PEANUT CHIKKI/KADALAI MITTAI

 Peanut chikki/kadalai mittai- Chikki, a traditional Indian sweet which is made from nuts and sugar/jaggery. According to the ingredients used name of chikki also changes. Peanut chikki has so many health benefits, usually popular in winter season. A stomach filling sweet and less in calorie too, people of any age can enjoy this tasty and protein rich sweet. It prevents cold and cough, equally good for pregnant woman and for those who are planning for pregnancy as it is rich in folic acid. Peanut chikki is one of the sweet, made during karthigai deepam festival and during Makarsankrati in Northern parts of India. 

INGREDIENTS

1. Peanut- 2 cup
2. Jaggery- 2 cup
3. Cardamom powder-1 tsp
4. Ghee as required
5. Water- 1 cup

COOKING TIME	MAKES
40 MINUTES	20-25

INSTRUCTIONS

• Dry roast the peanuts. 

• Roast until the skin and peanut becomes  brown in colour. 
• Transfer them to a plate and remove peanut skin by using palm. I had lightly crushed them. 
• Before making jaggery  syrup, grease the plate which we are going to pour mix, knife for making cut and rolling pin for rolling the mix with ghee. 

• Melt the jaggery by adding water and seive them to avoid any impurities. 
• Tranfer to pan, add cardamom powder and boil this in medium to low flame.
• Cook until the hard ball consistency comes. For checking consistency keep a water in bowl or plate and we have to drop this jaggery syrup. First stage we will be getting soft ball, that is not the consistency, keep on stirring. 
• When hard ball consistency comes, trasfer the peanut to this jaggery syrup and gave it a nice mix. 
• Be very fast as mix sets quickly. Tranfer peanut jaggery mix to plate and roll it tightly using rolling pin. Shape sides using hands. Make cuts using knife as per your desired size and shape. 
• Wait for about half an hour and seperate the pieces. Tasty and healthy peanut chikkis are ready. 

TIPS

Make cuts, immediately after transferring them to plate. Otherwise after cooling it will be difficult to make cuts.