Tasty Dry Fruit Chikki / Energy Bar Recipe

Dry fruit Chikki is a staple Indian sweet, mostly consumed in winters. Almost everyone likes Chikki. There are many varieties of chikkis made with different dry fruits and ingredients. They can be made by using any nuts depending on your interest and availability. Here is one with the goodness of almonds, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds and pistachios.

Tasty Dry fruit chikki recipe

The traditional chikkis are made with peanuts and jaggery syrup. Whereas for this recipe we use dry fruits, a pinch of cardamom powder for the sweet fragrance and 1 tablespoon of ghee to bring the glossy look. After the preparation, either you can cut them as small square shaped chikki or long energy bars. They can last as long as 2 - 3 weeks if stored in a neat airtight container.

Let’s see the ingredients required and preparation method as below.

Ingredients :

• 100 gms or ¾ cup of Almonds

• 100 gms or ¾ cup of Cashew Nuts

• 2 tablespoons of Pumpkin seeds

• 2 tablespoons of Pistachios

• 200 gms of Jaggery

• ¼ cup of Water

• 1 tablespoon of Ghee

• A pinch or ¼ tablespoon of Cardamom powder

Preparation Method :

1. Take the pre measured Dry fruits i.e 100 gms of Almonds, 100 gms of Cashew Nuts, 2 tablespoons of Pumpkin seeds and 2 tablespoons of Pistachios in a pan and dry roast them in a low flame for 10 minutes and keep them aside. This makes the dry fruits crunchy.

2. In a large vessel take ¼ cup of water, 200 gms of jaggery and 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix well until the jaggery completely dissolves.

3. Boil it for about 8 minute or until the syrup turns frothy.

4. Make sure the syrup is thick enough.

5. Then add the roasted dry fruits and ¼ tablespoon of cardamom powder and mix well until the syrup coats well.

6. Meanwhile take a large plate and coat it with ghee or butter.

7. Then pour the hot mixture into the plate and cover the top with a butter paper and roll it spread across the pale evenly.

8. Once the mixture is evenly spread across the plate let it cool for a minute of two.

9. Then start cutting the chikki in your desired shape when it is still hot. Because once it is completely cool, we can not cut into desired shapes.

10. Then let the chikkis cool completely then either serve them or keep them in an airtight container.

Benefits of having Dry fruit Chikki :

Dry fruit chikki helps as an instant energy source.Helps in maintaining weight. Gives a good feeling to the tummy. They are loaded with vitamin E, iron and zinc. They are also rich in fiber and contain little or no fat.