MUNDHIRI CAKE @ CASHEWNUT BURFI

Rich and Royal- thy name is Cashew nut. No denial. This little nut is delectable by itself. When toasted, roasted and seasoned with spices makes a great afternoon/ evening snack. It can be used as a thickener in form of pastes, as a dessert topping and so on. It is extensively used in Indian cooking and specially in sweets preparation. Most of the Indian sweets call for cashew nuts roasted in ghee as a final topping. While Kaju Katli is worth mentioning, Mundhiri cake @ Cashew nut Burfi is at par. This melt in mouth burfi is my Mom's signature recipe. It has been a stand alone hit always among family, friends and during lunch and dinner parties. The preparation style is quite close to the burfis that are packed as give away gifts (Seer Bakshanam) in Tambrahm weddings. 

The flavouring ingredient in this recipe is Nutmeg and not Cardamom. Whenever anyone asked mom for this recipe, they were surprised when Mom mentioned nutmeg because most of the Indian sweets use Cardamom. Also, my mom and MIL use a pinch or two of nutmeg powder while preparing Kesari - Click here for recipe. Nutmeg imparts a nice flavour to the otherwise bland cashew nuts. The quantity you need to add is much lesser than cardamom because the flavour is strong and intense. Try this version and I guarantee that you will like it. 

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Cuisine: Indian 
Category: Sweets 
Level: Medium
Yield: 20 pieces approximate

Source: Mom

Nutrition Facts
Servings 20.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 147
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8 g	13 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	12 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 0 mg	0 %
Potassium 91 mg	3 %
Total Carbohydrate 16 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	2 %
Sugars 13 g
Protein 3 g	5 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	5 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 measure cashew nuts ( measured in a glass tumbler)
• 1 measure coarse granulated sugar (measured in a glass tumbler)
• Half of 1 nutmeg (slightly pounded using a pestle)
• 2-3 tbsp ghee ( clarified butter)

METHOD

• Coarsely powder cashew nuts along with nutmeg in a mixer grinder. Do not grind it to a very fine powder -  The mixture becomes cakey and will form lumps while preparing the sweet. So, some bits here and there are perfectly fine..
• Always use freshly purchased cashew nuts, preferably, at room temperature. If you use the refrigerated ones, it will ooze out water on thawing.
• Grease a plate with a little ghee and set aside.
• Add sugar to a thick bottomed vessel and add water just sufficient to submerge it. Say about quarter an inch above the surface. Heat this on stove top. Gently stir to dissolve.  
• Allow the mixture to boil and reach single string consistency. Do not stir the mixture in between to avoid cracking.
• Once this stage reaches, add the cashew- nutmeg mix into the syrup along with ghee and stir slowly. Keep the flame medium and mix well to combine.  
• Cook until mixture does not stick to the pan anymore. Simmer the flame and cook  for 2 -3 minutes and quickly transfer the contents to the greased plate to spread out evenly and allow to cool.
• After 10 -15 mins, draw lines using a pizza cutter or knife and slice to desired shape when still warm. 
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container.