Homemade Kaju Katli Recipe, a Cashew Nut Barfi- Indian Dessert (With Vegan Variation)
I have been always a true Gujju foodie, who has a capacity of eating numerous meals in a day. My day is incomplete without homemade sweets. In India, mostly every mouthwatering dishes in made at home and one doesn’t have to worry about its quality. In addition is so easy on your monthly budget that you can treat yourself with them regularly.
Kaju Katli is one of my ever green favourites! Most Indians and even westerners love this sweet. Not many know that it is very easy to make and can be stored for a 3-4 easily without refrigeration and for about 15 days with refrigeration. This dessert is of course loaded with calories and is typically non vegan. However, some of my friends insisted that I give them tips on how to make a vegan version of this Indian cashewnut dessert. Hence, in this Kaju Katli recipe at the end I give some tips on how to make it vegan friendly and even sugar free. The process is same and hence, I felt it would be better if I had all the variations in one place.
In vegan Kaju Katli the taste would bit different, less sweeter but absolutely yum! In fact, making it in almond milk is one of my favourite things now.
Here is the Cahsewnut Katli recipe, my all time favourite sweet, an Indian dessert dish:
Kaju Katli Recipe Ingredients With Milk
- 1Kg Cashewnut, Kaju, Powdered
- 800gm Sugar, Powdered
- 200gm Mawa, Grated
- 18-20 Cardamom, Powdered
- 10-15 threads Saffron/ Kesar, Soaked in half cup of Milk for 20 minutes
- 5 Cups Water
- 1 Tsp Ghee or Butter, Apply on the dish
- 2 cups Cow milk
Cook Time for Kaju Katli Recipe
Homemade Kaju Katli Recipe Instructions
- Grind cashew nut pieces to powdered form with either a nut cracker or using a grinder. If you are using a grinder make sure you apply start-stop technique so as to avoid it to become greasy.
- Sieve powdered cashew. Boil sugar and water in a heavy bottom kadhai. After 5 minutes take a drop of this syrup to check f it has achieved 1 tar (string)
- [ How to check Cashni (sugar syrup) tars (string): - Take a drop of syrup let it cool for few seconds then press it lightly between your thumb and index finger. Now slowly increase the distance between thumb and the finger up to 2 cm. If the syrup string breaks then it is 1/2 tar and if not then look carefully to see how many strings are visible. In case if the syrup is over heated then you'll witness two such strings. Remember for Kaju Katli we need one string only.] (Explained in a video below)
- Once you have achieved a string, turn off the gas and make a fine paste of Kesar. Keep adding milk to keep pasty consistency of the batter. Mix this paste with cardamom powder and mawa followed by cashew nut powder.
- Now stir this mixture continuously on a simmer flame until it starts leaving the sides of vessel.
- Quickly apply ghee/butter on two to three dishes and pour the mixture into them. Spread evenly. Leave it to cool. Now cut them into the diamond from (see the pictures)
How To Get Single String Sugar Syrup (Cashni / Chashni) for Cashewnut barfi
Vegan Alternative of Kaju Katli
I have been asked by my vegan friends as to how can they make this delicious homemade Indian dessert cashewnut barfi vegan way! It took some time to figure out the right consistency for this but finally I suggest following changes to the overall flow of the Kaju Kathli recipe.
Vegan Ingredients for Kaju Katli:
700gm Cashewnut, Kaju, Powdered
800gm Sugar, Powdered (For sugar free version you can replace this with 550 gms powdered jaggery or 600gm of mashed dates)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
18-20 Cardamom, Powdered
10-15 threads Saffron/ Kesar, Soaked in half cup of Almond Milk for 20 minutes
5 Cups Water
1 Tsp vegan ghee
2 cups of Almond milk. You can use cashew milk but I found the taste of cashew bit to overpowering. Soy milk is another great alternative. If you like a bit of coconut taste to this Indian Kaju Katli then choose coconut milk.
For Sugar Free:
* If you are using jaggery power make sure it is really finely powdered and milk it well with cashewnut batter and milk when heating; ensuring no lumps remain. You will get a brownish colour Kaju Katli as it will catch jaggery's colour. So, don't worry if the colour changes.
* If you are using dates as a sweetener for Kaju Katli, make sure you mash the dates to paste either by grinding or by softening it by heating it on a high flame in a vessel.
Kaju Katli Recipe Garnishing
You can decorate this delicious sweet with pure silver foil (Varak) which is optional because Jains, Vegans and many Vegetarians do not use it. Garnish with some Saffron/Kesar threads.
Hope you enjoy making and eating as much as I do, for this dessert is sure to leave you asking for more.
I'm so excited to have added these updates on homemade Kaju Kathli recipe and looking forward for you to try and give feedback on how did it turn out for you.
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Recipe rating
© 2010 Shivani Gala
Comments
AUTHORHi Devsh,
Add few threads of saffron in the milk and stir it lightly like we beat to make a cake's smooth batter.
Regards,
Shivani
how to make saffron n milk fine paste.???
It's easy & siwple to make
- AUTHOR
@Ridhima:- Thanks
@Saffron:- The images have been there for a year now, had picked from Google images! Let me know which your image and link to your blog, would be happy to give you a credit!
Hello,
I noticed that you have used a picture from my blog that is copyrighted without my permission. Please either delete the picture or provide proper credit!
thanks,
~saffron
Nice n really easy
- AUTHOR
@Cybersupe: thanks so much for such a warm welcome :)hope I can keep them updated as quickly as wish
@Kins3003: Lemme know how it turns out.. and hope u enjoy it as much as I do...
Sounds wonderful -will print this and give it a try A+!
Interesting and very informative. Welcome to HubPages and the very best to you and your family. Looking forward to more of your Hubs in the future
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