Originating from the heart of the country in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, the til ke gajak has now become a treat that Sankranti is almost incomplete without. A sweet dry snack made with jaggery, peanuts and sesame seeds, the thin crispy squares have a candy-like quality to them, similar to their Maharashtrian counterpart, the chikki. Usually prepared around the time of the harvest festival of Lohri, the gajak was prepared to fortify the body against the harsh winters up north.
Many regional variations of this sweet delicacy in Meerut, UP and Ludhiana include dry fruits like cashews and pistachios, with modern-day offerings that have branched out into chocolate dipped and strawberry flavours as well. However, this quick and simple recipe sticks to the traditional route, uses only primary ingredients true to the original recipe and achieves the much-desired texture of store-bought gajak. The idea is to have a balance between chewy and crispy, for which melting the jaggery the right way is key. Find the recipe below:
Recipe:
Ingredients:
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- ½ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup halved peanuts
- 250 grams sugar
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons water
Method:
- Grease a steel plate or rectangular baking tray with some ghee and set aside. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they are aromatic and turn a shade of golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on them at all times or else they might burn.
- Break the jaggery into smaller lumps and combine with the ghee and water and melt it down until it resembles a syrup. Continue to cook it down further until it coats the back of your spoon and reaches a two-thread consistency when pulled between your thumb and index finger.
- Turn off the stove and add the toasted sesame seeds along with the peanuts and mix it in thoroughly so that the jaggery coats everything evenly. Pour this mixture onto your greased plate or tray and spread it out evenly pushing outwards, towards the edges of your plate.
- Make cuts on the flat surface of the mixture with a knife and allow it to cool completely before breaking up into squares of your preferred size. Store them in an air-tight container where they will remain fresh for up to 20 days.