kaju-badam puri

I feel like the last runner huffing and puffing to the finish line of a Diwali post:)  It just so happened that I spent too much time crushing over all the other posts out there and preparing for the festival at home, that writing a post made it to the bottom of my to-do list.  And I had almost abandoned the idea of posting a recipe….almost.  Until I realized that this Kaju-Badam Puri I made for Diwali with cashews and almonds was very much like a flourless cookie……which meant that I could consider it as an early start for Christmas!

Among the many Indian festivals, Diwali is one that is awaited with eager anticipation and excitement.  And while we would gently glide into preparations for other festivals, come Diwali, the pace could simply be described as frenzied. The whole place came alive with lights and color and one would get enveloped in the sense of goodwill that was in the air.  Like all other homes, the start of the preparations would be with a thorough cleaning of the house.  Walls, window grills, ceiling fans…..everything!  My mother would get us involved by telling us that Goddess Lakshmi plans on visiting every home and if it isn’t clean, would not enter.  When we were very young, it was more the idea of someone not wanting to visit us rather than the prospect of the Goddess of Wealth not gracing us that drove us to helping out in our own way 🙂

I try to keep some of those traditions and sentiments alive as they connect me to the past and hopefully help me pass them along to the future.  And even though the landscape looks somewhat different from India, I try to bring in the same elements that I remember.  There is the cleaning, making of sweets, hanging up the aksashkandil (paper lantern) that dances gently in the breeze, stringing a toran ( a colorful door hanging) across the doorway, making rangolis (colorful floor patterns), lighting the diyas (oil lamps), having friends over and welcoming Goddess Lakshmi….complete with leaving the front door open after lighting the evening lamps and keeping the back door shut so that she enters through the front door but does not leave through the back:)

Visiting friends and exchanging sweets is a big part of the Diwali tradition and sometimes, instead of sweets, people would come over with gift boxes of dried fruits and nuts.  In one of the compartments of the flat box, were these Kaju (Cashew) or Kaju-Badam (Cashew-Almond) Puris….neatly wrapped in yellow cellophane with a gold sticker to seal it.  That is what we kids had our eyes on!

After moving here, the Kaju-Puri became a distant, sweet memory and I finally tried to replicate it a couple of years back.  The first few attempts resulted in a tasty sweet but the shape was anything but round.  Cooking it first, like you would for a kaju katli and then sticking it under the broiler was the a-ha moment!  A bit like taking the long road but it has given me something that tastes and looks very much like the original.  Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with hints of cardamom and saffron, this is delicious and sturdy enough to travel well too.  Perfect for a Christmas cookie tray and sharing:)

(Makes 11-12 cookies that are 2 inches)

1/2 cup raw cashews (or you can use raw cashew meal)

1/2 cup raw, blanched almonds (or you can use almond meal)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp water

approx. 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, powdered

1/4 tsp saffron threads

saffron and sliced pistachios for topping

2-inch cookie cutter

Powder the almonds and cashews to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or small jar of a blender.  If you are using the almond and cashew meal, skip this step.  You could also make it with all cashews or all almonds.

Add the sugar, cardamom and saffron to the jar and blend again till you get a fairly smooth powder.  Be careful not to over mix, the mixture should not be oily.

Put this mixture along with the 1 tbsp butter and water into a pan (preferably non-stick).

Start cooking on a medium-low flame, stirring constantly.  The mixture will look sticky and pasty and the butter will start to melt.

Cook on a medium-low flame for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce the flame to between medium-low and low, and continue to cook while stirring constantly for another 5 minutes.  You will see the mixture starting to leave the sides of the pan and look opaque.

Continue to cook while stirring for another 3-4 minutes.  At this point, test by spreading about a 1/4 tsp of mixture on the back of a stainless steel spoon.  After a few seconds, roll that into a ball and break into two …if it breaks cleanly, it is done.  The mixture in the pan might look like very thick lava but  it will firm up upon cooling.  Make sure to not overcook because it will become dry and crumbly upon cooling.

Add the 1 tsp butter, stir and transfer the mixture to greased plate.  Cool for 5-10 mins until it is warm enough to work with.

Knead it a couple of times and transfer to a smooth surface.  Roll to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into circles with a 2-inch cookie cutter.  Press a little saffron and pistachio on top.  Gather up the scraps, knead, roll and repeat the process.

Another way of making it (which I followed) is to press approx. 1 tbsp dough into a 2 inch bangle and roll over it with a rolling pin.  Top with the saffron and cardamom and roll gently again.

Arrange these on a cookie sheet and broil on the low-broil setting for 1-2 minutes, until you see the edges turn golden brown and the top get a few golden brown spots.  If your oven has a broil setting that is adjustable, broil it between 375 to 400 degrees F.

Cool for 2-3 mins and then flip.  This cooling step is important.

Broil on the other side for a minute or so.  Cool for a minute in pan.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!