Panchratna Dal & Pista - Kaju Katli

6-7 small cardamoms
½ tsp asafoetida
50g butter
Salt to taste

Soak all the five lentils in water for four hours.

Cook all the dals in an open vessel or a degchi. The dals acquire a special flavour when cooked in a degchi, quite different from when they are pressure cooked. This needs to be simmered for a long time.

When the lentils are cooked, heat ¼ cup, butter in another degchi-vessel. Add cumin, asafoetida, cloves and cardamoms.

When the cumin crackles, add a little water and red chilli. Now add the lentil mix and stir for two minutes. Let the lentils cook for another 10 minutes. Add garam masala, check the seasoning and serve hot with fresh coriander leaves and slit green chillies as garnish.

50 g pista
500 ml water ( for boiling pistas )
40 ml water
50 g sugar syrup
2 drops lime juice
4 drops rose essence

50 g cashew nuts ( whole )
40 ml water
50 ml sugar
4 drops rose essence

Heat water in a bowl. Once the water starts to boil, put the whole pista. Remove the pista when the water starts to boil again.

Strain the pista and remove the skin.

Mix 40 ml of water to the sugar to make a thick syrup.

Add 2 drops of lime juice to remove the scum from the sugar syrup.

Cook the sugar syrup till it forms a thick mixture ( when you pour the syrup from the spoon it should flow smoothly ). Add rose essence.

Once it is done. take peeled pista and make a fine paste in a blender ( do not add any water to the mixture ). Then add in the pista mixture to the sugar syrup and cook till it is done.

To check whether the mixture is done, take a pinch of the mixture and roll it with
your fingers. If it forms a smooth ball, then it is ready.

Once the mixture is ready, set in a tray and then let it cool. Cut it into desired shapes and serve.

Follow the same procedure for Kaju Katli.The difference is that you do not blanch the cashew nuts ( as their skin is removed ).