Soft Kaju Katli

For the cashew powder

1. Add half of the cashews to a mixer jar and pulse in short bursts until finely powdered, stopping frequently to stir so they do not turn to paste.

2. Strain the cashew powder through a medium sieve into a large plate.

3. Return any large unground cashew pieces left in the sieve back to the mixer jar, add the remaining cashews, and pulse again in short bursts until powdered.

4. Strain the rest of the powder into the plate, reserving any remaining coarse bits for another recipe.

5. Add the milk powder to the cashew powder and mix thoroughly until completely combined.

For the sugar syrup

6. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a board, spread a little ghee over it to grease it lightly, and set aside.

7. Add the sugar and water to a non-stick pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar completely dissolves, 2–3 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat completely as soon as the sugar dissolves.

For finishing

9. Immediately add the cashew-milk powder mixture to the hot syrup and stir vigorously off the heat until fully incorporated with no lumps.

10. Turn the flame on low and cook the mixture continuously, stirring constantly, until it thickens and begins to pull away from the pan, 12–15 minutes.

    Keep the heat low the entire time so the cashews soften properly and produce a delicate texture.

11. Turn off the heat, take a small drop of the mixture onto a plate, and let it cool briefly to test.

12. Check that the cooled test piece rolls smoothly into a soft, non-sticky ball between your fingers.

13. Stir 1 tsp ghee into the hot dough in the pan and continue stirring off the heat until it cools slightly into a smooth, cohesive dough.

14. Transfer the warm dough onto a flat plate and knead it gently using a spatula or greased hands until smooth and soft.

15. Transfer the dough onto the prepared greased parchment paper, shape it roughly into a square, and roll it out evenly to about 1/2 cm thickness.

16. Let the rolled dough set at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.

    Then 15 min of waiting

17. Cut the set dough into diamond-shaped pieces using a sharp knife.

18. Carefully separate the kaju katli pieces and serve.