Kaju Badam Katli (Cashew Almond Fudge)

For today's post I have a melt in your mouth Indian dessert that is so simple to make and can be made vegan too. 9 out of 10 times Indian desserts/ sweets have either copious amounts of ghee (clarified butter) or made of milk (a big NO-NO to my husband), so when I saw that Katlis can be made with little or no ghee, I jumped up in joy. 

My mom made the katlis with me hovering over her shoulder giving instructions on how and what to do. My mom usually pours the cooked nuts & sugar mixture onto a greased plate and cuts them into squares or diamonds. But these katlis need slightly different treatment: after the nuts and sugar are cooked and start to come away from the pan, cool the mixture for a little bit, then knead it into a smooth and pliable dough, then roll and cut the katlis for a melt in your mouth dessert.

Ingredients:

Cashews - 1cup

Amonds - 1cup

Sugar - 2cups

Cardamom powder - 1tsp

Ghee - 2tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Grind cashews and almonds into smooth powder.
• In a deep skillet, melt sugar in 1 cup of water and boil until it forms one string/ thread consistency. When you put the syrup between 2 fingers, it should stretch with 1 string.
• Add the ground nuts and mix well; keep stirring the mixture until it pulls away from the pan, this will take about 5-7 minutes. Add the ghee (if using) and mix well. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
• While the mixture is still warm, knead it to form a smooth and glossy dough. If the dough seems too dry, add a drop of milk.
• Roll the dough into a tin sheet and cut the katlis into desired shapes. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up for BM# 22.