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Vegan Kaju Katli

By Vaishali | Updated on | Posted on | 19 Comments

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 My vegan Kaju Katli is an Indian fudge made with cashew nuts and flavored quite simply with saffron and cardamom. A gluten-free recipe.
Vegan Kaju Katli

It’s Diwali, everyone, and hope yours is warm and fuzzy with family and friends, and filled with all the joy in the world.

Diwali is the time of year when most of us transplanted Indians, so far from the motherland, long to be back at least for a day. Or two or three or five, because that’s how long Diwali lasts. It’s the time India lights up with little earthen lamps, brilliant paper lanterns, and the assertive flare of firecrackers. It’s the time children strut around in shiny new clothes, men play cards for good luck in the new year, and women paint intricate patterns on the ground with colored sand to welcome the gods. In the country of a million colors there is no time more colorful than this.

Vegan Kaju Katli

Diwali is also the time for some delicious treats and each year I try to share one or two with you. This year I have for you what is arguably India’s favorite storebought sweet: vegan Kaju Katli.

As easy as it is to make vegan Kaju Katli in modern kitchens, most Indians back in the day I lived in India would buy it from halwais who sold them in glass-fronted shops. The ivory-white Kaju Katli may have looked like the plain cousin amidst tiers of jewel-colored sweets, but in fact it was the belle of the ball. The one everyone wanted to take home and devour.

If you have ever eaten this sweet, you would know why. The buttery cashew and the fragrant cardamom combine to create food magic. And  best of all they do it without any help from dairy, usually so pervasive in Indian sweets, making this dish divinely vegan.

It is hard to mess up this vegan Kaju Katli but there is one part where you do need to exercise some technique: the making of the sugar syrup. Make it too thin and it will keep your katli from solidifying. Make it too thick and the burfi will harden up on you instead of staying soft and mellifluous, the way it should.

Here’s the recipe. A glorious Diwali to all readers of Holy Cow! May your new year be sweet and filled with all of your favorite things.

Vegan Kaju Katli
Kaju Katli
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Kaju Katli

My vegan Kaju Katli is a dairy-free version of a popular Indian sweet with the rich, buttery flavor of cashews and the fragrance of cardamom. Soy-free and gluten-free.
Prep Time45 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Indian sweet
Cuisine: gluten-free, Indian, Soy-free, Vegan
Servings: 12 pieces
Author: Vaishali

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashew nuts, powdered in a clean coffee grinder or blender with 1 tsp of cornstarch. You want a fine powder with no pieces of cashew in there.
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom seeds (use the seeds of the green cardamom pod)
  • A pinch of saffron threads
  • 1/2 tsp walnut oil

Instructions

  • Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and let it come to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, add the cardamom and saffron, and let the syrup cook about five minutes. Check it regularly to see if it has achieved a one-thread consistency. What this means is that when you place a drop of the hot sugar syrup on the tip of your thumb (don’t burn yourself) and touch the tip pf your forefinger to it, the syrup should pull up in a short thread as you separate the thumb and forefinger. If that is too complicated just get yourself a candy thermometer and take the syrup off the heat when the temperature reaches 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Easy.
  • Heat a nonstick saucepan over low heat. Add the cashew powder and cook, stirring, about two minutes or until it is warmed through. Then add the sugar syrup to it. Turn off the heat and mix well. The mixture will start pulling away from the sides of the pan.
  • At this point empty the cashew paste on a clean surface, rub some walnut oil on your palms and fingers, and knead the paste a few times until it looks really smooth.
  • Pat the cashew paste into a greased plate or tray and spread it evenly. The layer should be about a quarter of an inch thick.
  • Set the plate aside to cool completely, then cut into diamond shapes, the way Kaju Katli is always cut.
Kaju Katli nutrition information
**
Kaju Rava Laddu, an Indian sweet
Zucchini Halwa
(C) All recipes and photographs copyright of Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.

About Vaishali


I cook and eat simple, tasty and nutritious plant-based food in my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, and read more about me here.

Comments

  1. Kath says

    November 2, 2013 at

    Happy Divali from one of your readers living in England!

    Mum lives in an area where she has many Indian neighbours. I love the many tiny lights and decorations at Divali, we were blessed when Mums neighbour brought us round some gulabjamun.

    I do enjoy your blog, I often make your dads not-mutton mushroom curry.

    Reply

  2. Anonymous says

    November 2, 2013 at

    Does the cornstarch make it easier to powder the cashews? Keep the powder from sticking maybe? What’s the reason for adding it?

    Reply

  3. Kumudha says

    November 2, 2013 at

    YUM! I often make kaju katil. I use vegan sugar -sugar in the raw , to make these yummy sweet.

    Thanks again for posting so many tasty vegan sweet recipes…

    Reply

  4. Manasi says

    November 3, 2013 at

    Happy Diwali to you, dear Vaishali!
    The kaju katli looks delicious. The use of walnut oil is new to me. Bet it adds to the flavor.

    Reply

  5. ammasdtr19 says

    November 4, 2013 at

    Very Happy Diwali to everyone! Holy Cow recipe blog is a festival of light among food blogs and I’m so happy to be a part of this festival. Thanks Vaishali, for keeping the light bright and delicious.

    Reply

  7. Sunila says

    November 4, 2013 at

    Happy Diwali Vaishali !

    Love your posts and looking forward to many more exciting ones 🙂

    Reply

  9. foodfeud says

    November 5, 2013 at

    Oh man, I remember having had these a couple times – they are delicious! I had no idea what was in them, though.
    Happy Diwali to you! I was in an Indian part of town yesterday and it was so beautifully decorated in the street. Everything smelled so good and there was music playing out of storefronts!

    Reply

  10. Sidrah says

    January 6, 2018 at

    This looks yum…. what can I use instead of any oil… I’m completely on oil free dairy vegan diet . Thanks

    Reply

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