Lonavala Chikki - Maharashtra Special

Maharashtra is a state in Western region of India, its the second populous state after Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra is bordered by Arabian sea in west, Gujarat and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in Northwest, Madhya Pradesh in North, Chatthisgarh in east, Karnataka in south, Andhra Pradesh in Southeast and Goa in southwest. Mumbai is the capital city of this state and  the cuisine of this state differs according to its region.The cuisine and other cultural rituals of this state is divided into two main regions. The Konkan and Varad are the two regions, their cuisine have distinct flavor and texture and they can be immediately identified by any Marathi person. Konkani food have coastal flavor as Konkani people live near the seashore and the ingredients included in their cuisine are fish,coconut,cashewnuts, vegetable, peanuts as they are found in these areas. The Varadi dishes are spicier and they are very popular all over the country. The main diet of a Marathi included lentils, rice,wheat,vegetable and fruit. Rice or bhaat is a common food and its served with bhaji,along with dal, then bhakri, the roti made with wheat,bajra or jowar together or individually.Bhaji is a vegetarian dish prepared prominently with vegetables,spices and rassa is made of potato and cauliflower. Goda masala and kalaa masala are the spicy powders that add distinct flavor to Marathi cuisine.

Maharashtrian special dishes goes mostly for chivda or Bombay mixture, Kande Poha, Usal Pav, Vada Pav. This cuisine also have many popular sweet delicacies and many of them are famous all over India.The list goes for Puran poli, Karanji, Modak,Kheer, Basundi,Jalebi, Shrikhand,Shankarpali. Instead of chosing from this list of dishes, i opted for the famous Lonavala Chikki. Lonavala is named from the word 'Lenya' which means caves in Marathi since its have many rock cut caves. Its Shri Maganlal Agarwal brought chikki to Lonavala more than 125years ago. Actually Shri Maganlal began selling Gurdana, a mixture of jaggery and groundnuts in a huge sack to the laborers, since gurdana is rich in protein and iron, the laborers used to consume it for the instant energey, later this simple gurdana turned to groundnut chikki. Chikki is made from simple ingredients like jaggery,sugar, nuts.You can prepare this chikkis with different nuts, sesame seeds or with a nut. However i used cashewnuts and almonds in this chikki and used the usual white sugar which is caramalised later for giving this beautiful brownish colour to this super addictive chikki.

Recipe Source: Lata Akka
1+1/2cups Mixed nuts (broken coarsely)
1cup Sugar
1pinch Baking soda
2tbsp Ghee

Drop and spread a tablespoon of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, sprinkle the sugar over it (this helps for caramalising evenly).

Meanwhile prepare a wooden board and rolling pin, grease them generously with the remaining ghee.

Place the pan in slow flame, allow the sugar to melt and caramelise.

Add the baking soda, once the sugar reach the brown colour, remove immediately from the fire.

Drop the broken nuts, give a stir.

Transfer immediately to the greased board, press the mixture with rolling pin.

Allow to cool, while its still warm cut as squares.

Once cooled completely, break the chikkis as squares.

Store them in air tightened box.

Notes:
Take care while caramelising, dont let the caramel to turn dark brown, its will tastes bitter.

Be alert once the sugar starts caramelise, coz the caramelisation will be very quick.

Once you add the nuts, stir briskly and drop the mixture immediately to the greased board, roll it immediately.

This chikki mixture will be extremely sticky but once cooled they will be prefect in texture.

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