My older son, Aryaan and I have always loved Kaju katli / Kaju Burfi . We, in Rajasthan call Kaju Burfi, Kaju Katli and I always find myself explaining everyone that when I say katli, I am referring to Burfi.
So, with every trip made to my hometown, Jodhpur, Kaju katli was one thing we had to eat very often… and then one trip coming back home, we carried few kgs of kaju katli with us to enjoy our favorite sweet for a few more days while getting over our home sickness [yupp, believe it or not, we all get home sick after returning from India]. One day my younger son, Kiyaan saw his elder brother munching on Kaju katli and thought of giving it a try…and that’s when I saw almost half a kg of kaju katli vanish like a bag of chips….LOLzzz
And that is when I decided that I need start making Kaju Katlis at home and I started. You can always search for the recipe on this website and trust me, its one of the easiest recipes and it might come out much better than a lot of stores you have tried them from. This recipe was so good that my boys prefer it to any kaju katli they have ever tasted …Lucky me!!!
So after, my experiment of making kaju katli perfectly and not to forget, Mr. Parveez preferring my kaju katli over the ones in India, I thought of taking the next step and make badaam katli.
The main difference I believe between katli and burfi is that katli being a little thinner adds a lot of mild flavor and crispness to the taste of sweet. The thin texture, believe it not makes enhances the flavor of the almonds and is easier for your taste buds to differentiate between the flavor of almond, milk powder and sugar. Easy to make, very flavorful and wins hearts!!!
Biryani ranks at the top of my favorite food list. Whenever there is a special occasion in my house, the very first dish comes to my mind is Biryani. Honestly, Friday dinners are kind of a big deal in my house and Biryani is the main part of the dinner.
Biryani in Kolkata was introduced by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah from Lucknow. With Biryani every region and state added there own flavors, according to the produce they had in their region/ state. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned by Britishers and deported him to Kolkata. Luckily, he was accompanied by people who worked for him including his kitchen staff. Once in Kolkata, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah tried to make a little place provided for him to live. You could take a Nawab off the throne but you cannot take the elegance and Royal heart he has. he would ask his Kitchen staff to make Biryani, and would feel low about not having enough grocery specially meat/ chicken. To make th Nawab feel better and to be able to have him feel good about feeding everyone around him with the same love and respect he had in Lucknow, the chef added Potatoes and Eggs to the Biryani. This is how the famous Lucknow Biryani added its flavors and gave birth to Kolkata Biryani.
That’s why Biryanis from different places taste so different. The basic similarity is that every Biryani is cooked with meat and rice in dumm. It’s a dish adored not just all over the sub-continent, but all around the world. Its one of the most popular Indian/ Pakistani dish. However, Vegetable/ Paneer biryani is also well accepted among vegetarians.
Biryani should ideally be prepared in dumm, where the meat and rice are cooked together in an air tight container over low flame. I have posted the recipe of dum biryani and so many different varieties of Biryani from different regions and states of India. Most recipes also have some history/ story of how the recipes were originated, which is always a delight to read, know and share.
So this time I am sharing with you an easier version of dum biryani which is followed in most of the biryani houses in Kolkata. This Biryani is not too spicy. The Biryani has potatoes and the use of Khoya and milk makes the Biryani rich.
