Oats Peanut Chikki
- 10 min prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- Serves 8
- 240 kcal
- 5.5 g protein
Roasted oats, peanuts and sesame set in a glassy jaggery syrup and snapped into squares. The Lonavala classic with an oaty crunch, ready in half an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats
- ¾ cup (110 g) peanuts
- 2 tbsp (18 g) white sesame seeds
- 1 cup (180 g) grated or powdered jaggery
- 1 tbsp (14 g) ghee, plus a little for greasing
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) water
- A pinch of baking soda (optional, for a lighter crunch)
Method
- 1Grease a steel plate or the back of a tray and a rolling pin with ghee, and keep them next to the stove. Chikki waits for no one.
- 2Dry-roast the peanuts in a heavy kadai on medium-low for 6-8 minutes until they crackle and the skins loosen. Cool, rub off the skins, and split them in half.
- 3In the same kadai, roast the oats on low for 5-6 minutes until crisp and golden, then the sesame for 1 minute until it begins to pop. Combine with the peanuts and cardamom.
- 4Melt the ghee in the kadai on low, add the jaggery and water, and stir until fully melted. Let it bubble on low-medium, stirring now and then, for 6-8 minutes as it darkens and thickens.
- 5Test it: drop a little syrup into a bowl of cold water. When it sets hard and snaps cleanly, it is ready. If it bends, cook for another minute and test again.
- 6Turn off the heat, stir in the baking soda if using, then tip in the oat-nut mix all at once and stir fast until coated.
- 7Turn it out onto the greased plate, flatten with the greased rolling pin to about 5 mm, and score into squares while still warm. Break along the lines once cold.
Notes from the Department
- The water test is everything. Under-cooked jaggery gives chewy chikki; over-cooked tastes bitter.
- Work fast after the syrup is ready. If the mixture sets before you can roll it, warm it on the lowest flame for a few seconds.
- Store in an airtight jar for 3 weeks. Humidity is chikki's enemy, so seal it well.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 5.5 g
- Carbohydrate
- 32 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2.6 g
- Sugars
- 20 g
Why this works
Chikki is just two things: roasted nuts and jaggery cooked to the hard-crack stage. We add rolled oats, roasted until crisp, so the bar has a lighter, flakier bite and a toasty flavour that pairs well with the caramel notes of jaggery. Oats also stretch the peanuts, so each piece is less dense. Sesame adds crunch and a nutty bitterness that keeps the sweetness in check.
Jaggery is the soul of the thing. Choose a dark, chikki-grade jaggery that melts cleanly; pale or sticky jaggery often refuses to set crisp. Patience on the stove is the rest of the recipe.
Swaps
Use coconut oil instead of ghee to make it vegan. Swap half the peanuts for almonds, cashews or pumpkin seeds. Add a tablespoon of desiccated coconut for a Sankranti-style flavour. With certified gluten-free oats, this chikki is suitable for a gluten-free diet. Sugar works in place of jaggery for a clearer, glassy chikki, though you lose the depth.
Serving and storage
Eat a piece with tea, after lunch, or as a quick bite before a long walk. It is a traditional winter sweet across Maharashtra and Gujarat, especially around Makar Sankranti. Stored airtight in a cool, dry place, it keeps for 3 weeks. If it turns sticky in monsoon weather, refrigerate it. A small square is a sensible portion; it is dense with jaggery and nuts, so a little goes a long way.
Questions people ask
- Why is my oats chikki chewy and not crisp?
- The jaggery syrup was not cooked long enough. Always do the cold water test; the syrup should harden and snap cleanly before you add the oats and nuts.
- Can I use quick oats for chikki?
- You can, but quick oats roast faster and can burn. Rolled oats hold their shape and give a better crunch.
- Why did my chikki turn bitter?
- The jaggery syrup was over-cooked or the heat was too high. Keep the flame at low-medium and test often once the syrup starts to darken.
Inspired by Cookpad. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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