Kaju Katli
October 28th, 2008
Stumble it!
My idea for a Halloween post just wasn’t working out. Good thing I have another holiday to cook for.
Happy Diwali!
Diwali is a major Indian holiday, a festival of light. There are lots of tasty dishes people make for Diwali, usually always vegetarian. And like all holidays, there are all sorts of appropriate sweets and desserts you can make. Here’s a really easy one, and you probably have all the ingredients you need already.
I got the idea for this from Saffron Hut, so the base recipe comes from there. I added a pinch of salt to balance the sweet, as well as some cardamom because it’s not only delicious, but traditional.
Kaju Katli (cashew diamonds) is sort of a cross between marzipan and brittle. It has the sweet, chewy-ness of marzipan with the rich, creamy taste of brittle. A lot of times it’s decorated with some edible silver leaf, but I didn’t have any (nor do I have the faintest idea where to get some!). Instead I used cardamom pods, some pretty colored sugar, and a nice anise star.
It’s simple, quick, and delicious. A perfect way to celebrate Diwali, or just try out a new sweet treat!
Kaju Katli
Makes 20-30 Diamonds
1 Cup Cashews, raw and unsalted
4 Cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed (optional)
1 Pinch Salt
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Water
Grind the cashews into as fine a powder as you can. You can try your coffee grinder; shake it or rap it against the counter to keep the cashews from gumming up the blade. You can also try a blender, a food processor, or a mortar and pestle.
Mix cardamom powder, salt, and cashews together. Heat water and sugar in a pot until boiling. Add cashews and stir well with a rubber spatula. Cook for abut 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. You can tell it’s ready when it a dribble of it on a cool plate forms a soft ball.
Pour out the mixture onto lightly oiled aluminum foil. A lot of directions I read say you should let the mixture cool and then knead until glassy. The rill out to 1/4″ thick and slice into diamonds. I cooked mine a little too long, so it set up firmer than it should have. I just cut it after it cooled (instead of kneading it and rolling it out) and that worked fine, but I think the textured suffered a little.
Store in an airtight container in layers separated by parchment paper.
Have a great Diwali!
And pssst! I’ve won the 2008 VegNews Veggie Award for best blog of 2008! Thank you to everyone who voted for me. You can find me in the November edition of VegNews Magazine. Yippee!
55 Comments
1. maryeb | October 28th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Congrats on the win!
And thanks for another beautiful and yummy recipe.
I didn’t know about Diwali, but I love an excuse to celebrate. Now I have another fun holiday.
2. Sandy S | October 28th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Wow – these look so yummy! Very pretty.
3. Joanna | October 28th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Oh my god, I am eating one of these right now! Courtesy of one of my coworkers… here’s the email he sent to us: “My sister got some sweets for me from India last week. I reluctantly decided to share them with you guys. So make the best of it.” They are so good, thanks for sharing how I can make my own!
4. Lauren | October 28th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Congrats!
5. fede | October 28th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Congratulation! Your blog is for me really beautiful! Please post as soon as possible other recipes!!
6. Andrea N. | October 28th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Congratulations! Well deserved award!
7. Caitlin | October 28th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Hi there. I’ve been “lurking” for awhile–reading your blog but not commenting. Anyway, I just wanted to congratulate on your VegNews win. I can think of no one better–your blog is truly the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. I love your pictures! (Although one downside is that it always makes me so hungry to read your blog! :))
8. Lisa | October 28th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Big congratulations on your award! It is definitely well deserved. Your recipes have definitely had a big, positive impact on my life. Thanks to you, I’ve also gotten VCTOTW. Love those mojito cupcakes! Cashews, especially raw unsalted, are great so I’ll be giving this a try.
9. Tonya | October 28th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Lolo, I found this site by accident a few days ago, and have literally spent HOURs now communing with it! Food is beautiful, and you pay it proper homage my friend. Keep those awards coming, I say. And the brain-tasty tidbits too!
10. MPG | October 28th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
These look absolutely fabulous…nice work! Happy Diwali and Congrats on your VegNews award!
11. Marianne | October 28th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Those look spectacular!
12. Shelby | October 28th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
These look so pretty and sound so delicious!
13. Mad About Udon | October 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Congrats on the award! I work with so many Indians and I get to enjoy their sweet treats all the time. I am simply in LOVE with that cuisine.
14. ttfn300 | October 28th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
congrats!!!
I think this was what I had the first time I tried (and fell in love with) cardamom!!! Never knew it was like this, but I’ll have to give it a go!
15. Sharon | October 28th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
No way, friend! I’ve been pounding back these on Diwali (and, truthfully, year round) since childhood. Indian sweets were, not surprisingly, huge in my house as a kid.
Thanks for yet another lovely recipe.
16. Ashly | October 28th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Can I use ground cardamom that I already have? Where could I get pretty anise pods?
Also, if I use the food processor to make a powder of the cashews, should I add water or another liquid at all, to keep it from gumming or make it smoother?
Ground cardamom is fine! And I found the anise pods at my local grocery store. Any store that has a good spice section should carry them. As for the cashews, I wouldn’t add liquid while processing them, unless you want to add the water and sugar called for in the recipe. That will work out fine, you’ll just have to cook the mixture longer.
17. Lyra | October 28th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
A coworker of mine brought these in for Diwali today. I always thought the recipe included some ghee in there somewhere-is the non-vegan version the same? Either way, they sure are yummy and its great to find this recipe!
Sometimes people make it with ghee, sometimes they don’t. I’ve seen recipes both ways, so it’s always good to check before eating if you’re vegan.
18. The Wind Attack | October 29th, 2008 at 1:39 am
whoa, I had no idea it was an Indian holiday and yet I just made Indian food for dinner because somehow it felt right… and delicious. Didn’t have any Kaju Katli, but now I’m inspired to make some for next time.
19. anony | October 29th, 2008 at 7:06 am
Try your vegan silver foil from this source:
http://www.kskvarakh.com/index.htm
*** … and happy Diwali to you 2 ***
20. anony | October 29th, 2008 at 7:08 am
… or order online from
http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk
search for “Varq”
21. Shilpa | October 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
These look amazing, and your recipe is so simple to follow… Thanks!! Happy Deepavali to you!!
22. Kim | October 29th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
These are such an adorable little treat… I definitely have these ingredients on hand– can’t wait to try them!
23. A | October 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I found your blog through the VegNews win, so congrats! And now I have a yummy new blog to keep up with.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into this; it’s truly a work of art and you, an artist.
24. Teddy | October 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
psh ANYONE can do a halloween post, this is the 1st Diwali post I’ve seen…
and the best I’ve seen too :)
Teddy
25. Mahathi | October 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As an Indian living in Boston I dont get my hands on good kaju kathli. As you mentioned, this is one of the staples at Diwali.. This looks yumm. Definitely going to give it a try
26. Sophie | October 29th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I’d never made the connection that these kind of traditional indian sweets are nearly always vegan. Useful to know!
Love the diamond shapes of the sweets against the star anise on the piccys
Well done on the award!
27. Regina | October 29th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
I’m making these right now…I have an office Halloween party tomorrow and was dreading sitting by the oven baking vegan cookies all night. This is way easier and unusual as well.
I actually wasn’t sure from your recipe whether you meant to discard the outer pods or the inner seeds of the cardamom (my hubby is the chef around here, not me). I had to google that part.
Congratulations on your well-deserved award! I voted for you!
28. shibani | October 29th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
The katli’s look awesome and beautufully presented.
29. Josie | October 30th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Those are so beautiful. Happy Diwali!
30. Mallika | October 30th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Congrats on the award! You totally deserve it. These Kaju Barfi’s look divine. and Happy Diwali, of course.
31. Indian Girl | October 30th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
CONGRATS !!! I am cant think of any one more deserving than you !! Love the sweets, looks perfect !
32. Ashly | October 30th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Ooh, another question: how much cardamom to add if it’s already ground? Does it amount to tablespoons full or closer to teaspoons, or what? Thanks:)
A little goes a long way! I’d say a pinch to 1/8 tsp will be plenty!
33. Friday Favorites :: Hallo&hellip | October 31st, 2008 at 3:36 am
[...] game for any recipe that includes cashews and cardamom, even if I’ve never heard of it [...]
34. Anardana | November 1st, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Thanks for the great looking recipe!
35. maybelles mom (feeding maybelle) | November 1st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Congrats on the award. I made one vegan indian dessert for Diwali, but wished I had seen this vegan recipe before diwali.
36. Theresa Holley | November 2nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Did you not go to the Veg Fest this year?
37. SoySusu | November 2nd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Congratulations! :)
Do you think I can sub almonds for cashews? How long do these last? I would love to include them in my christmas sweets’ boxes (not very indian, I know ;))
38. Sal | November 4th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Congrats on the award – definitely well deserved!
39. Kaju Katli | Receipes&hellip | November 4th, 2008 at 10:49 am
[...] Read More ? RSS feed for comments on this post. Write a comment [...]
40. Sue | November 4th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Just wanted to let you know that I made your Delicata Squash soup this past weekend. SUBLIME!!! I LOVED it. Yesterday, I went and bought more squash so I could whip up another batch! I used the homemade vegetable broth, of course! Thank you for a delicious, easy recipe!
41. Shona | November 4th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Wow this is great Andrea! I’m sitting here in the Highlands smiling and smiling. What generous, thoughtful energy spills forth from your bubbling pages…can’t wait to show Grandma Tain when she gets her new computer set up! Keep it coming and CONGRATS ON YOUR AWARD!!!! You wee diamond. XX
42. DJ | November 4th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Gosh, these bring back memories of growing up in Manchester with a lot of Sikh friends and eating these sweets with a complete sense of bewilderment! Where was the chocolate?? Congrats on your award, btw!
43. Cookthink: News From The &hellip | November 5th, 2008 at 11:15 am
[...] celebrates Diwali with Kaju Katli, pictured above, an Indian dessert made with cashews and [...]
44. morgen | November 5th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Oh what bliss………this makes me happy. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
45. Aparna | November 6th, 2008 at 3:37 am
I discovered your blog through your photography tutorial. That was really good.
Kaju Katli is an absolute favourite and it’s nice to see such a mouthwateringly beautiful picture of it here.
46. Peter | November 13th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Hi, just a general comment about your site. Very well done, beautiful photos and great information…many thanks ; )
47. Pamela | November 24th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I just made this – but it turned out too gummy to cut and remove from the foil! What did I do wrong?
It is delicious though, so worst case, I’ll just eat it off the foil with a spoon. :-)
48. Meri | November 25th, 2008 at 12:28 am
I just made this too, and mine looks nothing like your lovely pics above. It’s more like cashew brittle (without the nut chunks). Not sure how you managed the cookie-like texture that’s pictured. (I didn’t knead and roll either.) One thing I did that did seem to work… I poured my boiling mix on to a Silpat mat, so very easy to remove once it cooled.
Thanks for your great site – we’ve tried tons of your recipes and they’ve all been so delicious and (mostly) easy.
49. Sunshinemom | November 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am
We make this every Diwali, and I always cut it out rather than rolling it again! Yet to post mine but yours looks lovely!
50. Taylor | January 4th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
i just made these- 2 batches. one was perfect, and the other i cooked too little and never hardened.
but it was good goo none the less! you know what it would have been great on? rice dream ice cream.
51. anushruti | March 7th, 2009 at 5:50 am
Silver foil is not even vegetarian, and far away from being vegan. Google for it and u’ll know. Its better to skip it.
52. Anu | April 30th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Congratulations on the award!
Kaju katli looks very inviting :) Perfect click! Wonderful snaps :)
I have posted my version of Kaju katli in my blog. Do visit my blog in ur free time. Would be happy to receive ur comments :)
53. shali | May 3rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I also (like #47) had this come out sticky and gummy… delicious, but very gummy. What did I do wrong? I am a very experienced cook, and make many vegan desserts, but I’m not very familiar with candy making (cooking with sugar syrup). Kaju katli has long been one of my all-time favorite store-bought desserts, so this result was especially frustrating! I really want to master this as it would be great to know how to make this for friends and family! Are there any further hints you can provide to help me get the consistency right?
54. kaydee | June 15th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I just made the kaju katli and had the same problem: it looked like it wasn’t going to harden. I added some flour (making it a little more dough-like) and let it cool in the pot before laying it out on the foil. it hardened up right away! try that :)
55. Friday Favorites :: Hallo&hellip | August 5th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
[...] game for any recipe that includes cashews and cardamom, even if I’ve never heard of it [...]