This is the BEST kaju katli recipe around the web! You get a soft, smooth and melt-in-your-mouth texture with of course full of cashew flavor (like the ones you get in your favorite sweet - mithai shop).
I am sharing all the tips and tricks to perfect them! Keep reading.
What is Kaju Katli?
Kaju katli is one of the most popular Indian sweets (mithai) that is made or bought for the Diwali celebration. Here kaju=cashews and katli=thin slices. Even though the slices are not thick like burfi pieces (fudge), it is also known as kaju barfi or burfi.
During the Diwali festival, people do a giveaway a box of kaju katli as a gift to their family, friends and loved ones because it is considered the one of the expensive and royal sweet.
I have not seen a single Diwali festival without receiving and giving a box of it. Sometimes we get so many boxes that it is too much to consume for our family. My mom would freeze some and then she makes milkshake by adding a couple of them into a glass of milk.
Check out other sweets that can be packed into the gift box as a mixed mithai box - Kalakand // Walnut burfi // Chocolate burfi // Besan ladoo // Chocolate peda // Boondi ladoo
❤️Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s super easy to make and a no-fail recipe.
- It’s perfect for beginners because there is no thread consistency of sugar syrup required.
- It has the perfect texture - soft, smooth and melt-in-your-mouth kind.
- Kids and adults both love this dessert.
- It’s the perfect dessert for all kinds of festivals like Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, etc.
🧾Ingredients
Here is the pic of the ingredients used to make kaju katli recipe. You’ll need 3 main ingredients (cashews, sugar and water).
Edible silver leaf - varak - It is optional and used for decoration purposes only.
- Edible silver leaf (varak) is vegan itself. But the method used to make the silver leaf may or may not vegan-friendly. Do your research first, if you are a strict vegan or vegetarian.
- When in doubt, Simply skip the silver foil. It does not add any flavor, it is just for the look and presentation purpose only.
- The one I bought it from India, the vendor said its pure vegetarian hence I have used here.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
Making Cashew Powder:
1) First, remove the required amount of cashews from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. It may take 1-2 hours. This is an important step and you cannot skip it.
2) Take that into a food processor and make powder by using the pulse button. Do not over-grind otherwise, it starts to release the oil and becomes wet, pasty. We need dry powder here.
Cooking The Mixture:
3) Take sugar and water in a heavy bottom pan on medium-low heat.
4) Let it just come to a boil (no need to simmer).
5) Add cashew powder.
6) And mix it and cook with stirring constantly.
7) As it gets cooked, it starts to get thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Do not scrap the thin layer that stuck to the pan as it has become chewy now.
8) Keep cooking until it comes together like a dough. Depending on the gas heat and size/shape of the pan, it may take around 8-10 minutes. CHECK: take a small portion, blow it so it is touchable, make a small ball and If it is sticking to the finger it needs more cooking. If not sticking then it is ready.
Kneading, Rolling & Cutting:
9) Remove it to a greased plate and let it cool to touch. It should be warm (not cooled completely).
10) Once it is cool to handle, grease your hand with ghee and knead it two-three times.
11) make a smooth dough. DO NOT over-knead it.
12) Now take a big piece of parchment paper. Put the dough ball on it and using your hand start patting and make a thick round patty. So now it will be easier to roll. Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and start rolling. The thickness should be ¼ inch to ⅓ inch. Do not roll it too thin. The circle was approx. 10-12 inches in diameter. IMPORTANT NOTE: do the kneading and rolling job while the dough is still warm. If it gets cool, it will start to set and becomes hard to roll.
13) using a knife cut into a diamond shape. Now let it cool completely and set. It may take around 15 minutes.
14) Now apply the silver leaf on top. This is optional but it looks good and just like the store-bought kind. Working with varak is very tricky, you have to be very careful and do not touch it with your hand.
💭Expert Tips
- Use the pulse button to grind the cashew nuts. If over-grinded then oil starts to ooze out from nuts and becomes slightly wet, moist. Here we want the powdered cashews. Use the food processor for this purpose.
- Do not worry about the fine powder. Slightly coarse like semolina is perfectly fine.
- Do not overcook the kaju katli mixture. Otherwise, the end product will become dry and hard.
- Knead for few times is the key to get a smooth texture. But be careful not to over-work on the kneading process.
- Do the kneading and rolling job while the dough is still warm (not cooled). Otherwise, it will be hard to roll properly.
- I highly recommend using parchment paper for rolling the dough. Alternately you can grease the work surface or large plate - tray (upside down) with ghee generously and roll on it. But sometimes it sticks to it even though it is greased well. So use parchment to make things easy.
- To make this kaju katli vegan, please use the coconut oil or soften margarine instead of ghee.
🥣 Storage Instructions
At room temperature, it stays good for 5-6 days. If you live in a humid climate then it stays good for 2-3 days only.
In the refrigerator, It stays good for a month or so. Keep in mind, as days pass kaju katli will starts to dry out gradually.
In the freezer, it stays good for up to a month. Arrange them on a baking tray in a single layer. Keep the freezer till frozen and then store in freeze-safe ziplock bag or container.
FAQs
Looks like it is undercooked and you have removed it a little early. No worries, add little milk powder, mix and knead until smooth and non-sticky.
Looks like it is cooked for longer than needed. No worries, add a couple of teaspoons of milk and knead until smooth and soft.
Check Out Other Classic Indian Sweets
PS Tried this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback! Plus, Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest updates.
📋 Recipe Card
Kaju Katli
Ingredients
- 260 grams or 2 cups Cashew nuts
- 150 grams or ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- ½ cup Water
- Edible silver leaf (Varakh) as needed optional
Instructions
Making Cashew Powder:
- First, remove the required amount of cashews from the fridge and let them come to room temperature. It may take 1-2 hours. This is an important step and you cannot skip it.
- Take that into a food processor and make powder by using the pulse button. Do not over-grind otherwise, it starts to release the oil and becomes wet, pasty. We need dry powder here.
Cooking The Mixture:
- Take sugar and water in a heavy bottom pan on medium-low heat. Let it just come to a boil (no need to simmer).
- Add cashew powder, mix it and cook with stirring constantly.
- As it gets cooked, it starts to get thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Do not scrap the thin layer that stuck to the pan as it has become chewy now.
- Keep cooking until it comes together like a dough. Depending on the gas heat and size/shape of the pan, it may take around 8-10 minutes. CHECK: take a small portion, blow it so it is touchable, make a small ball and If it is sticking to the finger it needs more cooking. If not sticking then it is ready.
- Remove it to a greased plate and let it cool to touch. It should be warm (not cooled completely).
Kneading, Rolling & Cutting:
- Once it is cool to handle, grease your hand with ghee and knead it two-three times, make a smooth dough. DO NOT over-knead it.
- Now take a big piece of parchment paper. Put the dough ball on it and using your hand start patting and make a thick round patty. So now it will be easier to roll. Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and start rolling. The thickness should be ¼ inch to ⅓ inch. Do not roll it too thin. The circle was approx. 10-12 inches in diameter. IMPORTANT NOTE: do the kneading and rolling job while the dough is still warm. If it gets cool, it will start to set and becomes hard to roll.
- using a knife cut into a diamond shape. Now let it cool completely and set. It may take around 5-10 minutes.
- Now apply the silver leaf on top. This is optional but it looks good and just like the store-bought kind. Working with varak is very tricky, you have to be very careful and do not touch it with your hand.
Notes
- Use the pulse button to grind the cashew nuts. If over-grinded then oil starts to ooze out from nuts and becomes slightly wet, moist. Here we want the powdered cashews. Use the food processor for this purpose.
- Do not worry about the fine powder. Slightly coarse like semolina is perfectly fine.
- Do not overcook the kaju katli mixture. Otherwise, the end product will become dry and hard.
- Knead for few times is the key to get a smooth texture. But be careful not to over-work on the kneading process.
- Do the kneading and rolling job while the dough is still warm (not cooled). Otherwise, it will be hard to roll properly. I highly recommend using parchment paper for rolling the dough. Alternately you can grease the work surface or large plate - tray (upside down) with ghee generously and roll on it. But sometimes it sticks to it even though it is greased well. So use parchment to make things easy.
- To make this kaju katli vegan, please use the coconut oil or soften margarine instead of ghee.
Hi I made the kaju katli but its very sticky and I don’t have a milk powder so what should be added to make it little hard.
If milk powder is not available then you can put it back in the pan and try cooking little more unlit thickens.
Everything is explained like Mother would do.
Thanks a lot. Website is awesome.
You're welcome.
Glad that recipes and website are helpful
Seriously you are a master stroke.......the way u write it completely shows your hard work....love your recipes in fact I am fall in love with Cooking just because of your website.
Thanks a million
Happy to know that recipes are helpful to you.
Happy Cooking !!
Kanan if you can please share the recipe of Yeast I mean how to make it at home....I have read for bhatura...and the same I am using in Naan ....it gives good results but what is the actual process to make it....u generally use dry yeast.
Yes I use store bought dry yeast all the time. I have never made yeast at home. In the bhatura recipe, I made the mixture that resembles yeast, but that is not actual yeast.
So that means Yeast can't be made at home ? If yes where I can find it in Gandhi Nagar we recently got shifted here
I am not sure, if can be or cannot be made at home. If it can be made, then I am not aware of it.
You can try looking for it in any "Kiraane ki Dukan" or you will sure find it in any supermarket store