[RECIPE VIDEO] Here's How You Can Easily Make Delicious Kaju Barfi At Home For Deepavali
Let's get cooking, shall we?
By Sadho Ram — 10 Oct 2024, 05:41 PM
Kaju katli, also known as kaju barfi, is one festive Indian dessert that's known for its smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture and rich flavour
If you have been to your Indian Malaysian friends' open house during a festive season — especially for Deepavali — it's likely that you have had the chance to try this sweet slice made of cashews.
While it costs a bomb outside, this absolutely delicious and perfect dessert takes nothing more than your usual pantry staples: cashews (duh!), sugar, a teaspoon of ghee, and rose water for that fragrant perfection.
Let's make some!
Traditionally it's made by cooking the sugar syrup to a single-string consistency, to which cashew paste — obtained through extremely slow grinding — is added. However, the recipe that I'm going to share is simple, foolproof, and can easily be made by even a novice.
You will need:
- 250g of raw cashew nuts
- 200g of white granulated sugar
- 100ml of water
- 1/2 tsp of ghee
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp of rose water (optional)
To decorate the kaju barfis, you can optionally buy vark, fine edible silver sheets that are flavourless, from Indian grocery stores.
Begin by washing your cashews a few times to get rid of any impurities
Soak them in water for at least 60 minutes.
Now, to make the paste:
Drain the water and transfer the soaked cashew nuts into a grinder jar, along with the sugar.
I'm adding sugar (and some water) along with the cashew nuts because those two ingredients will prevent the cashews from releasing oil during blending.
Use the pulse setting on your grinder to avoid heating the jar and to ensure the cashews don't release oil. Stop the blending process in between to add a tablespoon of water, then blend again.
Your paste should appear smooth, without any chunks of cashews.
Transfer the paste to a heavy-bottomed pan
DO NOT USE a light wok as it will burn your paste before you even begin to cook it.
Cook over medium to low flame till the paste begins to leave the sides of the pan. Depending on your heat and the pan, it can take anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes.
At this stage, add half a teaspoon of ghee, crushed or powdered cardamon, and half a teaspoon of rose water, and stir for another minute or so until the ghee melts and blends with the mixture.
To check if the mixture is ready, take a small portion into a bowl, carefully pick it up using your hand, and form a ball with the mixture. If it doesn't stick to your fingers, it is ready.
Turn off the heat.
In a steel plate that's been brushed with a little ghee, transfer the hot mixture and let it cool for a couple of minutes
Once it's cool enough to touch, grease some ghee on your palms and start folding the mixture to form a smooth dough. Do not over-knead it.
Now, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to the desired thickness, and leave it to set for about half an hour before using a knife to cut it into the traditional bite-sized rhombus-shaped pieces.
Your kaju barfi can be preserved outside the refrigerator and enjoyed fresh for over a week.
