Instant Milk Peda Recipe | Milk Peda Recipe with Condensed Milk | Quick doodh peda recipe [Video]

Instant Milk Peda Recipe | Milk Peda Recipe with Condensed Milk | Quick doodh peda recipe with step by step video instructions. Instant Milk Peda or Doodh Peda is made by combining sweetened condensed milk like mithai mate or milkmaid and milk powder and cooking them on low heat to make instant khova. Pedas are flavored with cardamom, shaped and topped with nuts. Instant milk peda is perfect for festivals like diwali or when you want a quick dessert. This recipe is gluten free and suits a Jain diet.

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Milk Pedas are one of the easiest of Indian sweets, especially with THIS recipe.

You know that time, when you had a nice spicy dinner, and then get this sudden sweet craving, but it's already late and you are so cozily dressed up in your pajamas. And you are torn between changing and driving to the nearest sweet mart or trying to suppress that craving. You don't need to anymore, not with this recipe. 

The scene I just described above, is something I experience almost every couple of weeks. And most of the times laziness wins, I hate changing and going out after 10pm. So I mostly settle for maybe a biscuit or when I am in a good healthy-diet sort of mind, a couple of dates or raisins. But mostly, I'm still thinking of delicious desserts in my head. 

So when you aren't freezing brownies for such nights, give this peda recipe a try and I assure you it won't disappoint. In fact, it is so easy, a 12-year-old can make it, so feel free to delegate this to the little chefs at home. My sister actually won a cooking contest in school making this on an old kerosene stove, so you can guess how simple and tasty it really is. 

Instant Milk Peda is made from just a handful of ingredients - ghee, condensed milk, milk powder, cardamom powder and nuts.

Notes to make the perfect Pedas

Not that you need too many pointers, but I did somehow manage to mess up this recipe once, so I thought I'd rather share the experience.

• When I say 5-6 minutes of cooking, I mean it. Unfortunately, the first time I made the pedas, I went by look and feel rather than timing. I ended up with very chewy pedas, almost like a 5-star or caramel candy if you know. Not a pleasant experience for my jaws. So although the mixture looks runny and sticky after 6 minutes, don't cook it too long. At the maximum, based on the heat, you may need 1-2 minutes more. The pedas will harden and set as they cool, so don't worry.
• What if my advice above failed and you actually undercooked it. Don't worry, put the mix back on the stove and maybe cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
• What if you totally missed my advice and overcooked it. Well, at least now you know how strong your jaws are. But don't worry, I actually managed to get this working too. Keep the pedas in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove them and keep them on the counter and allow them to come to room temperature. Somehow this magically fixed the texture in my case. So it is worth a try, don't you agree?

Also, you can top the pedas with any nuts or no nuts at all. I like almonds and pista, so that is what I used.

Flavoring too is your choice. The traditional flavoring for most Indian sweets is cardamom and I stuck with it. You can use saffron, rose, or kewra too. I've tried the rose and it rocks.

Oh and also, since I'm posting this so close to Diwali, have a happy and safe one. 

I have a Diwali playlist on YouTube, that may interest you too, check it out here.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Instant Milk Peda Recipe | Quick Doodh Peda | Milk Peda with Condensed Milk

Instant Milk Peda or Doodh Peda an Indian fudge type of dessert / sweet that is made by combining sweetened condensed milk like mithai mate or milkmaid and milk powder and cooking them on low heat. Pedas are flavored with cardamom, shaped and topped with nuts. Instant milk peda is perfect for festivals like diwali or when you want a quick dessert. This recipe is gluten free and suits a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     10 hours
Cook time:     10 minutes
Total time:     20 minutes
Yield:                25

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

400gms Sweetened Condensed Milk
1.5 cup Milk Powder or Dairy Whitener
8-10 Green Cardamom
1 Tbsp Ghee
3 Tbsp chopped nuts like Almonds and Pistachios

Method:

1. Peel the cardamom and crush the seeds into a powder. Add 1 tsp sugar to help you pound it into a powder.
2. In a non stick pan, add the ghee, condensed milk and the milk powder.
3. Mix well.
4. Cook the mixture on low heat while stirring constantly to prevent the mix from burning.
5. Continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until the mix comes together as one mass.
6. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
7. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl or a plate. The mix will look sticky, but don’t be tempted to cook it more. The pedas will become chewy if overcooked.
8. As the mix cools, it will begin to harden and set.
9. Grease your hands with ghee and take a spoonful of the mix while still warm and shape into pedas.
10. Top with chopped nuts and gently press so that they stick to the peda.
11. Cool completely before serving.
12. Pedas can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days, after which they are best stored in the fridge. Do not store them for over 5-7 days.

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Kaju Katli

Coconut Laddoo

Holige | Puran Poli

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Tavsali Recipe | Goan Steamed Cucumber Cake Recipe | Eggless Cucumber Cake Recipe

Tavsali is an eggless steamed cucumber cake from Goa. Tavsali is made with a handful of ingredients in a steamer. It has the delicate taste of cucumbers and is mildly sweet from the jaggery. Tavsali is refined sugar free. Tavsali suits a Jain diet and can be adapted to a vegan or plant based diet by just replacing the ghee with oil.

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Tavsali always takes me back to my childhood. When I think of Tavsali, a scene is formed in my mind and I would give anything to go back to it. It is afternoon in my mom's kitchen, stormy dark grey clouds outside and my mom has just removed this fragrant cake from the steamer while the whole house is having their Sunday afternoon siesta.

My mom loved to cook for us when we were little. She'd learn new recipes from friends, colleagues, and neighbors and try it out on Sunday afternoon when we all slept after a good heavy lunch. And this Tavsali is one of those things that she made for us. I don't think it was a dish she grew up with, but learned it later in life and made it several times for us. It was also something she liked, it had all the flavors of her home, Mangalore, for her in it. cucumber, coconut, and jaggery. 

When it started raining this last month, I'd been craving for this. I don't know why but that scene I wrote before was evoked and I just had to have it. So although I got very lukewarm responses to "I'm going to finally make Tavsali", I went ahead and made a small batch. It didn't take much for the lukewarm to turn to favorable response though. One little half piece from the edge of the cake was all it took, frankly speaking. Even the people I thought would not enjoy it, like my brother in law, seemed to take on a liking for it.

All my recent recipes have been a video, but I was unable to shoot one for this. Reason? It was raining cats and dogs and cows and horses when I started cooking this and the stormy winds caused a blackout and I really had the poorest lighting possible. Luckily, I did take a few pics on my phone, so I added those in the step by step photos.

What is Tavsali?

Tavsali is an eggless steamed cake that is made with coarse rava or semolina/cream of wheat, grated cucumbers, fresh coconut, jaggery, cardamom, and some cashew nuts. It is a very delicate dessert. The mild flavors of cucumber actually shine. The cardamom just adds to the aroma without being overpowering. Tavsali is also not one of those desserts that is cloyingly sweet. It is just mildly sweet. But you can definitely increase the sweetness as required. It is also a very moist cake because of the cucumbers which soften when cooked.

More details...

To make Tavsali, we use the thicker rava not the chiroti rava. Rava used to make upma or uppit or Bansi rava can be used. You can also use Dalia or broken wheat partially. While one can use the yellow cucumber, I used the regular green cucumber to make this.

Firstly, the rava is roasted in a little bit of ghee until it is slightly browned or you get a toasty aroma from it. For a plant based alternative, replace the ghee with coconut oil or any flavorless oil. Allow it to cool, while you grate the cucumbers and coconut. Mix together the rava, grated coconut and the grated cucumber along with the water. Add in powdered or grated jaggery, crushed cardamom seeds, a pinch of salt and broken cashew nuts. Mix until the jaggery is dissolved.

Prepare your steamer, you can use an idli steamer or a pressure cooker without the whistle or just place a kadhai or large vessel with water in it and allow it to come to a boil. Place a stand in your steamer or any vessel just to give the cake tin some height. Grease your cake tin or any vessel in which you are going to make the cake with ghee or coconut oil and pour in the cake mix.

The cake mix is not very thin like regular cakes, it is on the thicker side. But if your cucumbers were on the drier side and you did not get enough juice from them, add a little milk or coconut milk to loosen the batter.

Steam for 30-40 minutes on medium heat. A wet knife inserted into the cake should come out clean.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before demoulding the cake. Wait at least 20-30 minutes before cutting it.

Tavsali can serve as a dessert or as a mildly sweet breakfast too. It lasts well for at least one week in the fridge.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Tavsali Recipe | Goan steamed Cucumber Cake Recipe | Eggless Cucumber Cake

Tavsali is a traditional Goan steamed cucumber cake made with rava or semolina, grated cucumber, coconut and jaggery. It is a mildly sweet dessert with an option to make it vegan.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Goan
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 4-5

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 cup Coarse Rava (Semolina)
2 Cucumbers
0.5 cup grated Coconut
1 cup powdered Jaggery
0.25 cup broken Cashewnuts
1 tsp Cardamom powder
2 tsp Ghee or Coconut Oil
1-2 Tbsp Milk (Optional)

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of ghee or coconut oil in a pan and add the rava. Roast on low-medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
2. Peel and grate the cucumbers and add to the rava, once cooled.
3. Add the grated coconut, cashewnuts and cardamom powder.
4. Add jaggery powder to taste. I used the full 1 cup, you can add more or less as per your taste.
5. You can either shape the cookie dough as a log before chilling or as a ball of dough.
6. Keep water in a steamer to heat or in a pressure cooker. If using a cooker, don't close the lid.
7. Grease a tin with ghee or coconut oil and add the cake batter to it.
8. Place the tin in the cooker or steamer and close the lid. If using a cooker, do not put the whistle.
9. Steam on medium heat for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes clean.
10. Allow to cool slightly and then demould. Cool completely before cutting.
11. Store in the fridge if not eating the same day.

Step by step photo instructions:

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Patoli

Puran Poli

Mango Saasav

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Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies Recipe | Gluten Free Coconut Shortbread Cookies [Video]

Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies Recipe with step by step video instructions. Coconut Shortbread Cookies are gluten-free biscuits made from coconut flour. Coconut Shortbread Cookies are made with just 4 ingredients and are vegetarian, eggless, and fit a Jain diet.

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I wonder where the coconut flour was hiding all this while!

I went through a phase of eating gluten free food for a few months and I must say I felt so much better. It is a lot of work though as gluten free is not a concept that is widely known in India. While a lot of South Indian food is traditionally gluten free, as it is mostly rice or millet based, restaurants tend to either add in flour as a way of improving texture or just to get instant results. So, it is very easy to mistakenly eat gluten when eating out. Hence, came the need to make everything at home from scratch. While daily food was easy to give up, I had a hard time with sweets, my sweet tooth and all. I missed my cookies and tea, especially as I watched Raj munch on them from afar.

So, I made my own cookies!! Gluten free Cookies!! I made Almond Flour Cookies and these amazing Coconut Flour Cookies. Unfortunately, they are amazing. Yes, unfortunately, coz it means that your family who doesn't care about gluten are now snacking away on your amazing fragrant cookies. I had to literally hide my cookies from them!

Are you in love with Coconuts? I sure am. Born a coconut fan. So the best part of these cookies for me was the pure taste of coconut through and through.

The details...

The cookies follow a very simple recipe with just 4 ingredients. It is a mix, knead, chill, cut and bake.

A regular shortbread cookie has the easiest measurements, 1:1:1, that is, 1 cup flour, 1 cup butter and 1 cup sugar. I almost followed the same. The only ingredient I was cautious about was the sugar. I added it on the go as per taste. And with this cookie dough, believe me, you will be tasting a lot **wink**.

So to start off, mix the coconut flour, butter, vanilla and half of the sugar. I added vanilla for added flavor, plus I love the wafting smell of vanilla while the cookie bakes. Since the coconut flour has no gluten, you will not get a kneadable dough. Just combine until everything comes together. Add more powdered sugar as you taste it and feel the need for more sweetness. You can also add milk to help the dough combine, but since there is no gluten, it will never hold like regular cookie dough.

Once the dough is completely combined, we will chill it in the fridge. If you are short for time, chill it in the freezer for 30 minutes. To chill the dough, place it in a plastic wrap and chill. You can also shape the dough like a log and later just slice the cookies and bake. That actually seemed easier, but I had already chilled it like a ball. If you chilled it like a ball, gently knead the dough and cut out cookies in the desired shape. Bake until golden on the edges.

The cookies tend to get slightly harder as they age, which is after about a week. But you can microwave them and warm them up or just dunk in hot milk/tea and enjoy. They still taste the same.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Coconut Flour Shortbread Cookies Recipe | Gluten Free Coconut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Coconut Shortbread Cookies are gluten-free biscuits made from coconut flour. Coconut Shortbread Cookies are made with just 4 ingredients and are vegetarian, eggless, and fit a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     75 minutes
Cook time:     15 minutes
Total time:     1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yield:                Makes 20-25 cookies

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

1 cup Coconut Flour
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 cup unsalted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp Milk (Optional)

Method:

1. Mix softened butter with coconut flour, vanilla and half the powdered sugar.
2. Mix until combined. Taste and add more sugar if required.
3. Add milk as needed to help the dough come together.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 45-60 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes too.
5. You can either shape the cookie dough as a log before chilling or as a ball of dough.
6. After 60 minutes, unwrap the dough and knead it until about 6-8 mm thickness. Don't make it too thin. Cut out cookies using a cookie cutter and lay on a baking tray in a single layer.
7. If you chilled the cookie dough as a log, you can slice the cookies and lay them on a baking tray.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
9. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
10. Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight box at room temperature.

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Gluten-free Almond Cookies

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Almond Flour Cookies Recipe | 4 Ingredient Gluten Free Almond Cookies [Video]

Gluten-Free Almond Cookies recipe with step by step video instructions. Gluten Free Almond cookies are crescent shaped eggless cookies made with almond flour, butter, and sugar. Crescent Almond Cookies are dusted with powdered sugar to make them super delicious treat!

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Friday evening, a retro song, a hot cup of tea and these almond cookies (and of course Instagram!). A perfectly relaxing moment in my week.

That's exactly what I was doing until I started writing this post. It's a beautifully warm evening, not too hot not too cold, just like how Goldilocks likes it. My trusty laptop is playing melodious songs on YouTube, I have a nice cup of tea and these sugar-coated almond flour cookies, that I dunk into my tea amidst browsing Instagram for the latest trends (and also cute puppy videos). This is exactly how I found this recipe.

I was as usual browsing through Insta when this cookie caught my eye. Just 4 ingredients and virtually no work. Making them is as relaxing as eating them. I had to make them, especially, since I have been experimenting with going gluten-free. Off the shelf gluten-free cookies are super expensive and not that great either, I am yet to find a one I love. But this one was love at first lick. Yes, lick. Did I not mention that these cookies are rolled through powdered sugar? So yummy....

Almond flour, while extremely common in other countries, isn't yet so easily available in India. I found a lot of options at Food Hall in Bangalore. It is also available online on Amazon. But if none of those work out for you, you can make your own at home. I found this recipe on Minimalist Baker that seems simple enough - How to make Almond Flour.

Once you have the almond flour, you are all set. Oh, yeah, you also need butter at room temperature. If you forgot to keep the butter out of the fridge (like me!), then the best way to use it is to grate the cold butter and use it in the recipe. So almond flour, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla, that is all you need. The original recipe that I remember skipped the vanilla, but I love the aroma of vanilla wafting through the house. Plus I like my cookies flavored with something.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you have a dough that you can shape. If it feels loose, add a little milk or water or more butter. Everyone loves more butter. Shape it how you like it. The recipe I followed had them crescent shaped so I stuck to it. Once the cookies are shaped and baked, you have to do the most important step - the rolling in sugar. The rolling has to happen while the cookies are still hot or warm so that the sugar sticks to the cookie. So, either cool the cookies for 5 minutes on a wire rack and roll in the powdered sugar or if you have fireproof hands, just drop them in the sugar immediately from the baking tray and toss well until all the cookies are coated.

Enjoy it with your cup of tea or coffee or milk, whichever is your sin!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Gluten Free Almond Cookies Recipe

Almond Flour Cookies are gluten-free cookies/biscuits made with just 4 ingredients - almond flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Easy to make almond cookies.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     45 minutes
Cook time:     20 minutes
Total time:     65 minutes
Yield:                15-17

Ingredients:

1 cup Almond Flour
3 Tbsp unsalted Butter
0.25 cup powdered Sugar
0.5 tsp Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting

Method:

1. In a large bowl, take almond flour, 0.25 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract and butter (at room temperature).
2. Mix well until combined.
3. Shape into crescents or any shape that suits you.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or until golden brown.
5. Cool on a wire rack.
6. While the cookies are still warm, roll the cookies in a bowl with powdered sugar to coat the cookies with it.
7. Store in an airtight box once completely cooled.

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Rose Fruit Biscuit

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | Chukandar ka Halwa | How to make Beetroot halwa [Video]

Beetroot Halwa recipe with video instructions and step by step photos. Beetroot halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by slowly cooking grated beetroots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts. Beetroot halwa is a gluten-free dessert.

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Hello guys! Hiya! How have you been?

I'm still trying to catch up with the seasons. So bear with me. I had this recipe all planned for the cold winters when beets are at their best. But I barely got the time to get working on it. But, yeah, I made this Beetroot Halwa many times over the winter for special occasions and no occasions at all. And each time it was devoured so quickly that I was left staring at a pink-colored bowl to wash.

I cannot recollect where I first ate beetroot halwa, but just that it was in the dessert section of a buffet lunch. And it was love at first taste. I loved the color, that magenta, what's not to love. The richness just flowed through the entire halwa. And it wasn't too sweet. I cringe at sugary-sweet desserts, but this was mildly sweet and perfect. I knew I had found a new favorite dessert.

So around new years, I declared that I would get the dessert for our small get together at my sister's place. When I disclosed I would get Beetroot Halwa, I got so much resistance, that I ended up taking two desserts, just to be safe. And guess what, the one that got over was this Beetroot Halwa.

So this is a guaranteed dish that can convert haters to lovers. Certified by my family! If you remember, I've already spoken of Raj's dislike of cooked beetroots, but this Halwa, has him converted, at least when it comes to eating beetroots as a sweet.

Beetroots are generally very earthy in taste and that carries itself into this Halwa but very delicately. The earthiness does not overpower but makes its presence felt gently. I simply loved that. The vegetable does not lose its best property just because it is cooked differently. It makes it stand apart from the halwas.

The best part of this halwa is that it requires very little sugar. Beetroots are generally pretty sweet by themselves, plus the milk cooking down releases its own sweetness. I was surprised that I needed only half a cup of sugar for 2 cups of beetroots.

The richness of the beetroot halwa comes from 3 ingredients - ghee, milk, and khova. Frying the beetroots in ghee make the halwa fragrant and also milds down that earthiness. The beetroots are slow-cooked in milk until they are soft. Khova is milk solids. Milk is slow-cooked until all the water evaporates and we are left with milk solids. Adding khova to any dessert makes gives it that rich taste and this halwa is no different.

Be generous and top the halwa with as many nuts as you want. I added almonds, cashews, and pistachios.

Like most halwas, Beetroot halwa can be served straight-from-the-kadhai hot, or at room temperature, or chilled. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | How to make beet root halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by cooking grated beet roots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Beetroots, tightly packed
2 cups Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Khova
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (almonds, pista, cashew nuts)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots and grate them until you have 2 tightly packed cups of beetroot.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated beetroots. Saute on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw smell of the beetroots is replaced by the fragrance of ghee.
3. Add in the milk and mix well. The milk should cover the beetroots. Cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed. Stir occasionally if using a nonstick kadhai and scrape the milk solids from the side. If using a regular kadhai, stir frequently.
4. Add the khova and mix well.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat until the sugar is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix until combined.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Serve immediately or allow to cool. Beetroot halwa can be served hot or cold.

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Kaju Katli Recipe | How to make Kaju Katli | Vegan Cashew Fudge Recipe [Video]

Kaju katli or kaju barfi is a diamond shaped soft fudge made from cashew nuts. It is a popular Indian sweet. Perfect to gift family and friends.

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Deepavali is here!!

Deepavali or Diwali always brings with it the air of festivity. Deepas or lamps everywhere, akash kandils in the balconies, colorful rangolis near the threshold, brand new clothes and delicious sweets and savories. With such fervor in the air, it is hard not to celebrate.

The best part of Diwali for me has always been the sweets and savories. People painstakingly spend hours making an array of snacks to fill up boxes and on the day of diwali these are distributed between friends and family. While I always saw my mom do this when we were kids, I had never done so, until last year.

Last year for deepavali, I went to my childhood home and did just that. I made crispy Chakli and this delicious Kaju Katli. Kaju Katli is a sweet that everyone loves. It is generally mildly sweet and has a delicate flavor of cashew nuts. Kaju Katli is gluten free and can be vegan too. The version I make is always vegan, but some recipes I know call for the addition of milk or milk powder.

While the recipe looks simple, it really isn't. So don't fret if it doesn't work out for you the very first time you try. The first time I made it, the sugar syrup was not the right consistency and we ended up eating kaju halwa for a few days. That was delicious too.

What is Kaju Katli

Kaju Katli is cashew nut fudge, in simple words. It is a very popular Indian sweet that is sold worldwide and it can made from just three ingredients - Cashew nuts, Sugar and water. Some recipes call for milk, milk powder or condensed milk, but if you want a vegan recipe, you are in the right place.

Kaju Katli is a sweet that is commonly distributed for all celebrations from birthdays to promotions to festivals. Also, since it is a dry sweet that has a greater shelf life than most milk based sweets, it also makes for a good gifting option.

Kaju Barfi is a sweet similar to Kaju Katli but is made slightly differently and uses milk and milk solids. The names are used synonymously several times, so don't get confused. Kaju katli is usually thin - somewhere about 3-5mm in thickness while a kaju barfi is thicker.

Tips for making the best Kaju Katlis:

Some important notes and learnings from my mistakes, just to help you a little:

1. Use everything at room temperature. Refrigerated cashew nuts will mess up the recipe, so keep them out overnight if you store cashew nuts in the fridge. 
2. Pulse the grinder to powder the cashew nuts. Grinding them for too long will lead to cashew nuts leaving their oil and making them unusable.
3. Sieve if you want to, or just skip it. Small bits of cashews just give the kaju katli a rustic feel and they are really not very noticeable in the end product.
4. If you have some large chunks of cashew nuts that just won't grind fine enough, add as little water as possible and blend them to a puree.
5. You need the sugar syrup at the right consistency. Use the water bowl trick mentioned in the video and the recipe to check for the right consistency.
6. If the sugar syrup has gone beyond the required consistency and the dough looks brittle and forms hard lumps after removing from heat, allow it to cool a little, and then pulse it in the mixer until all lumps are broken and you get a fine powder. Knead this powder along with milk or water to get a smooth dough.
7. You have to knead the dough while it is still hot. Use gloves if required.
8. Do not knead the dough too much, it will release its oil and while it is still edible, the kaju katli will not have the same mouthfeel as the store bought ones.

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Video Recipe

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Kaju Barfi Recipe | How to make Kaju Katli

Kaju katli or kaju barfi is a diamond shaped soft fudge made from cashew nuts. It is a popular Indian sweet. It can be made vegan.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     55 minutes
Yield:                12-15

Ingredients:

1 cup Cashew nuts
0.5 cup Sugar
0.25 cup Water
Oil or Ghee for greasing

Method:

1. Powder the cashew nuts until fine. Use cashew nuts at room temperature, cashew nuts used directly from the fridge will not give you a fine powder.
2. If the cashews are not finely powdered, you can use a sieve and remove the big unground pieces. Use a medium sized sieve. Sieve and keep aside.
3. To make the sugar syrup, in a pan (preferably nonstick), add the sugar and water and cook on medium heat. The sugar syrup needs to reach one string consistency.
4. To check if the consistency of the sugar syrup, add a small drop of the syrup into a bowl of water. If the syrup dissolves in the water, then the syrup needs more cooking. If the syrup doesn't dissolve but forms a flexible string, then it is ready.
5. Add in the ground cashew nuts and mix until combined.
6. Continue to cook on low heat until the cashew dough becomes one mass.
7. Remove from heat and move the dough to a large plate. Allow it to cool for 2-3 minutes.
8. While the cashew dough is still hot, gently knead it for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth. Do not over-knead, else the cashew will leave its oil.
9. Grease the back of a plate and place the dough on it. Roll it out until the dough is around 5mm thick.
10. Cut the kaju katli into diamond shaped pieces. Allow to cool completely.
11. Using a butter knife, gently remove the kaju katli from the plate and store it in a cool place.
12. Serve Kaju Katli at room temperature.

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