Kaju Katli Recipe

Kaju katli is an Indian dessert made from Kaju (cashews) and usually served and gifted during special occasions such as Rakshabandhan, Diwali or Holi.

Here, I have shared an easy and quick recipe to make smooth and melt-in-mouth textured Kaju katli which requires only a few ingredients.

Stepwise recipe to make Kaju katli:

1. Grind 1 ¼ cup cashew (Kaju) in dry grinder using pulse method. Don’t run the grinder at a stretch. Run it a few times at regular intervals till cashews are grinded to powder. Ensure that cashews don’t release oil or get lumpy while grinding. If the cashews release oil, then they are not fit to make kaju katli.
2. Sieve the powdered cashews using medium sieve and spoon. If there are coarse grains which do not pass through the sieve, add the leftover coarse grains to the mixture, grind it and sieve again.
3. You will get fine cashew powder which has a slightly grainy texture. Ensure that there are no lumps in the powder.
4. Divide butter paper into two halves, grease one side of each half with 1 teaspoon ghee and keep it ready.
5. Heat a non-stick pan.
6. Add ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water to the pan. Stir till sugar completely dissolves in water. You don’t need to make syrup. Stir only till sugar dissolves in water. If you want to make Kesar kaju katli, then you can add ¼ teaspoon saffron strands in this step. 
7. Now add powdered cashew powder in the pan.
8. Mix well while stirring continuously over a low flame such that no lumps are formed.
9. Stir till the cashew mixture begins to thicken.
10. Now in cashew mixture add 2 teaspoon ghee and ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder (Elaichi powder).
11. Continue to stir until the mixture comes together and begins to leave the sides of the pan.
12. Switch off the gas. Grease your fingers with a bit of ghee. Take a small amount of mixture and make a small ball with your fingers. If you get a soft non-sticky ball, it means your mixture is ready.
13. Pour the mixture on one of greased butter paper and with soft hands knead till it turns smooth.
14. Cover the mixture with another greased butter paper with the greased side over the mixture.
15. With a rolling pin, roll the kneaded mixture of ¼ inch thickness.
16. Remove the top butter paper and let the mixture cool completely.
17. Now cut it into diamond-shaped pieces.
18. Place silver leaf or silver vark over kaju katli after cutting it into pieces. However, this step is completely optional and you can skip it.
19. Serve kaju katli straight away or store in an airtight container.

Tips :

1. While grinding cashews, ensure that cashews don’t release oil. Don’t use refrigerated cashews for making kaju katli.
2. While cooking, ensure that the mixture doesn’t get overcooked as this will dry out kaju katli and it won’t turn out smooth and mouth-melting.
3. Let the sugar dissolve completely before adding cashew powder otherwise, sugar crystals will make kaju katli grainy in texture.