Kaju Cassata is a rich and delicious Indian sweet made with finely ground cashews, sugar syrup, and a flavorful dry-fruit filling. The smooth kaju dough is layered with a delicious kaju paste and dry-fruit balls to create a beautiful sandwich-style sweet. It is often topped with edible silver vark, giving it an elegant and festive look.
In this recipe, I’ll share a few halwai-style tips and tricks to help you make sweet-shop-style Kaju Cassata at home. This rich and attractive mithai is surprisingly easy to prepare, and you can make 1 kg of Kaju Cassata at home on a budget.
With its smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture, rich cashew flavor, and delicious dry-fruit filling, Kaju Cassata is perfect for Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, weddings, festivals, and other special occasions. It also makes a beautiful homemade sweet to share with family and friends.
Key Tips for Making Perfect Kaju cassata
- Making Cashew Powder: Grind the cashews (kaju) using the pulse function in a mixer to prevent them from releasing oil. Sieve the ground cashew powder to ensure a fine and smooth texture, which is essential for making perfect Kaju Cassata.
- Adding Mawa for Softness: I like to add a small amount of milk mawa (khoya) to the mixture. It gives the Kaju Cassata a soft and moist texture, similar to the ones available at sweet shops.
- Sugar Syrup Consistency: Cook the sugar with a little water until it reaches one-string consistency. At this stage, add the mawa and mix well until it blends smoothly into the syrup. Then, add the cashew powder and cook the mixture until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Market-Style Look: Kaju Cassata is a sandwich-style barfi with a thin outer layer and a rich stuffing inside, similar to a stuffed kachori. Chopped dry fruits are added to the filling for a delicious crunch. For a festive, market-style presentation, garnish it with edible silver vark. This is optional but gives the sweet a premium and celebratory look.
- Storage Tips: Store Kaju Cassata in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 15–20 days. For a longer shelf life, refrigerate it, where it can stay fresh for up to a month.
Related Recipe Collections
Recipe video
Kaju cassata recipe | market style kaju cassata barfi | kaju dry fruit barfi
Ingredients
- 500 grm or 4 cup kaju - cashews pieces
- 300 grm or 1.5 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 60 grm or ¾ cup mawa
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 2-3 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp kesar milk - For color
- ½ cup chopped cashews
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- Garnish with silver vrak
Instructions
- Take 500 grams of kaju (cashew pieces) and grind them in a mixer jar using the pulse setting to prevent the cashews from releasing oil.
- Sieve the ground kaju powder. If there are any large pieces left, grind them again and sieve to obtain a fine, smooth powder. (Refer to the video.)
- In a pan, add 1½ cups (300 grams) of sugar and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook over a medium flame until the sugar completely dissolves.
- Continue cooking the sugar syrup until it reaches a one-string consistency. (Refer to the video.)
- Add 60 grams (¾ cup) of mawa and ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder to the sugar syrup. Mix well.
- Add the prepared cashew powder and mix thoroughly. Cook the mixture on a low flame until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Divide the mixture into two portions—keep a larger portion for the outer layer and a smaller portion for the inner layer.
- To the smaller portion, add 2–3 tablespoons of saffron milk, ½ cup of chopped cashews, and ½ cup of chopped almonds. Mix well and shape the mixture into a smooth dough ball. This will be used as the stuffing.
- Grease a plastic sheet with ghee and transfer the remaining cashew mixture onto it. Knead it for 2–3 minutes until smooth.
- Divide the outer-layer mixture into equal portions. Take one portion and flatten it into a small puri-like disc.
- Place the prepared stuffing in the centre, then cover it completely with the outer layer, similar to making a stuffed kachori. Press gently and flatten it. (Refer to the video.)
- Apply silver vark over the prepared kaju cassata and let it set for 3 hours. Once set, cut each piece into four pieces.
- Serve the kaju cassata or store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh for up to 15 days at room temperature and up to 1 month in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Grind the cashews (kaju) using the pulse setting to prevent them from releasing oil.
- Sieve the ground cashew powder to ensure an even and smooth texture.
- Cook the sugar syrup until it reaches a one-string consistency.
- To check the consistency, drop a little syrup into a plate. If it stays in place without spreading, the syrup is ready.
- Mawa adds softness to the barfi.
- Add the mawa to the boiling sugar syrup so that it melts and blends well into the mixture.
- After adding the cashew powder, cook the mixture on a low flame until it thickens and starts leaving the sides of the pan.
- Divide the mixture into two parts, keeping a smaller portion for the inner layer.
- Knead the barfi mixture while it is still warm to achieve a smooth texture.
- Let the barfi mixture rest for 2–3 hours, then cut it into pieces.