Kaju Katli is a rich and very popular sweet that you can gift for your friends and relatives during any festive occasion especially during Diwali. Kaju Katli is my fav since my childhood days....I have already posted kaju katli recipe / cashew burfi /cashew katli long back but want to add a new post with stepwise pictures and it took me almost 3 yrs for me to get convinced to try Kaju Katli again.Though the first time I tried Kaju Katli was a cake walk for me as I didn't find any difficulty making this sweet.But after hearing many friends and readers complaining about the difficulty in powdering cashews and the consistency checks I held back myself when I heard the name kaju katli. The procedure of making kaju katli seems easy but if you ask me it is not as it sounds, you need to be extra careful right from the first step once you know the knack then making kaju katli can be breeze.

When I was discussing my fear of re-trying kaju katli with Lavi, she encouraged me a lot.Thank you so much Lavi for the recipe and the motivation.Finally I decided to give a try....I was not getting sleep the whole night yes I haven't feared like this before for any sweet and it was really silly to fear for a sweet which I've succeeded in my first try itself but yes that's the fact.

Early morning I woke up and right from drying the mixie I took extra care for each step and tada my kaju katli's came out perfect :) When I saw the katli's I was so happy and only when hubby approved it I started to click the pictures.I didn't even taste them till hubby approved....only after that I tasted a edge piece and was super happy with my katli's :) I've given all my observations and tips in my notes section, so please go through it.

I packed these kalti's for Priya(my SIL) and was waiting for the feedback....I gave so many instructions to hubby to safely carry the box as it was more than a jewel to me :) I had to wait for a day for the katli to reach my SIL.....Finally the phone rang and She said 'Attakasama iruku, it tastes better than the store kaju katli's'....Oh I was already flying high :))

Kaju Katli Recipe

Preparation Time:10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Makes:around 15 to 17
Recipe Category: Sweets | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Whole Cashews - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Melted Ghee - just for greasing

Method:

1. Measure your ingredients and keep it ready.If your are cashews are refrigerated, then bring to room temperature and then proceed.Ensure your mixer is completely dry.Transfer cashews to a mixer and grind it to a semi fine powder.Don't overdo as the cashews will leave out oil and the whole mixture will turn sticky.
   

See my cashew powder was this coarse.Now boil sugar and water, keep stirring in low flame till sugar completely dissolves.Then it starts to bubble up,Keep stirring, keep a small bowl containing water.Check by pouring few drops of sugar syrup in water, it should a fine thread and should not dissolve.Thats the right stage.

Now add the cashew mixture and keep stirring until it forms a thick rolling mixture like this.It should be like a flexible dough.The dough should not be dry, it should be soft and flexible so switch off accordingly.You can even try rolling a ball, it should be flexible then that's the correct consistency.It took me just 7-8 mins for forming the cashew dough.Switch off and let it cool down for 10mins.

When its still warm, knead it well, don't scrap the dough from the sides as the mixture would be hard.The dough was grainy, but after kneading the dough became smooth.If you feel the mixture is dry add 1/2 tsp ghee and then knead it.Now lay a butter paper, place the kaju dough and fold the paper such that the butter paper is on top and bottom of the dough.Now start rolling with a chapathi roller.

Roll it to 1/4 inch thickness, remove the butter paper on top.Cut with a sharp knife.Mark lines.

And cut into diamonds.Now you have the liberty to enjoy the edge uneven pieces :)Now separate the pieces.

Cool down and store in airtight container.

My Notes:

• If you have refrigerated your cashews, then first bring it to room temperature and then proceed.
• Use a dry mixer, the mixie should be completely moisture free.
• Butterpaper helps in giving a neat smooth finish, so I recommend adding it.I was extra careful so laid butter paper underneath and above the dough so that its doesnt stick, also gives a smoother finish.
• When you start grinding run the mixer at a stretch for 10 seconds, the scrap the sides then pulse it giving intervals.Make sure cashew is in powder for, it should not be pastey.If there are tiny bits, its ok but dont overdo grinding then cashews will let out oil and become pastey.
• Seeing the coarse cashew mixture, don't panic and grind for more time then it will become sticky.
• If you cook the cashew dough perfectly, the dough will be so flexible almost like the playdough clay and you can play and experiment a lot with it.
• If you are not confident about the sugar syrup consistency, dont worry add the cashew powder while the sugar syrup starts to turn sticky itself.Finally when it all comes together it will be ok.
• Though checking the sugar syrup is important what I found by experience is that adding cashew powder before the perfect syrup consistency is not an issue, but if the sugar syrup passes the correct consistency and then you add cashew powder, the dough will not form.The mixture will be crumbly and will not hold together so keep these as tips.
• I used my nonstick pan so it was easy for me to bring it together.
• I used whole cashews, you can use halved cashews too.But make sure you get high quality cashews so that powdering is easy.
• If the mixture is dry, then add few drops of ghee and knead it.You can even use milk but shelf life will be less if you use milk.
• If you add cashew paste instead of cashew powder then end product will be chewy.
• Kneading is really important for a smoother finish.
• The cashew dough will get dried easily so when its still warm and handbearable hot,start kneading.
• I recommend to do the entire process in low flame or low medium.
• The only regret I had was, I should have rolled it in a perfect square / rectangle to avoid the edge pieces.I was a bit tensed so my mind was not letting me to think further so just rolled it as such.I recommend rolling it into a square / rectangle so that the edge pieces are less.But nothing is going to be wasted, even the scrapes are edible and they were all done in no time even before I started my photoshoot :)

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