WATERMELON SHAPED KAJU-PISTA BARFI

    

      WATERMELON SHAPED KAJU-PISTA

                            BARFI

                                      (Yield: Approximately 24 pieces)

INGREDIENTS:

·      3 cups Broken Cashews (You will get 4 ½ cup of fine cashew powder)

·      2 T Ghee (Clarified Butter)

·      1 ½ cups White Granulate Sugar or as per taste

·      Water, about ¾ cup or enough to cover sugar

·      Few Drops of Edible Red Food Color, as needed

·      Few Drops of Edible Green Food Color, as needed

·      ½ cup Cashews, chopped to add in red portion of the cashew Barfi

·      2 Plastic Sheets for rolling green Barfi

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LET’S PREPARE:

First measure 3 cups of broken cashews then grind them into a fine powder.

Sieve through fine gauge sieve. You will get approximately 4 ½ cups (lightly packed) of cashew powder.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom non-stick pan on medium-low heat.

Add cashew powder and stir fry and roast cashew powder until fragrant for about 3 minutes with constant stirring. Be careful not to burn cashew powder.

Transfer in a bowl and keep aside.

Make 1 string consistency syrup.
Heat sugar and water in a pot on medium heat. Stir until all the sugar crystals are dissolved. Allow mixture to boil, it will take about 6 to 7 minutes. Once syrup gets little thick pour 1 drop of syrup on back of a small steel bowl. Tip bowl at 45 degree angle and still syrup drop stays put like a pearl means syrup is ready .If syrup drop disperses then it needs to heat further to thicken more. It should be 1 string consistency syrup.

Divide roasted cashew powder in two parts, one part (Red Part) slightly more then other.

Add few drops of red food color and syrup as needed and cook until soft solid dough forms.  Take small portion of the mixture and roll it between fingers and if it turns into ball meaning mixture is ready. Mixture will thicken while cooling. Allow cooling slightly then knead with hand to make soft smooth dough. Add chopped cashews and mix well.Divide the mixture into 6 equal portion and roll each portion between palms to make smooth ball, keep aside.

Add few drops of green color in second portion of cashew powder and add syrup as needed  and mix well and cook on low flame for 5-6 minutes or until cashew dough comes together. Take small portion of the mixture and roll it between fingers and if it forms a ball means mixture is ready. Mixture will thicken while cooling. Allow cooling slightly then knead with hand to make soft smooth dough.

Spread green barfi on greased plastic sheet in even thickness layer with rolling pin in rectangle block. Cut into 6 equal size sheets.

Wrap sheet of green barfi around red barfi ball.

Press and  gently roll between palms to assure sticking green kaju sheet on red ball.

Finish wrapping remaining green barfi sheets over all red barfi balls.

OR

Divide green barfi in 6 equal portions. Take one portion and make smooth ball and flatten with your palm and place red barfi ball in it and cover it with green barfi.

NOTE:
IF YOU ADD BIG CHUNKS OF CASHEWS IN RED PORTION LIKE I DID THEN ONLY YOU NEED TO KEEP CASHEW BALLS IN FREEZER FOR 1 HOUR IN ORDER TO MAKE SHARP CUT THROUGH CASHEW PIECES.

Cover each ball in individual plastic wrap/saran wrap and close gently and keep it in freezer for 1 hour.

Once all balls are rock solid then bring them out of freezer and open them and CAREFULLY cut each ball vertically and then cut it into equal two parts with sharp knife.

Store in an airtight container it should stay good for 1 week in fridge.

Enjoy…

NOTE:

For red barfi part you could use beet root puree to give natural red color to the brfi.

For green part you could use pista/pistachios. 
Add extra white cashew barfi layer between green and red barfi, I have skipped white layer.Click on the link below to like my "RASOI" Page.
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