Dairy-free Kaju Katli Recipe (with Pomegranate!)

Another attempt at vegan sweets! This recipe adds a fruity spin to the traditional Indian sweet: kaju katli (or kaju barfi). Kaju meaning "cashew", I used to love eating this as a kid because of its sweet and nutty flavor. Normally made using ghee, condensed milk, or other dairy products, kaju katli is not an originally vegan sweet. However, this simple recipe shows you how to make it without any dairy. Plus, it adds a bit of a fresh, tart twist with pomegranate garnish!

I hope you enjoy my take on this traditional food. Let me know if you have other ideas on how to make kaju katli even more interesting! Scroll down for the recipe ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Also, check out my Instagram page for nutrition facts on all the benefits of eating a whole-food, plant-based diet!

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients

250 grams raw cashew nuts

1/2 cup raw cane sugar

1/2 cup water

1-2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 teaspoon rose essence

Preparation

1. Add the cashews and corn starch powder to a blender and blend to a fine powder.

Cooking

1. Place a pan on a medium flame. Add the water and raw cane sugar to the pan. Keep stirring the mixture until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. If you take some syrup between your index finger and thumb, and pull apart your fingers, the syrup should stretch like a single thread.

2. Once you reach the right consistency, add the cardamom powder and the rose essence. Stir well.

3. Reduce the flame to low. Add the cashew powder to the syrup mixture little by little while continually stirring. Stir until all the cashew powder has been added, and the mixture reaches a smooth, thick consistency. If it is not forming a smooth, fudge-like consistency, then add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water and stir. That should help the mixture become smoother.

4. Once the mixture becomes smooth and thick, transfer the mixture to a lightly greased plate. Spread it into a thin layer that is about 1/4 - 1/2 inch in thickness.

5. Let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then, take a knife (or pizza cutter) and cut the flattened sheet into diamonds by slicing intersecting diagonal lines. The diamond pieces should be 2-3 inches long.

6. Normally, this dish can be garnished with your choice of nuts, such as crushed almonds, cashews, or pistachios. However, for this recipe, I tried a fruit garnish for the first time. Try garnishing with fresh pomegranate seeds; it's quite refreshing and tasty!

Note: You can store the kaju katli in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. Just keep the pomegranate seeds separate and garnish only when you are going to eat.

~~~Done!~~~

Enjoy! :)

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