Pistachio, Cashew and Almond Chikki

Chikkis are very similar to Brittles. I call this a modified Chikki as this is not exactly how traditional chikkis are made. Usually there is no addition of baking soda in Indian Chikki recipes. I added this, inspired by the American Brittle recipes, to give our Chikkis a more melt in your mouth texture. So when you bite into this Chikki you do not have to strain your facial muscles or test the strength of your teeth. The addition of baking soda adds tiny air bubbles to the Chikki making it easier to break and easier to dissolve in your mouth.

Try this recipe, it is delicious and I dare you to stop at one piece. I love to nibble on something sweet after lunch and this is one of my favorites, the trick, however, is to stop after one piece. I am still working on that !

Makes about 10- 12, 2x2 inch square pieces

Ingredients

1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup broken cashews
1/3 cup almonds, roughly chopped
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp ghee + extra for greasing
1/8 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt



Method

• Cover your rolling / cutting board with a big piece of aluminium foil. Next grease the foil and a rolling pin thoroughly. 
• Heat a medium sized saucepan and warm the nuts in it for about 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside
• Place that pan back on medium heat and add the ghee. Swirl the melted ghee all around the pan, coating the bottom of the pan with ghee.
• Add the sugar and the pinch of salt. Now let the sugar caramelize. If you are using a candy thermometer, boil this till it reaches around 320 degrees Fahrenheit. If there is no candy thermometer, just heat the sugar till it turn to a deep golden brown in color.
• When that happens, move it off the stove and add the baking soda. Stir it in and immediately add the mixed nuts. Mix it thoroughly and quickly with the caramel and pour it out on the prepared surface. Do all of this as fast as you can. Using the ghee covered rolling pin, flatten it out as much as you can. Note : The caramel is very hot, so keep all little ones away from the kitchen and handle with care. Also work quickly as it cools down pretty fast.
• Apply some ghee to the knife and score the chikki. When it cools down, just break the pieces along the score lines. Store in an air tight container at room temperature.