Diwali is just around the corner and the air is filled with the sweet aroma of desserts and spicy smell of firecrackers. For those blissfully unaware, Diwali is one of the most famous Indian festivals. One won’t be wrong if one believes that Diwali is synonymous with sweets! Desserts or sweets are an important part of the festivities, be it preparing them at home, enjoying them with your family or sharing them with your friends. One such quintessential sweet that is enjoyed around this festival is Kaju Katli. No matter what you decide to call it, it is a rich, royal and delicious Indian sweet.
Kaju Katli recipe
Kaju Katli or barfi is ideally made with just two ingredients - kaju or cashews and sugar. It has a hard fudge like texture but it’s quite rich and delicious because of the cashews. If made correctly, it will just melt in your mouth. The recipe is quite straightforward. Once you get the hang of the right consistency, you will be able to make it in no time. You just need to cook some cashew paste with sugar and later knead it to form a smooth fudge dough. This dough is then spread into a thin sheet, covered with edible silver sheets and then cut into perfect diamond shapes.
Preparation time - 35 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes
Setting time - 1 to 2 hours
Serves - 6
Ingredients
230 gms cashews
110 gms castor sugar
Edible silver foil (optional)
Water, for soaking
Method
To make cashew barfi or Kaju Katli, start by soaking the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes. After that, blend the soaked cashews in a high-powered blender until you have a fine paste. You may need to add some water to make the blending process easier.
Next, pour the cashew paste into a cooking pan and add sugar. Mix well and place the pan over a medium flame. Cook the mixture while stirring regularly with a spatula. Once the mixture starts to thicken, lower the flame.
You will know that the mixture is ready when it leaves the sides of the pan and appears like a dough. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the mixture and let it cool down enough to knead with your hands. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
Then, add one tablespoon of clarified butter to a marble slab and transfer the dough onto it. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes until it is completely smooth. Do not over-knead.
Gently roll out the dough using a rolling pin or flatten it with a spatula to form a rectangular shape of around 1/4 inch thickness. Add edible silver foil to the rolled dough to give it a festive look.
Cool the dough completely and cut it into diamond shapes. To get this shape, cut diagonally with 2-inch space between the cuts. Then, cut straight with the same amount of space between the lines. Let it firm up for a while until it's completely set.
Finally, decorate the cashew barfi on a platter and serve.
Tips
1. You can soak the cashews overnight in normal water.
2. Grind the cashews in batches and do not over blend.
3. Do not overcook the mixture or it will turn dry.
4. To test if the mixture is ready, grease your hands and take a little mixture to form a ball. If the ball is non-sticky, the dough is ready. If not, cook the mixture again for a couple of minutes.
5. If you want to enhance the flavour, you can consider adding saffron or cardamom powder.
6. You can cut it in any other shape of your choice.
What would you like to learn about cooking and baking from Chef Namrata? Tell us at at food@gulfnews.com
