I have many vegan Indian sweets on the blog for the Indian festive season, which begins with Ganesh Chaturthi and ends with Diwali. These include favorites like vegan gulab jamun, vegan barfi and vegan kheer. This vegan badam katli recipe, which riffs off my vegan kaju katli recipe, is just as delicious as these other sweet recipes, and easier.
What is badam katli?
In some Indian languages, including Hindi, badam = almond and katli = thin slice. Ergo, badam katli is a slim slice of sweetened and flavored almonds with a dense consistency, like fudge. It is typically flavored with aromatic cardamom and a bit of ghee, which adds both fat and a rich flavor to the recipe. To make up for the flavor lost from ghee, I use a bit of vanilla extract, a trick I’ve frequently used in my vegan Indian sweet recipes, a sprinkle of rose water, and a few threads of saffron. They may not taste exactly like ghee, but they add richness and make the badam katli even more delicious. Like kaju katli, this is a simple recipe, needing just a few ingredients. But the technique used to put these ingredients together makes all the difference to the flavor and consistency.
Why you should make this recipe
No compromise on flavor and texture. Albeit vegan, this badam katli is loaded with flavor from cardamom, saffron and vanilla. It’s dense and fudgy, with the perfect texture. A healthier alternative. If you’re vegan, for health or ethical reasons, this is a great snack option for Diwali or anytime. If you’re an omnivore or vegetarian Indian, you might want to consider this: milk and milk products, like ghee, pack a ton of cholesterol and sugar. India has one of the world’s highest rates of diabetes and heart disease per capita. This is not coincidental. Cutting out or cutting down on meat - and dairy - can contribute to a healthier heart and lower blood sugar. This vegan badam katli is also a great alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. Foolproof recipe. Making a badam katli is not rocket science, but there are a few things you need to get right, like the sugar syrup consistency. I will walk you through each step so you have the best chance for success. Feeds a crowd. This recipe makes about 36 katli because I designed it for sharing during the festive season. You can easily halve or double the recipe according to your needs. Quick. This badam katli is ready to eat in under an hour, and most of that is the cooling time. Allergy-friendly. The recipe is dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free.
How to make vegan badam katli
More vegan Indian sweet recipes
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A non-stick pan or an enameled cast iron pan will make it easier to handle the dough. Make sure that the sugar syrup has reached the one-thread consistency. This is really easy to do once you have done it a couple of times and have gotten the hang of it. There are recipes that will tell you to skip this step, but in my experience just eyeballing the syrup for consistency results in badam katli that is either too soft to roll and slice, or too hard. The second stage to exercise caution is when you mix the almond flour into the sugar syrup. Once the dough looks thick and comes together and off the bottom of the pan easily, pull it off the heat. And once it has cooled down just enough to handle, knead it and roll it right away. Waiting too long at either of these stages can result in the katli dough getting too dry and hard.
