Kaju katli

Kaju katli is one of the most popular sweets made during Diwali (the festival of lights). So I know it is not Diwali now, but I just love this sweet as a treat after dinner or with a nice of cup of tea. Kaju means cashews and katli means fudge/slice. Kaju katli is made from three basic ingredients: powdered cashews, sugar and water. I also a few drops of rosewater and 1/2 tsp cardamom for added flavour. I also found some rose petals in the garden which I added as well, but this is optional. This makes around 16 slices. 

Ingredients

180g cashews 

90 ml water (around 5 tbsp) 

115g sugar 

1/2 cardamom powder (3-4 seeds bashed)

Few drops rosewater 

1 tsp butter 

Method

• Place the cashews in a grinder and pulse in intervals until the cashews are powdery, but they haven't released their oils. You can't make kaju katli if they have become oily. If the powdered cashews are a bit lumpy, just run it through a sieve. Set aside.
  
  
• Take a non-stick saucepan and place on a low heat. Add the sugar, few drops rosewater and water and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Don't boil the sugar syrup or anything. Just letting it melt is fine.
  
  
• Once the sugar has dissolved, add the powdered cashews along with the cardamom. Keep stirring on a low-medium heat until the mixture thickens and comes away from the side of the pan. This takes around 10 minutes so be patient here!
  
  
• Once the mixture has come together, add the butter and mix. Place on a sheet of baking paper and let the mixture cool until warm.
  
  
• When the mixture has cooled down slightly, rub a little butter on your hand and knead the dough until slightly smooth. Optional: add a few rose petals here!
  
  
• Place back on the baking paper and roll to 3-5mm thick. You can even roll it out between two sheets of baking paper.
  
  
• Once rolled, let cool completely before cutting into diamond shapes. Store in an airtight container.