom's theory of "giving heat". Thinking more about it, I have seen variations where they use dry coconut shredded, black sesame which are all generating warmth/energy for the body :-)

    Wonderful post, wonderful recipe. Keep cooking, keep writing!

    (OMG i just realized I am addicted to your blog now - no I dont blog, dont have time to, just started reading and yours is the one I visit almost daily)

    Thanks!!

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  22. looks great divya..has come out perfect...will come to ur home to take the chikki filled container..

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  23. hey thats a kinda cute name they have.....i love them esp the one's i get at hyd theaters.......they taste just perfect.....

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  24. Hi, thanks for stopping by at my blog. By the way, do you think I can get 'Jaggery' at the Indian grocery shop here? This recipe is really different from the normal peanut brittle and I am very eager to try it out.

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  25. I remember on the train from Bombay to Pune we'd wait to get to Lonavla so we could buy some chikki. Thanks for bringing back good memories, Divya. Your chikki is to die for.

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  26. I have never tried this before, thanks for the recipe.
    Pls check my blog, I have a surprise for you :)

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  27. Hey thnx for spotting my blog. Your's blog is awesome and after seeing it,i think i am addicted now :).....

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  28. WOW... This is my fav. Looks so good. YUM!

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  29. ooh, these are perfectly made peanut chikkis. Love those.

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  30. Peanut brittle - chikki to you - are special treats when we were growing up. Never had this is a long time! Thanks for bringing back memories :)

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  31. I love this Chikki and it is my favorite since childhood.Chikki looks sooooo perfect and mouthwatering...I can't take my eyes out of it...

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  32. Hey divya these are what I call perfect chikki bars.very nice.wonder how u make them perfect jus like the prev oat bread roll :) hope this comment appears!!

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  33. Chikkis look just perfect Divya..have never tried making them at home..that box is sure tempting me now..;-)

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  34. You have made it perfect! I too like this but buy from stores:)

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  35. I prefer your name for it! Looks really good, I'd love a bit of that.

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  36. I love this chikki.. tempting..

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  37. Pea nut brittle to others, chikki to u and pea nutcandy to my kids and kadala mittai for me......... yeah nice and good recepi. love yr chikkies.

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  38. As Purvi said we Gujaratis usually eat Chikki's in Winter and she rightly said Ginger powder / Soodh has a heating effect so ur chikkis are best for winters....They look perfect and inviting...
    A surprise is waiting for you, collect it from my blog

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  39. I absolutely love peanut brittle Anu :) Its a healthy way to just sit back and munch on while enjoying a Halloween movie...

    Thanks for offering to spam my comments, but I actually think I'm gonna make it close. You guys rock :)

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  40. LOVE your blog! Thanks for the compliments on mine. I'm looking for healthy, homemeade snacks to make for my kids. Have made granola bars so far. Tomorrow I'm planning on oatmeal bars. I've gotta try this one.

    Plus thanks for the bread recipe. Just started making my own bread both to save money and to know what's going into my family. I'll be following you:)

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  41. Chikki is one of my all time favorites...I feel encouraged to try it after reading your detailed recipe.
    Couldn't resist giving you an award for one of the coolest blogs I know.
    Visit my blog for details.

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  42. hey girl, I made this too last week! yet to post it:) my hubby just adores peanut chikkis, maybe even more than he adores me!:D

    yours look perfect Anu!:)

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  43. Those looks so good.. I'm always hesitant to play around with different stages of sugar - must get myself a candy thermometer :)

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  44. What lovely looking chikkis, your post brought back memories of eating them back in India. Have to fist get a candy thermometer to start trying these.

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  45. mmmm...My mom used to make this. Yummy chewy treat that I used to love as a kid. thanks for sharing the recipe. Also, you have a surprise in my blog :-)

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  46. Chiki sounds like a super delicious version of peanut brittle. I love that there is ginger in there. I wish I had a low fat whole wheat cookie for you. I have lots of whole wheat but they are none of them too low fat. I'll get cracking on one!

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  47. wow... nice entry... looks really tempting...

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  48. thanks for sharing the recipe of this old favorite snack... yours look so inviting... :)

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  49. divya,my daughter likes it more.i use to bring chikki from supermarket.

    but now onwards i think i can make in home only,,thx for sharing

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  50. Anudivya, thanks a ton for visiting my blog! You have a fantastic blog here and I love the recipes and presentation. I love chikkis and would love to eat them anytime:)

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  51. mmm...peanut brittle is one of my favorite treats, even if i'm always afraid i'll end up breaking my teeth. lovely. :)

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  52. Yummy looking chikki,I remember eating it the most when I was pregnant and no one stop me coz jaggery was rich in iron etc.

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  53. Yum, I love this. It is a family favorite as well. Thanks for the post!

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  54. That brings back so many memories!...looks great divya..

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  55. hi anu, it is chikki to me too. I make it this way too with no extra grease :-)the picture looks fabulous, as usual.

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  56. Mahimaa - The squares are not that perfect, since I broke it up using my hands it is infact a little uneven :(

    Mr. Ramkumar - Thanks so much! I did check it out! :)

    Bhawana - Better still... how about making a trip here for chikkis? ;)

    Soma - That is very sweet of you!
    I so enjoy all your comments.

    Purvi - I did not know chikkis were eaten during winters! Makes a lot of sense with the heat from the jaggery and ginger as you said.
    I am very happy to have you visit me everyday. I look forward to all your comments and questions! :)

    ICook4Fun - Absolutely, all Indian stores carry jaggery. They are either powdered or in firm round balls which should be broken up. I prefer the powdered one. Easier!

    Gita, Geeta, Rajee & Purva - Thanks so much for the award!!! I appreciate it.

    Lakshmi - Yes, your comments appear now... thanks!

    Janine - Thanks so much!

    Prudy - Thanks! Will look forward to your cookie innovations with whole wheat.

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  57. wow! yum yum yum! each recipe of yours is better than the other. great!

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  58. lovely! i used to love them as a kid and mom used to say its healthy too! nice recipe :)

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Thank you for taking the time to comment on this post. I will try to respond to queries as soon as I can. If I miss anything that needs to be addressed... please feel free to ping me again.
Happy cooking/baking or whatever it is you are doing in the kitchen! :)