See kaju katli recipe | kaju barfi | kaju burfi | homemade kaju katli diwali special | Indian style cashew barfi |
Kaju Katli is made from 4 simple ingredients like kaju, sugar, milk powder and ghee.
Kaju barfi is an all time favourite traditional mithai, but one that is feared by most people for the time it takes to prepare. If you follow this recipe meticulously, you will be pleasantly surprised by how easily and quickly you can prepare Kaju Katli at home! Although it takes a few hours to set, this recipe makes sure you spend less than 15 minutes sweating in the kitchen.
To make kaju katli, blend the cashew nuts in a mixer to a fine, smooth powder. Combine the cashew nut powder and milk powder in a deep bowl, mix well and keep aside. Combine 1 cup of water and sugar in a broad non-stick pan, mix well and cook on a high flame till the sugar dissolves and forms a one string consistency, while stirring continuously. (for approx. 7 to 8 minutes). Lower the flame to medium, add the cashew-milk powder mixture, mix well and cook for 3 minutes or till no lumps remain, while stirring continuously. Switch off the flame and pour the cashew mixture in a plate and keep aside to cool completely for half an hour. Once cooled, scrape out the cashew mixture from the plate with the help of a flat ladle and knead into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and keep aside. Grease two 250 mm. (10”) thalis on the backside and a rolling pin with a little melted ghee. Place a portion of the dough on a greased thali, flatten it and roll it into a 225 mm. (9”) diameter circle using the greased rolling pin. Ensure to lift the rolled out dough occasionally so it does not stick to the thali. Repeat step 9 to roll another portion of the dough. Keep both the thalis aside for 2 to 3 hours to set. Cut into diamond shaped pieces and scrape the kaju katli from the thali with the help of a knife. Serve or store in an air-tight container. It stays fresh for upto 7 to 8 days.
Indian style cashew barfi is always there on the mithai platter during festivals like
Diwali and
Raksha - Bandhan . Serve along with namkeens like
Poha Chivda,
Chakli,
Masala Mathri,
Moong Dal Crispies etc.
If you take care of the syrup’s consistency and the time of cooking and the level of heat (flame) as described in the recipe of
homemade kaju katli diwali special, you are assured of a perfect result.
Tips for
kaju katli. 1. You could also put the cashews in the freezer for sometime before powdering it in the mixer, so you will get a very smooth powder without oil oozing out of the nuts. 2. Alternatively you can invest in a kaju grinder to get the best cashew powder without its oil oozing out. 3. After adding the cashew powder, stir it continuously to get a lump free mixture. 4. At step 11, use a palette knife or a flat steel ladle to scrape the kaju katli from the thali.
Is Kaju Katli healthy?
No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.
Let's understand the Ingredients.
What's good.
Cashew Nuts (kaju): In general, walnuts, cashew nuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios and pinenuts are a healthy snack to carry keep with you as they are rich in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and good for heart. They are a healthy snack for Diabetics. Dietary intakes of cashew and other foods rich in magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure. See 9 amazing benefits of cashew nuts for complete details.
Milk and Low Fat Milk : 1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. The Calcium in Milk helps to protect your teeth against gum disease and keeps your jaw bone strong and healthy. Milk is low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. However diabetics must consider including low fat milk as advised by their dietitian only so as to avoid any fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6 g from a cup. So all those looking to build protein stores can add milk and its products like curd and paneer to their diet. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs. Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk.
Ghee : Other than calories and fats, the only nutrients that ghee is rich in are the vitamins – all of which are fat-soluble. All the 3 vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K) are antioxidants which have a role in removing free radicals from the body and protecting our cell as well as help in maintaining skin health and glow. Ghee is an excellent, high-quality selection medium of cooking because of its high smoke point. As compared to most oils and butter, ghee can handle a smoke point of 230°C, 450°F, thus its less prone to oxidant and destruction of nutrients. Yes, ghee does contain cholesterol, but some amount of cholesterol is needed by the body. Cholesterol has some functions to play too. It is necessary for hormone production, brain function, cell health and lubricating the joints. It is, in reality, a high quality fat for the body and brain. Ghee is loaded with fats but that’s medium chain fatty acids (MCT) which aid in weight loss. Ghee is healthy for daibetics in small amounts. Learn to easily make your ghee at home which is free of preservatives. See benefits of ghee.
What's the problem?
Sugar : Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage.
Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.
Can diabetics, heart patients and overweight individuals have Kaju Katli?
No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process.
Can healthy individuals have Kaju Katlie?
No.
What is a healthier Indian dessert option ?
We suggest you try low fat gajjar halwa recipe which uses dates as a sweetener and low fat milk which works well for diabetics. Make oats and mixed nuts ladoo recipe which is sweetened by jaggery.
Oats and Mixed Nuts Ladoo
8 Pointers to Go Healthy and Stay Healthy
1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida.
2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good.
3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads recipes using this food group.
4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage.
Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes.
This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes.
5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds.
6. Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts.
7. Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym.
8. Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover.
How to burn 41 calories that come from One piece Kaju Katli?
Walking (6 kmph) = 2 mins
Running (11 kmph) = 4 mins
Cycling (30 kmph) = 5 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 7 mins
Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.