Chocolate Kaju Barfi

Another year is soon going to end, just few more hours left, and at this cross junction, with mixed bag of emotions, some good and some bad- well yes without emotions , human is a machine- what else. I can only wish and pray that may this New Year brings loads of happiness, peace and well being to all of you.

I happened to make these Chocolate Kaju Katli or Barfi during Christmas, and I was about to publish it last week itself, but felt otherwise. As I was quite shaken with whatever was happening around us in last couple of weeks.

Anyhow with this New Year – all I can wish and pray that our children should go on flying high, uninterrupted with wings of ambition and wishes. May God fulfill all their dreams….

My dear daughter like all other kids out there likes chocolate. So, I happened to tweak the traditional kaju katli recipe a little bit and incorporated chocolate flavor – Two layers of katlis- one plain kaju katli and the other one chocolate kaju katli were added to form a nice textured barfi.

Believe me, the amount of work that goes in stirring while making kaju katli, it all makes up for when you see the contented, smiling faces at the eating table.

While I am not specific of any measurements as the parameters of sweetness is different for everyone. This is how I made it; please adjust the amount according to your taste-buds. One thing a must for katli/barfi – is that we should make thick sugar syrup – multiple strands sugar syrup as we need to bind the grounded cashews well. Add in ghee as it enhances the flavor and leaves a nice aroma, moreover it will prevent the damp dough going dry. But all said and done we need to be quick as the dough becomes hard quickly as sugar gets crystallized when made into multiple strands.

Now to the recipe

Chocolate Cashew Barfi

Recipe requirements (measurements are approx)

Makes- small 20-22 barfi

• 2-3 cups of grounded cashews
• 2-3 tbs of premium chocolate powder
• 1 or 1 and half cup of sugar
• ½ cup of water
• Few saffron strands
• 2-3 tbs of ghee

Method

• In a heavy duty grinder – grind toasted cashews and make a smooth powder.
• Divide this powder into two portions. With one portion mix in chocolate powder and reserve the other portion in a separate bowl.
• Now to the making of sugar syrup.
• Dissolve sugar in water and keep on boiling for about 10-15 mints. Add in saffron strands.
• We will make thick sugar syrup for kaju barfi/katlis.So, when press in between tip of fingers multiple strands can be seen.
• Now divide this sugar syrup into two portions – one for the plain kaju katli and other one for chocolate katli.
• Mix in the grounded cashew and chocolate cashew powder with the sugar syrup and keep on stirring till it forms a semi dry mixture. Add in ghee also; take it off from the heat. Let it cool off a little bit and then knead gently with clean hands to make damp dough.
• Now quickly roll both the dough into large rounds. Now lift the chocolate round and place it on the normal cashew round ones.

• Press it gently and cut into diamond shapes with a sharp knife. Store in air tight containers. These barfi stays fresh for 4-5 days in normal room temperature.

Here are some of the recipes- Kind of recap for 2012.Although like every year I should have done a full detailed post with links to each recipes-I will leave it for some other day.

2012 started with sweet treat- Baklava

Then it was -oven baked chicken tikka and vegetables

Mini Naan Pizza

Dhokar Dalna - Lentil Cakes cooked in a gravy

Haddock Mach'er paturi - a mustard seed paste spicy preparation of haddock fish .

Just another penne pasta recipe

Chicken teriyaki

And our South-Indian platter

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

Shukto

Balushahi

Pineapple Sandesh

Rui mach'er Kalia

Posto bata Diye Murgi- Chicken cooked with poppy seed paste

Soya Nugget Bell pepper and raisin Pulao

A cheesecake recipe - healthy way -

This post is going to - Announcing-best-of-year-2012-event- at Cooking For All Season

There are still many other recipes which haven't got mentioned here , but were equally delicious and relished by us.Hope to catch up some breathe after this.

See you all in a brand new year.....Happy New Year!