Peanut Chikki

Come September, starts the season of festivals in  most houses and we all welcome  lord Ganesh to our homes. Folks across various states observe the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi for different number of days , ranging from 1 day to 10 days. We  celebrate Lord Ganesh's visit to our home for five days. During these five days I try to make a new sweet every day, and did you know lord Ganesh has  sweet tooth like most of us. Today I made Peanut Chikki. It is very quick and easy to make . Barely takes ten minutes if peanuts are already roasted and skinned. 

Ingredients :
Peanuts.                        1/2 cup ( 80 gms) roasted and skinned.
Jaggery.                        1/2 cup ( 100 gms ) broken into small pieces.
Ghee / clarified butter.    1tbsp

As laid out - before being cut into square pieces.

Method :

1. Always start in this order to make things easy for you.
2. Grease a 12" by 12" square on your worktop, away from gas.
3. Also grease your rolling pin.
4. Fill a small bowl with 3/4 water and keep it close to your gas.
5. Heat ghee/ clarified butter in a wok.
6. Add jaggery to it . Keep stirring till it starts leaving the sides of the wok.  Will hardly take a minute.
7. To check if it's ready, drop a little in that bowl of water. Gather it and make a ball and throw it on the counter top, if a sharp sound comes it is ready else stir it for a couple of seconds more and repeat the test again. 
8. * Once jaggery is ready, add peanuts and mix quickly and pour it on the greased counter top.
9. Very quickly roll it out as thin as you can with the rolling pin.
10. Use a sharp knife to cut it into squares.
11. Store in an air- tight container once completely cool.

*. Once jaggery is ready you have to act very quickly else you'll end up with a lump.