Crispy and crunchy Til Chikki or sesame crisps are made with roasted sesame seeds, sugar, laced with floral cardamom, and a hint of salt. In India, these irresistible crisps are specially made during the Sankrant Festival celebrated in January.

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Growing up, Makar Sankrant was a festival centered around visiting family and friends, exchanging sweets, and sharing the familiar greeting, "Tilgul ghya, goad bola", a gentle reminder to speak kindly and spread sweetness.

On Sankrant evenings, we dressed in our festive outfits and went around the neighborhood, collecting small packets of homemade sesame sweets, all lovingly referred to as tilgul. Each home had its own version, some soft, some crisp, but always made with sesame seeds and sweetness. My favorite was this crunchy Tilachi Chikki, made with roasted sesame seeds, sugar, and just a hint of cardamom and salt, these thin sesame crisps were impossible to resist and made the perfect winter snack.

In Maharashtra, Sankrant is celebrated over three days, beginning with Bhogi. That day always started with Bhogichi Bhaji, a comforting mix of seasonal winter vegetables cooked with coconut, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Sesame plays a central role throughout the festival, not just for its flavor, but for its nourishing qualities. Naturally warming and energy-rich, it shows up again and again in traditional sweets like Til Laddu, Tilachi Vadi, Gul Poli, and Til Chikki, each one prepared differently but rooted in the same familiar ingredients and family rituals.

These recipes have been passed down through generations, and making them at home is a beautiful way to keep those traditions alive. If you enjoy one, I encourage you to try the others too. Together, they tell the story of Sankrant the way I grew up knowing it, simple, seasonal, and meant to be shared.

My mom would make batch after batch of this sesame chikki to share with everyone who visited our home on Makar Sankrant day. Watching her, it always looked so effortless. In reality, I have had my share of failed attempts over the years, which taught me just how precise this seemingly simple sweet really is.

Those memories of her making it with such ease stayed with me, and I was not ready to give up on the recipe. With practice, patience, and a few lessons learned the hard way, I have slowly but surely found my rhythm. This version is the result of that journey, made with care and meant to be shared, just like she did.

Ingredients You'll Need

Sesame Seeds: I like using brown sesame seeds for their deeper, nuttier flavor, but white sesame seeds work just as well. Roasting them gently brings out their aroma and keeps the chikki from tasting raw or bitter.
Sugar: I usually use organic cane sugar, but regular white sugar works perfectly here. Cooking the sugar to the right stage is key to getting that signature crisp texture.
Ghee: A small amount of ghee adds a beautiful nutty aroma and helps keep the chikki glossy and flavorful. Homemade ghee is wonderful here, but store-bought works too.
Cardamom: A pinch of ground cardamom adds a delicate floral note that lifts the sweetness and balances the nuttiness of the sesame seeds.

How to Make Til Chikki

Start by roasting the sesame seeds until they are light brown and aromatic. Take out he sesame seeds and allow them to cool down.

Next step is to make the sugar syrup. In the same pan add sugar and ghee. Stir in cardamom powder and salt. Cook on medium-low heat stirring frequently, until the sugar melts completely. Initially, the sugar will start to crystalize, keep mixing and breaking up the lumps as it then slowly starts to melt to form a syrup. Keep stirring all the time during the process that takes about 6 to 8 minutes.

Steps one through four of making sugar syrup

Once the syrup is ready, turn the heat to low and add the roasted sesame seeds and quickly mix them in.

Steps five through six of mixing sesame seeds in syrup

Quickly and carefully pour the mixture on a parchment paper-lined surface. Spread it as thin as you can using a silicon spatula coated with a thin layer of ghee and patting it to form an even layer while it's hot. Do not wait too long as the mixture will start to harden, it is easier to spread the mixture into a thin layer while it's hot.

Tip - You can also use a well-greased rolling pin to roll it thin. Just make sure that you apply lots of ghee or oil to the rolling pin so the mixture does not stick to it. Once again this step has to be done rather quickly as you want to cut it into pieces while it's still warm.

Wwhile the rolled mixture is still hot/warm, use a pizza cutter or knife to make diamond or square-shaped cuts to form the crisps. Allow them to cool and then lift them from the parchment and break them along the lines.

steps 7 through 10 showing how to cut sesame chikki

Storing

Let them completely cool and then store them in an airtight container. This Chikki will stay good upto a month at room temperature.

Tips

Secure parchment paper on a cutting board using tape
Apply lots of ghee on the rolling pin or silicon spatula and use it to spread the mixture
Spread the mixture quickly into a thin layer while it's hot, do not wait too long as the mixture will start to harden
Cut the crisps into small squares or diamonds while the mixture is still warm

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Recipe

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5 from 7 votes

Traditional Tilachi Chikki | Sesame Crisps Recipe

Crunchy sesame crisps made with roasted sesame seeds, sugar, and a hint of cardamom and salt.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 8

Calories: 205kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the sesame seeds to a heavy bottom pan. Roast on medium heat for 5 mins until they are light brown and aromatic. Take out the sesame seeds in a bowl and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add sugar and ghee. Stir in cardamom powder and salt. Cook on medium-low heat stirring frequently, until the sugar melts completely. Initially, the sugar will start to crystalize, keep mixing and breaking up the lumps as it then slowly start to melt to form syrup. Keep stirring all the time during the process. Takes about 6 to 8 minutes.
Once the syrup is ready, turn the heat to low and add the roasted sesame seeds and quickly mix them in.
Quickly and carefully pour the mixture on a parchment paper-lined surface. Spread it as thin as you can using a clean silicon spatula and by patting it to form an even layer while it's hot. Do not wait too long as the mixture will start to harden, it is easier to spread the mixture into a thin layer while it's hot.
Tip - You can also use a rolling pin to roll it thin. Just make sure that you apply lots of ghee or oil to the rolling pin so the mixture does not stick to it. Once again this step has to be done rather quickly as you want to cut it into pieces while it's still warm.
Next, while the rolled mixture is still hot/warm, using a pizza cutter or knife make amond or square shaped cuts to form the crisps. Allow them to cool and then lift them from the parchment and break along the lines.
Let them completely cool and then store in an airtight container

Notes

Tips

Secure parchment paper on a cutting board using tape
Apply lots of ghee or on the rolling pin or silicon spatula and use to spread the mixture
Spread the mixture quickly into a thin layer while it's hot, do not wait too long as the mixture will start to harden
Cut the crisps into small squares or diamonds while the mixture is still warm

Nutrition

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Filed Under

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Comments

5 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Ingredients You'll Need

How to Make Til Chikki

Storing

Tips

Recipe