Kaju katli (Kaju barfi)

Method

• step 1

  Line a shallow baking tray (ours was 30cm x 20cm) with baking parchment and coat with a thin layer of ghee (using about ½ tbsp). Set aside. Put the cashews in a frying pan and gently toast for 3-4 mins, tossing regularly to avoid any burning and browning of the cashews. Once toasted, take off the heat and tip onto a plate to cool.

• step 2

  In a high-powered food processor add the cooled roasted cashews in small batches and blitz in very short intervals about three times. It's extremely important not to grind for too long or it will become lumpy and sticky as the oils release. Once you have a light fine powder, pour into a sieve set over a bowl and gently sift. Blitz the larger bits again and sift as before until all of the cashews are ground finely enough to pass through the sieve.

• step 3

  Put a medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat, add 80ml water and the sugar. Simmer gently, stirring as it comes to a bubble. Once the sugar has dissolved, around 2-3 mins, reduce the heat and carefully add in the cashew powder, stirring with a spatula. Mix in the powder well ensuring no lumps remain. Stir in the strands of saffron and the ground cardamom. Cook, while stirring, for a further 5 mins. Add 1 tbsp ghee and continue to stir. After 8-10 mins the mixture will begin to thicken into a thick liquid fudge consistency.

• step 4

  To check the mixture is ready, take a small teaspoonful of the dough and allow to cool for 5 mins, then take a pinch of ghee between your thumb and forefinger along with the cooled dough and roll between your fingers. It should roll easily into a ball without sticking. If it does stick, continue heating the mixture over a gentle heat for a few more minutes. While the dough is still warm but not too hot to handle, spread out on the tray and allow to cook for around 15 mins.

• step 5

  Rub a little ghee into your hand, then knead the dough gently (it will feel like soft fudge) for 1 min and then carefully begin to flatten it with your fingers to form a small circle. Put a few drops of ghee over the flattened dough. With a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough into a rough square to a thickness of about 1 cm.

• step 6

  With a pizza cutter or sharp knife, shape the flattened dough into diamond shapes by cutting through the square in 3cm diagonals in both directions. The kaju katli now needs to set for about 1 hr at room temperature, after which it's ready to serve. They should be set to a soft fudge-like consistency.