KAJU KATLI | QUICK DIWALI SWEET | HOMEMEADE KAJU KATLI RECIPE

Kaju katli, as it is popularly known as, is an absolutely rich cashew burfi which is a famous sweet in India.accordingts own special place in 'Diwali sweet list'. Whenever we get a box of Kaju Katlis, it soon vh tells you how crazy we are about those yummy Katlis. Owing to its incredible taste,I had always thought the recipe would be quite tricky and dared not try this one for long. Thanks to the many bloggers out there, who had made this exotic preparation a cakewalk. With minimal ingredients and time involved, Kaju Katlis are surprisingly easy to be done at home. The best part is that it requires just a spoon of ghee which balances out all those calories you get from cashew and sugar. Now,what stops you from getting it done for a quick treat?

PREPARATION TIME - 5 mins

COOKING TIME  -   10 mins

SETTING TIME - 10 mins

YIELDS - 20 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

CASHEWNUT	2 cups
SUGAR	1 cup
GHEE	1 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. Grease a tray with ghee and keep it aside.
 

2. Powder the cashews in a dry mixer grinder at ONE GO. A coffee grinder works best for this. At this point, 2 things which need attention – Cashews MUST be at room temperature and grinding should be done at one stretch. DO NOT stop the mixer and grind again and again. It roughly takes about 20 seconds for the cashews to get powdered.
 

3. Take sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan and add water just enough to immerse the sugar. Let it boil to form a sticky sugar syrup, which is just before the ‘One-string’ consistency.
 

   

4.   Reduce the flame to medium-low and stir in the cashew powder. Keep stirring to avoid lumps, until the mixture thickens and comes together. This takes just about 3 minutes after the addition of cashew powder.

5. To check for doneness, quickly, put a dollop of the mixture in a plate and roll it with your fingers. If it can be rolled into a soft ball without being sticky, then that  is the right stage.

   

6. Transfer the mixture to the greased tray and let it sit for 3-4 minutes until the heat is manageable to work on. DO NOT let it cool, as it hardens and you end up with crumbly hard burfi pieces.

7. While the mixture is still hot, knead gently to form a pliable dough.DO NOT overdo, as it tends to release the oil from the cashews and you don't want an oily burfi. A disposable plastic hand gloves will ease the job, if you cannot withstand the heat. I prefer kneading with my hand.

             
8.  Spread the kneaded dough in a tray with your hand or gently work your way with a rolling pin.

9.  Cut into desired shapes and celebrate any festive occasion with this rich homemade treat. 

               



Notes:

1. Make sure the cashews are at room temperature. If you have them kept in a fridge, then take it out beforehand and let it sit out for a good 2-3 hours. Grinding cashews into a powder will become a flop in case the cashews are cool.

 

2.  Powder the cashews finely in a dry mixer at one go. This is essential for that smooth texture of the Katlis.If at all there are still some coarse bits or lumps, it would be taken care of during the kneading process.

3. If the mixture, after taken from flame, does' nt set to a desired consistency and is gooey, add Milk powder accordingly while kneading and continue with the rest of the steps. 

4.  If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk while kneading. Reasons for this dry and crumble some texture could be either less water for sugar syrup or sugar syrup had reached a thicker consistency or the measurement of cashews would have slipped, thereby ending up with more cashew powder. I suggest you look into the stepwise picture 3, for how the mixture appears after the addition of cashew powder into the syrup.

 

5.  However, I recommend the above additions of milk powder or milk ONLY in case you need to save the burfis, as it would be a sure compromise on the taste and shelf life. 

 

6.  I would not say that this recipe is easy as it requires attention even in trivial steps throughout. I had failed twice as I had left it to thicken too much while stirring on the stove. It resulted in dry katlis which kept crumbling as I tried to cut into pieces.Time mentioned above would be just right. 

As with any other recipe, it needs focus and practice to achieve perfection. Happy cooking!