Boil water and soak the almonds in simmering water. Turn off the flame and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I use a hot pack / hot case to soak my almonds. After half an hour, remove the almonds from the water and peel its skin. The almond skin would come out very easily.
Now, dry the almonds by wrapping them in paper towel.This step is very important to make sure that we can grind the almonds very smooth. This way the katli will turn out little granular.
Warm the water and add the saffron thread to it. Add sugar to it. Make sure the mixture is neither too thick nor too thin. It should be well mixed, one thread consistency. If you feel its too thick and if needed, add a little bit more water .
Mix almond paste and milk powder together before cooking in the pan.
In a heavy bottom (preferably nonstick) pan, Heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add the ground almond paste and milk powder .
Stir well and cook the mixture over low-medium heat until it becomes a mass and starts to leave the sides of the pan and clinging to your ladle/spatula. The best past I noticed about this was you need to get it really stiff. So, don’t worry about losing the right stage and if it will become too crumbly. For the katli to set well it needs to become quite a solid mass in the flame.
Now turn off the heat and let it cool down until it is warm enough to handle. Grease your hands with little ghee and knead the mixture well. This ensures that the katli is very smooth without any chunks.
Shaping the Katli –
Layer a piece of parchment over the work surface and grease it with a little ghee. Place the kneaded dough on the greased parchment and roll with a greased rolling pin. Roll until it is about ½ cm to ¾ cm thick.
Let it sit for about 20 minutes to set. Using a ruler and a pizza cutter cut the katlis into desired shape and carefully remove them.
The katlis are ready to be served. Store in an air tight container. The katlis have a longer shelf life and can be refrigerated for up to a month.
Recipe Notes
Make sure the badaam is completely dry before you make a powder. Don’t over grind it, as that makes the almonds release oil . So grind for 5 seconds, rest for 5 till the almonds are completely powdered.
The cooking process is very quick and does not need lot of stirring.
When kneading the dough, take a small piece and flatten it. See if it sets well. If not, return the mixture to heat and cook it a little more. You can be fearless about how long you cook it. The katlis tend to be on the chewier side if you cook it less, so make sure you cook it until you can no longer stir. If you missed the stage and removed it too quick, return it to pan and cook it again for few more minutes.
The katlis had better texture a day after it was made.