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Dalia chikki
દાળિયાની ચીકી: roasted split chana set in jaggery caramel and rolled thin, for Uttarayan
For Uttarayan, the January kite festival, every Gujarati kitchen turns out trays of chikki, and dalia (roasted split chana, the yellow dal sold for chutneys) is the one that gets forgotten until someone tastes it. It is lighter and crunchier than peanut chikki, with a toasty, slightly savoury edge from the dal. It is all about the jaggery syrup. The common mistake is pulling the jaggery off too early; underdone syrup gives sticky, chewy chikki that never snaps. Chef's tip: drop a little syrup into cold water: when it sets hard and cracks cleanly (hard-crack stage), tip in the dalia straight away.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the chikki
- 7 oz jaggerychopped
- 1 tbsp gheeplus extra for greasing
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Grease the back of a steel plate or a worktop and a rolling pin with a little ghee. Warm 7 oz roasted split chana (dalia) in a dry pan for 2 minutes and keep it warm.
3 minStep 3: Cook on medium-low for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until it darkens a shade and a drop in cold water sets brittle and snaps (hard-crack stage).
7 minStep 4: Take off the heat, stir in ¼ tsp ground cardamom and 7 oz roasted split chana (dalia) quickly until coated.
1 minStep 5: Tip onto the greased surface and roll out at once to 5 mm while hot. Mark into squares with a knife.
3 minStep 6: Leave 10 minutes to set, then break along the marks and store airtight.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dalia chikki take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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