Kaju Kalash

Diwali season has begun, and everyone is busy making sweets and snacks. Last weekend we were also invited for a Diwali party. This was our first Diwali party of the season!! It is always a dilemma of what a perfect hostess gift should be. I am so confused, and the reason is because I do not like to buy sweets from the store. Specially during festive season, sweets and snacks and made in large quantities and stored for a long time. We would not even be able to know the quality of the ingredients used. I feel it is fun to make and take something special for the host/hostess who have put in so much time and effort in arranging a fun and beautiful party.

During my last trip to India, I found beautiful molds or moulds to make sweets. And for those of you who know me... I just love to collect and try new things. The mold I used for the recipe is a kalash or matki or a pot shape. Kalash or pot has lot of significance in Hindu culture. Every auspicious occasion begins with the kalash or a copper or silver pot with water in it. On top of the pot is a coconut with five beetle or pan leaves around it. Together the entire construction symbolizes Life.

My Kaju Kalash is a sweet that I have seen at any store before. This recipe is my attempt to make it delicious and fresh for the hostess. The outside of the Kalash pot is made of sugar, milk, and cashew nut. For me these ingredients symbolize the love and festivity that my mom imparted every year in making Kaju Katli. I have filled the kalash pot with the mixture of dry fig, almonds, and pistachios, and then topped with pistachios and almonds to look like a complete Kalash to spread Health, Wealth, and Prosperity. These Kaju Kalash looked super cute and I was so excited to place it on the handpainted tray and diya that I completed just a night before the party. I painted the tray with acrylic colors and decorated it with puffy paints and rhinestones.

Ingredients: (this recipe make 20-25 kalash sweet)
For the filling
Dry figs/anjeer 13 pieces
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/2 cup raw unsalted almonds

For the Kalash pot
1 cup regular cane sugar (powdered)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups raw unsalted cashewnut powder
1 tsp. ghee

To decorate
20-25 whole almonds
Around 100 pistachios halved
Use kesar/saffron dissolved in little hot milk to paint the design on or use silver varakh to decorate.

To make the filling:

• Boil milk and dry figs/anjeer till all the milk evaporates. Let it cool.
• In a food processor, grind nuts and anjeer together to make a coarse mixture.
• Remove in a bowl and leave it aside.

To make the kalash pot:

• Heat sugar and milk in a pan. Bring it to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add powdered cashew nuts and mix well.
• Continue cooking the mixture 3-4 minutes on low to medium heat. The mixture should not solidify. It should be thick.
• Turn off the heat. Continue mixing so that the mixture starts to cool.
• Pour the mixture on silicon mat for it to cool. keep folding it so that it cools faster. 
• As the mixture cools it will solidify further. 
• Add 1/2 tsp. ghee on your fingers.
• Make a soft dough when you can touch it while it is still warm. (you will not be able to shape it if the mixture totally cools down so it is very important to work with the warm dough. Place this dough in a casserole or hotpot to keep it warm and prevent it from cooling down and hardening.

To assemble Kalash:

• Divide anjeer filling into 20-25 tiny parts and roll them in a ball. 
• Slightly grease the mold with ghee (specially first time)
• Take around 1 tbsp. of cashew nut dough. Roll it to a ball and flatten it slightly. 
• Place anjeer stuffing in between.
• Fold the ends and place in the mold. Top with more cashew nut dough and press well.
• Place pistachios and almonds while still warm.
• Carefully take the mold apart.
• Leave the kalash sweet to cool and maintain its shape.
• Repeat the process.
• When the kalash have cooled completely, decorate it with silver varakh or paint using kesar/saffron. Click here of my recipe to paint with kesar.
• You could shape these even without a mold or make small potlis or bags with this too. You can also shape into little cubes and decorate with nuts.

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe

Boil milk and dry figs/anjeer till all the milk evaporates. Let it cool.

In a food processor, grind nuts and anjeer together to make a coarse mixture.

Remove in a bowl and leave it aside.

Heat sugar and milk in a pan. Bring it to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add powdered cashew nuts and mix well.

Continue cooking the mixture 3-4 minutes on low to medium heat. The mixture should not solidify. It should be thick.

Turn off the heat. Continue mixing so that the mixture starts to cool.

Pour the mixture on silicon mat for it to cool. keep folding it so that it cools faster. 

As the mixture cools it will solidify further. 

Add 1/2 tsp. ghee on your fingers.

Make a soft dough when you can touch it while it is still warm. (you will not be able to shape it if the mixture totally cools down so it is very important to work with the warm dough. Place this dough in a casserole or hotpot to keep it warm and prevent it from cooling down and hardening.

Divide anjeer filling into 20-25 tiny parts and roll them in a ball.
Slightly grease the mold with ghee (specially first time)

Take around 1 tbsp. of cashew nut dough. Roll it to a ball and flatten it slightly.
Place anjeer stuffing in between.
Fold the ends and place in the mold. Top with more cashew nut dough and press well.
Place pistachios and almonds while still warm.

Carefully take the mold apart.
Leave the kalash sweet to cool and maintain its shape.
Repeat the process.

When the kalash have cooled completely, decorate it with silver varakh or paint using kesar/saffron.

Here is how you can paint kalash with kesar.

Wishing you all A Very Happy Diwali!!