Diwali special: Kaju Barfi / Kaju Pista Roll/ Coconut Barfi

Author Rekha Gupta

Festivity ! When you hear this word in India (at least), the first thing that comes to mind is a myriad of mouth watering Indian sweets ,to be dug into and savoured with family and friends .With so many simultaneous preparations happening at home, increasing adulterated stuff in the market combined with the strong need for good quality sweets, preparing at home is the best option. And when and if you get daunted by those cumbersome recipes and instead need some quick, non fuss, yet delectable and royal sweets, these barfis are your perfect companion. And when I say non fuss, easy- peasy, believe me, these are exactly that!! Here you go…C@Rg

KAJU BARFI

Kaju Barfi or Kaju Katli as it is commonly called in North India , is an exotic, pure, rich ,& nutty flavoured barfi that, occupies the undisputed position of “The King of all Barfi’s”. Although there are more expensive dry fruits and various combinations like Pista, Kaju Barfi is still the most loved of all and is the first sweet to be polished off ,on any occasion. . C@Rg

~ U.S.P. – My dishes have to be healthy and tasty both hence no short cuts.

Ingredients:

~ KAJU (CASHEW NUTS) – 3 Cups (Preferably split kajus and that are dry and never straight from the fridge but to be used when at room temperature)

~ DHAGA MISHRI (SUGAR) – 1.5 Cups

~ WATER – 3/4 th Cup .

~ PURE COW’S GHEE (CLARIFIED BUTTER) – 1 tSP. + Ghee 1 tbsp more for greasing the thalis.

Steps :

1. Grind Cashews ( absolutely moisture free ), little at a time on PULSE mode in mixer grinder. ( You absolutely have to grind cashews on pulse, for a second and then release as they should not release their oil at all )

2. Sieve Cashew powder to take out fine powder. Grind the whole lot and sieve.

3. Heat a heavy base pan / kadahi with broken Mishri + Water ,on low flame to make a one thread consistency (chashni) sugar syrup. Keep stirring till the mishri dissolves completely and the syrup reaches a boil. Note that the minute it reaches a boil it becomes one thread consistency ( test – a cool drop in between your fingers to see if its one thread),C@Rg

4. At this stage, while keeping the gas on sim, immediately add the powdered kaju, mix nicely and evenly with the syrup and add Ghee stirring constantly, till it starts coming together like a LOOSE DOUGH and leaves the pan. (All done in less than 2 minutes) : See I told you 😉

TESTING THE CASHEW DOUGH: Drop half tsp of the mixture on a greased plate and see if it no longer sticks to the plate and you lift it easily between your fingers to form a small ball then your dough is ready ( else give it a few more stirs patiently)}

5. Once ready, pour the cashew mixture on a greased plate( it pours like a ribbon consistency), and keep turning and tossing the mixture with a spatula for 2-3 minutes and allow it to cool slightly.

6. Apply ghee on your palms and try to lift the Cashew dough and make a big ball , then keep the mixture on a butter paper and with another butter paper on top, KNEAD the mixture well for 2 to 3 minutes till its smooth . It has to be done while it’s still hot. Make a smooth ball that has no cracks. (It should not get to lukewarm to cooler, as rolling it out may become difficult. )

7. Place the cashew ball on a greased thali / butter paper, roll out the Cashew dough like a thick Chapati (but in a square /rectangular shape so that later you get nice cuts without any wastage) with a greased rolling pin..( 1/4 th inch thickness)

8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut it in diamond shape, but don’t lift it yet. After 15 minutes, lift the barfis gently.C@Rg

{Do not store them in the fridge, Barfis stay good at room temperature – in 30 degrees for a week. In less than 20 degrees upto a 10/12 days) Enjoy!

NOTE – all cooking has to be done on LOW flame .

KAJU PISTA ROLLS

Ingredients for Pistachio filling–

~ PISTACHIO – 1 Cup

~ DHAGA MISHRI (SUGAR) – 1/2 CUP POWDERED

~ GHEE – 2 TBSP. HOT.

STEPS for the filling

1. Grind the Pistachio in a mixer grinder on pulse mode till Pistachio releases it own oil and feels a bit sticky.

2. Add powdered Mishri and again grind till its a nice sticky mix .

3. Remove it in a bowl. You will notice it already binding a little on its own. When this happens, add hot Ghee and mix well till it comes together like a smooth ball. Keep aside. C@Rg

Ingredients for the Kaju Roll : Make Rolls

~ KAJU(CASHEW NUTS) – 3 Cups

~DHAGA MISHRI /SUGAR – 1.5 Cups

~WATER – 3/4 th Cup .

~ PURE COW’S GHEE – 1 tea sp.

Steps :

1- 6: Please follow steps from kaju Barfi, uptil this point.

7. Divide the Cashew dough into 2 parts. Make a smooth ball of each and roll out 2 rectangular portions .

8. Divide the filling into 2 equal portions, placing each in between your palms & make a smooth ball.

9. Place the filling on the board and gently roll each into a long cylinder, same length as that of the cashew chapati you just rolled.

10. Place one Pistachio roll on one end of a Cashew Chapatti, then gently, but tightly start to wrap the Cashew sheet over the Pistachio roll thus enclosing the Pistachio roll .

11. Make a smooth uniform roll and let it rest for an hour, then cut them into 2 inches long rolls. (Please note Im not a great fan of artificial food colouring, hence I have just let the pista colour be as is)

COCONUT BARFI

This Barfi is a dream in its simplicity- that can be cooked in less than an hour with three basic ingredients that are available in every kitchen . C@Rg

Ingredients :

~ COW’S MILK – 1 litre [Amul’s fresh packet cow milk]

~ DHAGA MISHRI (SUGAR) 2. 5 cups [ less or more according to taste]

~ DESSICATED COCONUT – 500 gms.

~ SAFFRON – 40 threads soaked in half a cup of boiling milk for an hour.

Steps :

1. In a big heavy base steel deep pan, bring milk to a boil.

2. Now add Mishri to the milk, stir and let it dissolve completely. The milk will increase in quantity as the Mishri dissolves .

3. Let it cook for another 30 -40 minutes on medium flame, stirring it occasionally and till the milk reduces to half .

4. Add desiccated coconut, keep stirring and in less than 2 minutes it starts coming together like a dough.

5. Add the saffron milk. Add Ghee, giving it a good stir and immediately spread it on a greased plate.

6. Let it cool to room temperature, then cut it into desired shape. Colour of the barfi is a result of saffron. (I don’t personally use colours but you are free to use food colour of your choice.)

CONCLUSION: And here are your another three diwali sweets. As you may all already be aware, I have a fascination for Indian food and mithais, more so because they form an integral part of our culture and heritage and with the ruthless onslaught of western foods and diet fads, I always fear our food may lose out on its charm or just availability to future generations. Hence I’ll always appeal to all families to cook at home and especially with kids. Don’t let our ancient culture & tradition fade ❤️. With this note,

‘A Very Happy Diwali to all of you’.

Please do offer bhog to bhagwan ji before enjoying 🙏

Author Rekha Gupta

TIPS

If the burfi is not pliable , it means there is still too much moisture . Do not panic -Instead, heat a pan on low flame and cook the mixture for a minute more, stirring it constantly ,then spreading it on a new greased plate .If the burfi starts to break or crumble while cutting, it means it has been overcooked hence becoming too dry. Heat half a cup of milk. When it comes to a boil, add the mixture on low flame. Stirring it, cook for less than a minute and spread it on a new greased plate. C@Rg

MY NEXT BLOG : JAWEIN WITH RABRI

JAWEIN (Seviyan) -These are made at home by hand in our community. Usually Jawein are made out of maida /APF. But we wanted to substitute maida with something healthy, and my mummy experimented once with Sooji (semolina) and Voila! They turned out super. And since then (of course), there has been no looking back. These are painstakingly hand made by mummy out of Sooji/Semolina ,which is more cumbersome and more time consuming ,especially made for us with so much love. Normally these are cooked in milk like kheer. Today in her fond & loving memory, I have tried to cook them in a different way altogether. Heavy ghee roast, and then cooked in sugar syrup, finally topped with rabri. Divine is the only word for this dish!! C@Rg

Author Rekha Gupta