Kaju Katli

India’s most well-known dessert, kaju katli, is created from a cooked dough of ground cashews, sugar, and cardamom.

Ingredients

Blend cashews in a grinder just until they’re in powder form. Don’t overblend or they will start releasing their oil; we want the powder to remain dry.
Remove green cardamom from the pods. Crush them into a powder with a mortar and pestle.
Combine sugar and water in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar has completely dissolved, then bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and add cashew powder; stir thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps. Continue to cook and stir until it becomes a little thick.
Add crushed cardamom powder and ghee; keep mixing and cooking until mixture thickens and starts separating from the sides of the pan. If it doesn’t release from the pan, add some more ghee and mix again; it should look moist and sticky and not at all dry. Check to see if it’s done by taking a spoonful and cooling it a bit; when you mold it into a ball and the texture is like fudge, it’s done.
Transfer mixture to a greased or parchment-lined plate and let cool until only slightly warm. Grease your palms and knead on parchment paper on a flat surface to form a very smooth dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Roll evenly to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Let rolled dough cool completely. Cut kaju katli into desired shapes. Serve at room temperature or cold.