Kaju katli

Preparation Add 1½ cups cashews to a blender jar and pulse a few times until it turns to a powder

Do not run the blender for long time as the cashews begin to release oil and turn lumpy

To ensure the powder is not very grainy sieve it and blend the coarse particles again

The cashew powder will be slightly grainy

How to make kaju katli Add ¾ cup sugar and 90 ml water to a non stick pan

Heat & dissolve it well

When the sugar melts off completely and begins to boil rapidly, add the cashew powder

Lower the heat

Mix well to blend the sugar syrup and cashew powder

The mixture must be smooth without any lumps

Keep stirring and cook on a medium heat until slightly thick

Then pour 1 teaspoon rosewater and one teaspoon ghee

You can also add 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder

Cook till the kaju katli mixture turns thick and begins to leave the sides of the pan

If it doesn’t then drizzle few drops of ghee again and mix

At this stage the mixture should not look dry but has to be moist and sticky

Check if mixture is ready To check if the mixture is ready

Turn off the stove and set the pan aside

Take ¼ teaspoon of this kaju katli mixture and cool down a bit

Roll it to a ball with greased fingers

You must get a ball that isn’t sticky

Upon cooling completely this has to get the texture of the katli or fudge

Next transfer the cooked kaju katli mixture immediately to a greased plate or parchment paper (butter paper)

Let the temperature come down to warm or slightly hot

While the mixture is still slightly hot or warm, grease your palms and knead it for 2 to 3 minutes to a smooth crack free dough

(refer video or picture below) Another method is to place the mixture on parchment paper and cover it

Then knead it well with the paper over the mixture

Covering the mixture with parchment paper protects your palm from extreme heat

( To fix ) If your kaju katli mixture tends to stick a lot, it means it is still underdone

So continue to cook the mixture for a little longer

If your mixture looks dry, sprinkle some boiled and cooled water and knead

Place the ball on a greased aluminum foil or a butter paper and cover it

With the help of a rolling pin, roll it evenly to ¼ inch thickness

Cool completely and cut to desired shapes

Store kaju katli in an airtight box