Credit to Jui Kulkarni / @whenchaitmet_biskit

Energy bars are best for the mid afternoon hunger pangs. We usually have a stash of energy bars or energy balls at the side of my desk. These Cashew- Peanut bars are crunchy and so much more textured because of the ingredients in them.

Jui made these energy bars in an Indian style chikki. Chikki is basically a fudgy bar made with dry fruits, nuts and peanuts. Great texture and great fun!

What You'll Need: 

• 1 cup of Cashews (150 gms)
• ½ cup jaggery/coconut sugar/brown sugar (100gms)
• 1 tbsp of ghee (12gm)
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 tsp of cardamom
• ¼ cup of peanuts
• ¼ cup of roasted dalia/ roasted split chickpea(optional)
• ¼ cup of pistachios
• 1 tbsp quinoa
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Line a parchment paper to a square shaped pan, grease the paper with cooking spray or oil. OR You can grease a flat plate with oil/ghee/butter.
2. Heat a saucepan on medium flame.
3. Gently toast the cashew until slightly brown.
4. Remove these cashews once brown and transfer to a mixing bowl
5. Add peanuts and roast until they turn slightly dark in color.
6. Remove these peanuts and transfer to the bowl with cashews.
7. Add Pistachios and gently toast them too.
8. Transfer the pistachios to the bowl.
9. You can toast any other nuts of your choice and add it to the bowl.
10. For roasting quinoa, reduce the flame to low and keep stirring. The Quinoa emits a beautiful nutty smell once its roasted properly. Once you smell the nutty aroma, transfer quinoa to a plate.
11. Now add jaggery/coconut sugar/brown sugar to the pan along with ghee. Ghee adds a glossy texture to the bar. Keep stirring the jaggery on medium flame.
12. Slowly the jaggery will melt, then add honey. Keep stirring, reduce the flame once the syrup becomes bubbly.
13. To check if the jaggery has reached the right consistency, drop few drops of the syrup into a bowl of water and let it sit for 10 seconds.
14. It should form hard ball and cut with a snap sound. If not boil for another minute and check.
15. Add cardamom and nutmeg, the toasted nuts and mix gently. Turn off the flame.
16. Transfer this mixture to the baking pan and flatten it out. Be quick or the mixture begins to harden.
17. Pat the mixture with a flat spoon or greased bowl (be careful, the mixture is really hot).
18. Make sure the thickness is uniform. Once flattened, sprinkle quinoa on top of the bars.
19. Once the mixture slightly cold, make small cuts of desired size with a knife.
20. Keep it in the fridge for an hour until the bars set.
21. Store in a airtight container.