Groundnut Chikki

The brittle that travels

Gujarat is chikki country. From the sugar-nut brittle of Surat to the peanut chikki of every village fair, the recipe follows a simple principle: nuts suspended in a sugar or jaggery glass, broken into pieces small enough to carry on the road. Chikki was invented for travellers — it lasts for weeks, requires no refrigeration, and provides instant energy.

Groundnut chikki is the most honest version. The peanut, with its skin on, brings colour and texture. The jaggery brings earthiness. And the teaspoon of cold-pressed groundnut oil, stirred in at the last moment, keeps the chikki from bonding permanently to your teeth.

Roast the peanuts

1. Heat a heavy pan. Add the raw peanuts and dry-roast over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. The peanuts are done when the skins begin to crack and the peanuts release a warm, toasty aroma — about eight minutes. A few dark spots on the skin are fine.
3. Spread on a plate to cool. Rub between your palms to loosen the skins, then blow away the skins. Leave a few skins clinging to the peanuts for colour.

The jaggery glass

1. Grease a flat surface (a marble slab, the back of a steel thali, or a parchment-lined tray) with ghee. Keep a rolling pin and a knife nearby.
2. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add the grated jaggery and water. Heat over medium, stirring, until the jaggery melts into a smooth syrup.
3. Continue cooking without stirring. The syrup will bubble, then thicken, then turn dark amber. To test: drop a teaspoon of syrup into a bowl of cold water — it should form a hard, brittle ball that cracks when bitten. In Gujarati kitchens, this is the kadak paak stage. About six minutes from melting.
4. Remove from heat immediately. The jaggery continues to cook in the residual heat.

The assembly

1. Add the cardamom powder and the Bharat groundnut oil. Stir once.
2. Tip in the roasted peanuts. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon — you have about twenty seconds before the syrup begins to set.
3. Pour the mixture onto the greased surface. Place a piece of parchment over it and press flat with the rolling pin to a thickness of about 5 mm.
4. Score into squares or rectangles while still warm. The knife should cut through without resistance.
5. Let cool completely — about 25 minutes. Break along the scores.

Notes from the kitchen

• The groundnut oil keeps the chikki from becoming unpleasently sticky. It is enough to change the mouthfeel without tasting of itself.
• For a spiced version, add a pinch of black pepper powder and a pinch of dried ginger (saunth) with the cardamom.
• Stored in an airtight tin at room temperature, groundnut chikki keeps for three weeks. In humid weather, it may soften slightly — re-crisp in a warm oven for five minutes.
• In Gujarat, chikki is given as a mukhwas after meals, packed into small cloth pouches at weddings, and carried by pilgrims on the pilgrimage to Dwarka and Somnath.