Kaju Burfi

This recipe was given to me by Kanthi maami, my cousin's mother-in-law. I have written down the recipe just as she had given us that makes twenty thin burfis. I had made with five times the given recipe this deepavali. I had made them slightly thick to obtain 50 pieces.

I have written this recipe down with the following as my notes -"Made this for Deepavali 1995. Should dry the kajus well or the powder may become sticky and form lumps" With that I give you the recipe for the yeild of 50 pieces.

Ingredients:

500 grams cashew nuts

250 grams sugar

5 tablespoons ghee

1 tablespoon ghee to grease the plate.

Dry the cashews in hot sun for two hours and powder them in a mixie or roast them over avery low flame,small quantities at a time without allowing to brown and then powder.

Alternatively, spread the cashews in a microwave proof flat dish and microwave on medium high at 2 minute increments without browning them. Cool and powder them in the mixie.

Grease the plate in which you intend to spread the dough with 1 tablespoon ghee.

Take 4 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy bottomed utensil. Keep this on low fire until ghee is almost smoking.

Drop the cashew powder and toss it for few minutes. Take off the fire and keep aside.

Make a one-thread consistency syrup of the sugar.

Gradually drop the roasted cahew powder, mix vigorously and quickly. Switch the fire off.

Stir contiuously blending them well, add the remaining ghee and as soon as the mixture starts leaving the sides, transfer the contents to the prepared plate. Spread well.

Allow to cool a bit before cutting squares of the burfis.

Cool on wired racks and lift the burfis off the plate. Store in airtight containers.

These will not be as soft as kathlis but will have the texture of mysorepauk or other burfis.