Kaju Katli

Melt-in-mouth cashew sweet

Prep Time 12 min
Cook Time 7 min
Serving Size 4
Recipe Type Hob

Kaju Katli is elegance and simplicity wrapped in a silver-leafed, diamond-shaped delight. The journey of this beloved confection, with its smooth, velvety texture and rich, nutty flavour, begins with grinding cashew nuts into a fine powder, which is then cooked with sugar syrup until it forms a thick, smooth paste, stirred continuously to prevent lumps and achieve the perfect consistency. Despite its simplicity, Kaju Katli carries the aura of luxury, often gracing the tables of weddings, festivals, and special occasions and appealing to everyone from young children to the elderly. Kaju Katli is relatively light, which makes it a preferred choice for those who enjoy subtler sweets.

Ingredients

2 cups Cashew Nuts
1 cup Sugar
½ cup Water
½ tsp Cardamom Powder (Elaichi)
A few saffron strands
1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter) for greasing
3-4 sheets Silver Foil

Method

Start by grinding the cashew nuts to make a fine powder. Make sure not to over-grind, as it can release the oils from the cashews and turn them into a paste.
In a non-stick pan, add sugar and water. Heat over low-medium heat while stirring continuously. The sugar will dissolve and start to form a syrup.
Continue to cook until the syrup reaches a one-string consistency. To check this, take a small amount of syrup between your fingers; when you pull them apart, you should see one string of syrup forming.
Add the cashew nut powder to the sugar syrup. Stir well to combine.
Keep stirring the mixture over low heat until it thickens and leaves the sides of the pan. This can take about 5-7 minutes.
Add the cardamom powder and saffron strands and mix them into the dough.
Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. You should be able to handle it without burning your hands.
Grease your hands with a little ghee and knead the warm cashew mixture into smooth, non-sticky dough.
Place a sheet of parchment or greased butter paper on a flat surface. Put the cashew dough on it and cover it with another sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch thick even circle using a rolling pin.
Remove the wrapping paper from the silver foil and press the silver foil gently over the kaju katli.
While it’s still warm, cut the rolled dough into diamond-shaped pieces.
Allow the kaju katli to cool completely.Once they have cooled and solidified, gently separate the pieces and store them in an airtight container.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

Read

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