This sesame seed brittle aka tal sakri, tal papdi, tal ni chikki, til chikki is a quintessential treat that is warm, toasty, and delicious and enjoyed all over India on January 14th. This special day is known as “uttarayan” or “makar sankrati” or more simply the kite festival. It’s a full-on day of fun kite flying on terraces and munching on this sweet snack. This tal papdi immediately conjures up happy memories for my husband who grew up in India and it’s a speciality that my mother in law makes every year so I wanted to recreate the memory for him.
This is a 3 ingredient, 10 min prep/cook sweet. It actually takes more time to cool than cook.
I rolled this tal papdi out on silicone mats as I find it minimizes sticking and adds a nice glossy shine. You can use parchment paper as well.
Ingredients:
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup jaggery (gud)
1 tbs coconut oil (can use ghee if not vegan)
Process:
1. Toast the sesame seeds on low heat. Remove and let cool
2. Put coconut oil in the pan and then melt the jaggery over low heat. Stir constantly until it caramelizes. The caramelization test is to drop a piece of gooey jaggery into a cold glass of water. If it is chewy, then cook for a bit longer. Once it’s hard in the water, then it’s ready. Note: water is used for the test only. Don’t put it in your jaggery mixture
3. Mix the sesame seeds into the melted jaggery. Work quickly to incorporate it all and then spread onto the silicone mat
4. Put another silicone mat on top and roll it out as thin as possible. You have to work fast when rolling
5. While still warm, cut into pieces and let sit to cool completely
6. Enjoy!! 🥳
Let me know if you make this delicious tal papdi or have any questions! 🙋🏻♀️
Tags: Gujarati, Indian, Desserts
