I am officially starting off my Deepavali Snacks and Sweets series for this year. What else could be a better start than this most delicious Kaju Katli recipe. Every year I meticulously plan Diwali recipes just because it is my favorite festival of the year and it brings back so many wonderful childhood memories. I have a list of recipes planned and requested, that will be featured in the coming days.
What is Kaju Katli
Kaju means Cashew and Katli means Fudge, so Kaju Katli is essentially raw cashew fudge. It is made with just two main ingredients – cashews and sugar. It is vegan as there is no milk or milk products added while making this delicious sweet. With edible silver on top, it really looks fancy but trust me it is so easy and simple to make at home.
Tips & Important Notes to make Perfect Kaju Katli
Kaju Katli is very easy to make at home, but there are a few important points to keep in mind to get perfect texture cashew burfi.
Cashews should be pulsed or powdered in regular intervals instead of running the blender on high power for longer duration. This helps in preventing the cashews to be very finely ground. We need the cashews to be coarsely powdered without any large chunks and not form cashew butter. The temperature and consistency of the sugar syrup plays a huge role in getting perfect katli. You need the sugar syrup to be sticky when a drop is touched between index and thumb fingers. If it too thick, the fudge becomes impossible to roll. Cashews are high fat and when combined with sugar syrup, it should be easier to handle the mixture. But ½ teaspoon of ghee makes it comes together. You can skip it too, but adding it will help in smoothening the mixture easily. With Kaju Katli, I find working in a nonstick pan better as it tells us immediately when the katli begins to leave the sides and comes together into a single mass. It should be cooked on low flame at all times and it takes no more than 7-8 mins for it to come together. If you undercook it, it wont set and if you overcook it, you can cut into pieces. Stir it constantly on low flame for 7-8 mins until it comes together. Kneading the katli mixture should be done when it is still warm. Once the mixture is set, it becomes hard once it cools down. Again, adding ½ teaspoon of ghee helps in bringing the mixture together smoothly. Roll and cut the Kaju katli to desired sizes when it still warm. I used two sheets of baking/parchment paper which made it easier. When the katli mixture is warm, it does tend to sticky. Using edible silver vark is optional but it makes kaju katli look fancy.
Variations
There are few variations you can make to this basic Kaju Katli recipe.
The recent trend has been to use palm jaggery (karupatti vellam) to the traditional sweets. For a healthier version, replace sugar with jaggery or palm jaggery. The taste and color will not be the same as original recipe. This recipe calls for 1:2 for sugar to cashew ratio which is not very sweet at all. You can increase or decrease the sugar depending on the sweetness preference. Instead of cutting the katlis into diamonds, you can cut into long strands and roll them into cigars to make Kaju Rolls. Edible food colors can be added to the sugar syrup to make attractive designs like apple, flowers and other models.
Storing & Serving Suggestions
Kaju Katli stays well for over a week at room temperature in an airtight container. You can store it in fridge for longer shelf life. Serve as after meal dessert or snack. This is popularly made as part of Deepavali sweets. Check out other traditional Diwali sweet recipes
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How to make Kaju Katli | Easy Kaju Katli
First prepare a plate greased with ghee or cut two parchment papers to place the prepared kaju katli. Add 1 cup cashews to a blender and pulse through few times to make a not so smooth powder.
It should not have large bits, but it should not be too fine in a paste form.
In a nonstick pan, add ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water.
Heat on medium flame until the sugar is melted and there are bubbles at the bottom of the pan. When you touch the syrup between your index and thumb fingers, it should be sticky.
Reduce the flame to low and quickly added the prepared cashew powder.
Mix well quickly without any lumps. The mixture will begin to thicken.
Keep stirring on low flame and when the mixture begins to bubble, add ½ teaspoon ghee.
Continuously stir the mixture, scraping from the edges. In about 7 mins, it will come together.
When it completely leaves the pan without leaving behind a trace, remove from heat. It will not be too solid.
Quickly transfer the mixture onto the parchment paper and add another ½ teaspoon of ghee on top.
In about 5 mins, the mixture becomes warm enough to handle. Carefully fold it in multiple times to make a smooth ball of katli dough (I used the parchement paper to fold the mixture) Don’t overknead it as the katli starts to leave oil.
When the mixture is still warm, place the smoothened katli mixture between two parchment papers and roll it gently into a circle of about 2mm in thickness.
If you are using silver vark, place it on top of the rolled katli.
Cut into desired shapes. For diamond shape, make a vertical line and an angled horizontal line depending on the size of the diamond. Remove the edge slices and carefully remove the diamonds.
Once cooled down, kaju katli becomes hard and non-sticky. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for upto a week and in fridge for longer shelf life.
Recipe Notes
Pay attention to the sugar syrup consistency. It should not even be one string consistency, but right before it to add cashew powder. If you overcook the sugar syrup, the mixture becomes hard to roll & slice. Traditionally kaju katli is thinner in thickness but roll out the katli mixture depending on the thickness preferred. When the mixture is hot, don’t try to knead or roll it as it can really burn your fingers. Wait until it is warm enough to handle to knead and roll.
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I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
