Gajak Peanut Sesame Brittle Recipes

PEANUT CHIKKI RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a thick bottomed heavy kadai or pan. Add the peanuts in it.
• On a low to medium-low heat, roast the peanuts stirring often till they become crunchy.
• Roast till you see some black spots on the peanuts and they should have a crunch in them. Taste a few peanuts and if it feels raw, then continue to roast.
• Once the peanuts have got roasted well, then remove them in a separate plate or tray. Let them cool down.
• Grease the back of a metal tray or back of a steel plate or a marble board with some oil or ghee.
• When the peanuts have become warm or cool down, then rub them between your palms. The husks peels of easily.
• Now to get rid of the husks, you can use a winnow or use a sieve with large perforations. Add the peanuts in the sieve and sift. The husks will get sifted easily. Remove the husked peanuts and set aside.
• In the same kadai or pan, take the jaggery powder. You can also use jaggery block and chop it. If there are impurities, then you will need to strain the jaggery syup.
• Add water to the jaggery powder.
• Heat the kadai or pan on a low flame. With a spatula or spoon, begin to stir, so that all the jaggery gets dissolved.
• Keep on stirring the mixture often.
• Cook the jaggery syrup on a low heat with frequent stirrings.
• While the jaggery syrup is cooking, also keep a bowl of cold water where you can check the consistency of the syrup.
• Keep on cooking till the mixture reaches the hard ball stage.
• Add a few drops of the syrup in the cold water. It should be firm, brittle and break or snap easily.
• When the jaggery syrup reaches this hard ball consistency, quickly add the peanuts and give a quick stir and mix very well.
• Switch off the heat and quickly pour the chikki mixture on the greased plate or marble board.
• Then quickly place a foil or a butter paper or parchment paper on the chikki. mixture.
• With a rolling pin roll to even out the chikki layer. Roll to a neat even layer.
• Next remove the paper and then with a knife, cut horizontally and vertically to make squares. Let the peanut chikki cool at room temperature.
• Once cooled, break them and serve peanut chikki. If not serving, then store them in an airtight jar at room temperature.

GAJAK (PEANUT-SESAME BRITTLE)

Steps:

• Grease the back of a sheet pan and a rolling pin with ghee and set aside.
• Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ghee, jaggery and 1 tablespoon water and stir well to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the caramel starts to brown and reaches 300 degrees on an instant-read or candy thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes; you're looking for the "hard crack" stage or the point where a drop of the caramel in cold water hardens into a crunchy toffee. Don't rush this by turning the heat up too high: The caramel will burn in an instant.
• As soon as you reach 300 degrees, remove pan from the heat and quickly fold in the peanuts (and any fine powder from chopping), both types of sesame seeds, the salt and cardamom, if using, and stir until well combined. Immediately turn the mass out onto the back of the sheet pan and roll to an even 1/4-inch thickness, keeping the sides as straight as possible.
• Let set until cool enough to handle but still pliable, about 3 to 4 minutes, and slide onto a cutting board. Cut into 2-by-2-inch pieces. (Alternatively, when fully cool, the brittle can be broken into uneven, rustic chunks.) Let set completely until hard before serving. The flavors start to come together after it's been setting for 30 minutes, but it's best after 45 minutes, or even 1 hour.