Kaju Pista Roll is an Indian sweet made with cashews and pistachios. These rolls have a layer of pistachio dough covered with a layer of smooth cashew dough. Rich and decadent!

Kaju Pista Roll is one of Sarvesh’s favorite mithai. Well the fact is that he has a massive sweet tooth and has a long list of favorites so I really don’t know which one is his most favorite but this is right up there.

He was most excited when I told him I will be making kaju pista rolls for Diwali this year. This sweet actually looks intimidating to make but it is definitely not as difficult as it looks.

Kaju=cashews and pista=pistachios in Hindi so these are sweet rolls made with cashews and pistachios. I remember during Diwali, we would get these beautiful mithai boxes filled with kaju katli and these kaju pista roll. They would be a huge hit among my friends and family. Although I was always partial to the boxes filled with motichoor ladoos!

If you have always wanted to make these at home, then I have got you covered.

Ingredients

This mithai looks complicated but it actually needs few ingredients!

Cashews: use unroasted, unsalted cashews for these rolls.

Pistachios: just like cashews, we need unsalted and unroasted pistachios.

Sugar: for this recipe, we are using 2 types of sugar- powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar/confectioners sugar) for the pistachio dough and regular white sugar for the cashew dough.

Milk Powder: to add to taste and texture, I have used milk powder in both the cashew and pistachio dough. I like using Nestle NIDO milk powder or bob’s red mill milk powder. It should be fine milk powder, do not use the low fat or fat free dry milk that we get at a lot of grocery stores.

Method

1- Grind pistachios to fine powder. I like using my spice grinder for this, it grinds it really fine.

2- Transfer to a bowl, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon milk powder. Then add milk, little by little and form a dough. I added 2 teaspoons milk here, you may need more or less.

3- The dough will feel sticky so grease your handle a little with ghee while bringing the dough together. Set aside.

4- To the same grinder, now add cashews. Grind cashews in batches (or if you have a bigger mixer, you can do it in one batch).

5-Be careful and not over-grind. If your cashew powder looks sticky, it means you over did it and cashews released oil. You have to start over again if that happens.

6- Sieve the cashews, you want a fine powder. I used a sifter for this.

7- To a pan, add 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon rose water. Let it come to a boil on medium-high heat. 

8- After 5 to 6 minutes it reaches 1 string consistency (thermometer reading around 109-110 C (228-230 F). If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, place a drop of syrup between your thumb and index finger (be careful though as syrup is hot) and pull the fingers apart, you should see the syrup forming a thin thread. Kitchen thermometer gives accurate results and eliminates the guess work and so it you make Indian sweets often, I would recommend investing in one.

9- Immediately lower heat to low and add the prepared cashew powder. Also add 2 tablespoons milk powder.

10- Stir until it all combines. Add 1 teaspoon ghee.

11- Cook on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes until mixture looks non-sticky and you are able to roll a non-sticky ball from the dough. It took me 4 minutes, it may take more or less depending on intensity of heat and thickness of pan, so time accordingly.

12- Immediately turn off heat and transfer mixture to parchment paper.

13- Using the parchment paper knead the dough, you may add 1/2 tsp ghee at this point to make the dough smooth. We are using the parchment paper to knead the dough since the dough is very hot right now but we want to smooth is out while it’s still warm.

14- Once it can be handled by hand, give a quick knead. Then place another piece of parchment paper on top and then using a rolling pin, roll into a thin sheet between two sheets of parchment paper.

15- Divide into 2 parts from the center. You have to do this while dough is still warm so you have to act quickly here. Also, divide the pistachio dough in 2 parts. Take one part and roll it into log. Place it into one of the rolled cashew sheet.

16- Start rolling it with while peeling the parchment paper beneath.

17- Roll until you reach the other end and then seal it.

18- Now using your hands, roll it into a thin log, around 15 inches in length.

19- Similarly fill and roll the other log as well. Roll both the logs first and then cut later else it becomes difficult to roll as the dough cools. You may apply edible silver leaves (chandi ka vark) on top to decorate.

20- Cut each log into 1.5 to 2 inches rolls. Kaju Pista rolls are ready to serve!

Important Tips

This recipe can go wrong at several steps, so here are few tips to keep in mind!

Don’t overgrind your cashews: when you grind the cashews, be careful to not overdo it else they will release oil. If your cashew mixture looks wet and has released oil, it’s best to start over again. I use my spice grinder to grind cashews since it really grinds it fine.

Sieve cashews to get fine powder: once you have powdered the cashews, it’s a good idea to sieve it using a sifter. This will give you a super smooth cashew covering for the rolls.

Invest in kitchen thermometer: if you make Indian mithais often, it might be a good idea to invest in kitchen thermometer. One and two string sugar syrup consistencies can get confusing and might end up ruining your sweet. In this case, if you overcook the sugar syrup the cashew dough will break and become brittle when you roll. So a kitchen thermometer will eliminate the guess work and result in more consistent results. For this recipe, cook the syrup until it shows a reading of 109-110 C in your thermometer.

Knead when dough is warm and then roll while it’s still warm: both of these are important. Knead the dough as soon as you take it off heat. It will be super hot, so you can’t use your hands. That’s why it’s important to use a parchment paper here. Place the hot dough on it and then use the parchment paper to knead it until it looks smooth.

Once it’s okay to handle, cut it into 2 and fill and roll. You have to roll immediately, as it cools down it will get difficult roll the dough.

Roll both the rolls while warm, then cut into pieces: Do not roll 1 of the rolls, cut into pieces and then start rolling the 2nd one. By the time you cut rolls from one, the second will cool down and then become difficult to roll. So roll both first and then start cutting them into rolls.

Pay attention to the dough and not the time: whatever time I give to cook the dough is what works for me. These times can vary depending on the thickness of the pan and the intensity of the heat. So more than the time, pay attention to the texture of the dough. If you can roll it into a non-sticky ball, it’s done at that point. It might be more or less time than what I mentioned.

Add flavors: I have used rose water to flavor the dough, you can also use cardamom, saffron, kewra water.

Use ghee to smooth our the dough: it’s just a teaspoon of ghee but it helps in smoothing out the dough.

Storage

These would stay well for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator (if they last that long)!

Notes

• I haven’t tried but this recipe can be doubled. The cooking time will be more since there will be more of the cashew powder.
• I wanted to try this recipe with cashew flour (to make it easier for everyone who can find it) but couldn’t get a hold of at stores nearby. If you have cashew flour, try using the same amount (150 grams), I think it should work fine.
• These rolls tasted best the day they were made and the day after. I felt after 3rd day, they kind of didn’t taste as fresh. So I would recommend consuming them with in 3 days for best taste.

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