Why Kaju Katli in India is a cultural constant

Kaju Katli in India holds a kind of supremacy that is shaped by the very simplicity it is built on. Walk into any sweet shop anywhere across the country and Kaju Katli will be on the menu. Delhi’s Evergreen Sweet House has 15 variants of kaju sweets including Kaju Anjeer, Cassatta, Kaju Kamal Bhog, and chocolate-inflected versions. Yet, the classic Kaju Katli remains the anchor from which every experiment emerges. Kaju Katli is India’s default sweet, from the chocolate-obsessed to those preferring gluten-free variants. 

The rise of Kaju Katli in India’s sweet culture

“Ladoo and Kaju Katli fall into 20 per cent of the business’s products that generate 80 per cent  of the revenue—two sweets that jump to people’s minds when someone says ‘Indian sweets’. Kaju Katli is considered more premium,” says Abhishek Bajaj, of Chandigarh-based Sindhi Sweets. Customers often request one full row of Kaju Katli in boxes of assorted mithai because it raises the perceived value of the gift. “Just so that it escalates the premiumness of the box. The last few years have seen an increase in demand by at least 12-15 per cent,” says Bajaj. 

The sweet’s exact origins remain debated. One theory credits a Maratha chef who swapped almonds with cashews while making halwa. Another links to Emperor Jehangir’s court in 1619 CE.

“Historically, the Kaju Katli is supposed to have emerged during the Mughal era, when almonds (which came to India from Persia), sugar, and ghee were already being used to make mithai. Like an Almond Katli, Kaju Kalti is also said to be the cashew version of the almond/pistachio halwa that’s rolled out, and cut into diamond-shaped treats,” says archaeologist and culinary anthropologist Dr Kurush F. Dalal. “When Indians came across cashews they realised they could make the same confectionery with it. Plus, cashews were cheaper than almond and pistachio.” Before dried fruits permeated Indian kitchens, mithai was a reflection of local produce. Punjab’s Pinni is made from  dal. Uttar Pradesh produces a lot of besan, and hence besan laddoos are popular in the state. In West Bengal, it is milk-based sweets, while in the southern part of the country, rice-based desserts are predominant. As affluence grew, dried fruit mithai grew in popularity. 

Why Kaju Katli is India’s premium gifting sweet

“Unlike many traditional sweets, Kaju Katli’s flavour is not overpowering, making it ideal for those who prefer subtly sweet treats,” says Chaitanya Muppala, CEO, Almond House, Hyderabad. “It suits modern dietary preferences: It can be vegan and lactose-free (made without ghee) and is naturally gluten-free. Nut-based sweets naturally fit modern dietary aspirations without compromising on taste.” With an increased scope for premiumisation, the market for nut-based sweets has expanded. Higher spending power, an expanding gifting culture, “and the desire for more elevated and indulgent experiences during celebrations,” have pushed cashew-led mithai into India’s default premium category, he adds. 

“THE REAL MAGIC OF KAJU KATLI LIES IN HOW LITTLE SUGAR IT NEEDS TO COMPLEMENT THE NATURAL RICHNESS OF CASHEWS” -Girish Nayak

“The biggest evolution of sweets in India happened in the 1980s, when the concept of puja mixed with gifting. Kaju Katli became the sweet people turned to when they want to show off more,” says Bajaj. “Even the way Kaju Kalti is cut and presented—clean, diamond-shaped, with a literal silver lining, makes it aspirational and gift-able.” The more dried fruit-laden the mithai was, the more expensive it became.  

“Initially, dried fruits were a delicacy, consumed in the princely states and households. The only commoners who could get a hold of it, later, were those with more spending power,” says Nehal Bajaj, co-founder, 7 Bazaari and president of KBB Nuts Pvt Ltd - Tulsi. Moreover, dried fruits are often considered a marker of upward mobility in Indian households. 

What makes a good Kaju Katli

Good-quality cashews are indispensable to make Kaju Katli. In India, however, despite cashews being cultivated along both coasts, the country imports most of its raw nuts. “Sourcing high-quality cashews, which give the Kaju Katli its characteristic creaminess and richness, is crucial,” says Muppala. 

To begin with, cashew wasn’t cultivated with the aim of prioritising it as a mithai ingredient. A paper by The Directorate of Cashew and Cacao Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, notes that the Portuguese introduced it to Goa as a commercial crop to counter soil erosion. Its by-products only gained commercial value in the 1960s, long after it had spread through Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. 

Yet, domestic production of cashews has never fully matched its demand. That’s why cashew-processing units often run on imported raw cashew nuts; imported kernels offer supply continuity and year-round availability.

Sindhi Sweets, for instance, sources its cashews from Gujarat, where imported nuts are processed into kernels. “Importing cashews from African nations such as Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Togo ensures an uninterrupted supply of good-quality cashews. Because in India, the likes of Kolhan Kaju from Jharkhand are only available for 2-3 months in a year and so, used more often in boxes of dried fruits,” says Bajaj.

In India, cashews move through three lives in the trade—from snacking to gifting to the tukda or small, broken pieces that end up in sweets like Kaju Katli. Growing cashews at scale is complex, which is why processing units depend on a mix of domestic and imported raw nuts.

“KAJU KATLI IS SEEN AS A ‘SAFE’ YET PRESTIGIOUS GIFT, CONSISTENTLY CHOSEN BY FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES TO MARK CELEBRATIONS” - Chaitanya Muppala

Cashews adapt easily across flavours, which keeps Kaju Katli relevant even as mithai is becoming more experimental. “As an ingredient, cashews are versatile and will take on whatever they are mixed with, apart from retaining their own flavour. So, add kesar, pistachio, rose or chocolate—and it all works. India has always had cashews in the Fruit and Nut chocolates from Dairy Milk,” says Dalal.

It is the versatility of cashews that shapes its value. “Cashews for gifting cost around ₹1,000/kg and for sweets like Kaju Katli, ₹800/kg,” says Sukesh Aggarwal, director, UB Nuts, a manufacturer and supplier of cashew kernels in Gandhidham, Gujarat. The margins are tighter, but the volume is unmatched. “Kaju Katli sells 20 times more than any other product,” says Bajaj. 

Why Kaju Katli in India remains unmatched

“Cashews are high in fat, but they are good, healthy fats,” says Girish Nayak, Chief Mithaiwala, Bombay Sweet Shop. “The real magic of Kaju Katli lies in how little sugar it needs to complement the natural richness of cashews.” Gifting patterns among Indians have shifted, but the instinct to carry something sweet while visiting people during festivals and gatherings has not. “Indians don’t go to other people’s houses empty-handed. And gifting has to include something sweet,” says Bajaj. Even as newer desserts appear, the instinct remains the same. “And while people like macarons or Gulab Jamuns, Kaju Katli will sell more.”

With the recent emergence of craft chocolates on the gifting landscape, will mithai sustain? “Mithai has had to evolve to embrace global tastes while retaining its Indian roots. People are looking for experiences that offer nostalgic flavours with a twist,” says Nehal Bajaj pointing towards 7 Bazaari’s Mango Kaju Katli Crumble. Meanwhile, Bombay Sweet Shop has its own interpretations—from a dark-chocolate-coated Kaju Katli to a Kaju Marzipan Bon Bon inspired by the smoothness of Goan marzipan. 

Most importantly, Kaju Katli has become a safe, reliable choice in a country with vast regional preferences. Its real distinguishing trait lies in its universality. India’s ‘muh meetha’ moments vary wildly by region, but Kaju Katli crosses those boundaries without resistance. “It’s laddoo that’s usually associated with occassions. A premium version would mean Kaju Katli—an indulgence to gift while visiting people’s houses. Kaju Kalti is also a statement to show how well off you are, or the generosity while gifting,” says Dalal. 

“For many, Kaju Katli is often a child’s first introduction to the mithai category, making it a sweet that holds lasting memories. It’s seen as a ‘safe’ yet prestigious gift, consistently chosen by families and businesses to mark celebrations,” says Muppala. 

Even as newer trends emerge, Kaju Katli continues to endure because it refuses to overcomplicate itself. “There’s a snobbery and aspiration associated with Kaju Katli that exists in India, and it isn’t going anywhere,” says Nehal Bajaj.