3 healthy Makar Sankranti recipes to try

Sankranti is the time to gorge on chikki of all kind. Be it sesame, peanut or dryfruits, the crunchy chikki- also known as brittle – is loved by everyone. If made with jaggery, it’s a much healthier sweet option as compared to the ubiquitous barfis and pedhas.

On Makar Sankranti, the Hindu harvest festival, we give you three chikki recipes to try – one regular, one healthy and one decadent. Take your pick!

1. TIL CHIKKI

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 9 mins

Makes: 16 pieces

Ingredients:3/4 cup sesame seeds (til), 1/2 cup chopped jaggery, 1 1/2 tsp ghee

Method

• Heat a deep non-stick pan, add the sesame seeds and dry roast on a medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in the same deep non-stick pan, add the jaggery, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring continuously.
• Switch off the flame, add the roasted sesame seeds and mix very well.
• When the mixture is ready, put the entire mixture over the back of a greased thali or a smooth stone surface. Roll it out thinly into a 200 mm. (8”) diameter circle using a greased rolling pin.
• Cut them into 38 mm. (1. 5’’×1. 5’’) square pieces using a sharp knife.
• Allow to cool completely and store in air-tight container.

Nutrient values per piece

Energy: 54 kcal, protein 1 gm, carbs 5.9 gm, fat  2.9 gm, fibre: 0.9 gm, vitamin A: 7.6 mcg, calcium: 85.3 mg, iron: 06 gm

2. OATS & WALNUT CHIKKI

Oats is rich in fibre while jaggery and walnuts have rich stores of iron. They come together in this healthy chikki variation.

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 7 mins

Makes: 12 pieces

Ingredients:1 cup quick cooking rolled oats, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup roughly chopped jaggery, 1 tsp ghee

Method

• Heat a broad non-stick pan, add the oats and dry roast on a medium flame for 4 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan, heat the ghee, add the jaggery and mix well. Cook on a slow flame for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
• Remove from the flame, add the roasted oats and walnuts and mix very well.
• Transfer the mixture immediately on the back side of a greased thali or a smooth greased stoned surface and roll the mixture into a rectangle using a greased rolling pin.
• Cut into equal square pieces and allow to cool completely.Serve or store in an air-tight container.

Nutrient values per piece

Energy: 64 kcal, protein 1.3 gm, carbs 10.1 gm, fat: 2.1 gm, iron 0.5 gm

3. CHOCOLATE & MIXED NUT CHIKKI

If you like the crunch of caramel, you will enjoy this nutty delight even more! The best part? It’s ready in minutes.

Setting time:  1 hour

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 1 mins

Makes: 16 pieces

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped dark chocolate,1/2 cup coarsely crushed mixed nut chikki

Method

• Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute.Remove from the microwave and stir continuously. Add the chikki and mix well.
• Pour into chocolate moulds and keep refrigerated for at least an hour. Store in an air-tight container.
• The chikki used in this recipe is best crushed using a mortar-pestle (khalbhatta) rather than a mixer.

Enjoy your Makar Sankranti celebration and spread the cheer with these healthy chikki recipes.

Recipes courtesy http://www.tarladalal.com/

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Written by Alpa Momaya

You are what you eat, believes Alpa Momaya. So with the right diet, anyone can achieve optimal mental, physical and spiritual health.

Alpa has first-hand knowledge of this – she battled various issues with her own health and weight, but by incorporating good eating habits and regular exercise, she has reclaimed her fitness levels today. She offers the advice she took to HealthifyMe users — make the right lifestyle choices daily, sticking to a nutritious diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep. Don’t think of it as having to solve a problem, instead see it as a way to achieve long and happy life.

After a PG diploma in dietetics from Mumbai University, Alpa did a diploma in holistic nutrition in Canada and is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner today. Along with having worked in various weight-loss clinics and as a consultant for a natural pharmacy, she’s helped her family control ailments like diabetes and hypertension, and hopes to help her HealthifyMe clients do the same. “I can proudly say my daughter happily eats any vegetable or fruit without ever making a face,” Alpa claims, and she is determined that those who consult her will go back similarly impressed.