Deepavali/Diwali one of the major Indian festivals and it is on the October 22nd. I am busy in the kitchen preparing the dishes my mom used to make it for this festival. I want to follow the tradition as much as possible so that my little ones should know about it. Even though I can’t follow exactly like it would be celebrated in India. My mom used to make a lot of sweets and savories; however she never made this Kaju katli/Cashew nut fudge. Yes I got the taste first time when we visited Mumbai my hubby’s home for a Deepavali/Diwali festival.
He is an absolute fan of Kaju katli, however nowadays sugar is his enemy so everything is in very little amount. Deepavali/Diwali ‘the festival of lights’ is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm, with lights, crackers, sweets and savory dishes, new clothes. My mom would start her work almost two- three days early to the festival and always made sure that dishes which she makes should be good on Deepavali days. It is usually three day preparation, sweets and savory which can be stored a little while made on the first two days, third day we make sweet with chana dal called “Ukkarai” which is must for Deepavali. We prepare them only during that time. Dad used to buy new clothes and crackers, he make sure that it is not so much sound making ones as we are two girls.
On the day of Deepavali/Diwali after an early morning bath tradition of wearing new clothes and burn crackers and then go to temple. Here there are no crackers but there will be new clothes and dishes. As it is working day, my hubby will be at work and kids going to school. So there will be no elaborate breakfast which is the important part of Diwali festival. But there will be a dinner. I have started making the sweets and savory dishes, and the first sweet I made for this Deepavali is kaju katli/ cashew nut fudge. It is really easy dish. For this you need to use unsalted raw cashew nut and not the salted ones. This one of expensive sweet in India, as it made with cashews which in turn expensive. For kaju katli you need only four ingredients, cashew nuts, sugar, rosewater and cardamom. First ground the cashew into a fine powder with little sugar, then boil water and sugar until it becomes soft ball stage then add powdered cashew powder at first it looks like it dried up, then upon heating sugar dissolves once again and becomes a soft dough, then knead and press this dough into thin sheet and decorate with edible sliver and cut it into diamond shaped pieces.
It is delicious as it has goodness of cashew, you can make them vegan free, just simply avoid ghee for brushing the parchment paper. Use oil of your choice, a mild one. Enjoy, every bite is a delicious treat and you can’t stop with one; you are going eat few more. I am sure.
Deepavali/Diwali Sweets from my kitchen
Laddos
1. Besan ladoo 2. Boondhi lad0o 3. Rava laddo 4. Malad0o
5. Gulab Jamun 6. Mysore pak, 7. Rasamalai 8. Ukkaarai 9. Boli
10. Neyyappam . 11. Nan kahttai 12. shankarpali 13 Athirasam 14. Plantain halwa 15. Peda
Here comes the recipe.
Delicious cashew nut fudge made with sugar cardamom, rosewater. Make it vegan by skipping the ghee for greasing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup(146g) whole cashews
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup water+2 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 edible silver foil(Chandi varak, optional)
- 1 teaspoon ghee ( for greasing, use oil if you want vegan)
Instructions
- First grind cashew with 1 tablespoon sugar into a fine powder.
- Make sure that you are not making it into a paste (cashew butter)
- Heat ½ cup sugar and water in a pan, until it becomes soft ball stage, (if you have candy thermometer it will register 234° F–240° F/112° C–115° C)
- You can also test by putting a drop of sugar liquid in the water when you roll it tend to becomes a ball.
- To this add rose water, ground cardamom and powdered cashew nut and mix well at first it will thicken (at this point if you want you can add two tablespoon of water)
- again upon heating it will become liquid, continue to cook for about 14 minutes it will become soft dough,
- pinch out a small piece of dough try to make a ball, if you can then the dough is ready.
- Switch off the flame and set aside, when it is cool enough to handle, knead well
- and transfer to parchment paper greased with ghee(if you want vegan, try oil ) roll the dough into ¼ inch thick sheet.
- If you are using edible sliver foil press it to the top of the dough.
- Then using a ruler cut it into 2 inch cross-wise and again in the opposite directions to make it into diamond shaped pieces.
- Store each pieces in between parchment paper pieces that will prevent sticking each other. Enjoy delicious.
Notes
Copyright ©2014 Zesty South Indian Kitchen by Swathi(Ambujom Saraswathy) All Rights Reserved.
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
radha says
superb recipe!! another favourite of mine and I like the way you explain..
ree says
Love kaju katli so much...such a well explained post...I am sure anyone can easily make with these step wise presentation...even now, I am munching kaju katli as I am replying!!!
Suja Manoj says
Looks so perfect and festive.
Choc Chip Uru says
Diwali must be such a fun celebration at your house 😀
Beautiful looking fudge, better than the store even!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Eliza Lincy says
Perfectly made Kaju Katli. Im drooling over that sweet.
niru says
very well done...looks delicious....happy diwali
Poornima says
Kaju katli looks perfect and great sweets collection too.
julie says
Happy Diwali to u n family,Swathi..Kaju katli is my favorite..u have made it perfect!
Swathi says
Yes Sathya lot of memories with this festival.
sathyapriya says
So many memories goes one for diwali .WE have to give such memories to our kids .Doing tradition is one such way ,THis kaju katli looks very inviting
Winnie says
How Special and unique these look, and we loooooooooove cashew!!
Happy Diwali to you Swathi 🙂
Swathi says
Thanks Winnie,
Sony's kitchen says
Katli looks super perfect.......where did you get edible varkha ?
Swathi says
Thanks Sonali, I bought the edible silver foil from India.
beena stephy says
Happy Diwali Swathi . Yummy sweet
Swathi says
Thanks Beena Happy diwali to you too.