Badusha

I have seen badusha almost in all the sweet shops all over Kuala Lumpur. Just recently i tasted Badusha in one of the famous Punjabi sweet shop in KL. Instantly i fell in love with this deep fried sugar syrup coated sweets. Most of all i love the carefully handmade patterns that the sweet master took time to design them. Back home, i tried the patterns at home and wallah it turns out almost the same like the one crafted by sweet master in the Punjabi sweet shop.

Badusha or Balushahi is a North Indian sweets which is mildly sweet and made from all purpose flour. Its a soft and flaky sweets, deep fried and dunked in sugar syrup. Now you and me can make badusha at anytime at home without visiting sweet shops. Badusha stays good up to 4-5 days.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup melted ghee + oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp plain yogurt
Water to knead a soft dough
Oil for deep frying

For Sugar Syrup

1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup water
4-5 strands saffron


Methods

In a large bowl, add yogurt,baking soda and melted ghee + oil. Whisk for 10 minutes until well combined.

Add all purpose flour to the yogurt mixture. Mix with your fingers until the mixture resemble coarse grain or bread crumbs in texture.

Add water little by little and knead the flour mixture to a non sticky soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 8-10 minutes.

Take equal lemon sized dough and bake it into balls. Slightly pat the dough and using your fingers decorate the rims with swirls by gently trim the edges by folding the dough with your thumb and forefinger.

Heat oil in a frying pan, once the oil is hot switch off the flame. Gently drop the badusha into the oil and once the badusha floats on the top, turn on the heat. Drop 3-4 badusha into the oil at one time do not over crowd.

Fry in medium flame until golden brown.

Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and drop the fried badusha into a warm sugar syrup

For Sugar Syrup

In a wide bottomed pan, add sugar and water. Boil the mixture until the sugar syrup form one string consistency.

Add lemon juice and saffron. Immediately switch of flame.


Notes

• Its important to knead the dough into a soft dough without any cracks. Do knot over knead the dough as it will give you hard badusha with many cracks.

• The purpose of adding lemon juice to the sugar syrup is to prevent crystallisation. Do not skip the step

• To check 1 string consistency in sugar syrup, boil sugar and water for approximately 8-10 minutes. Keep a bowl of water nearby, once the sugar mixture slightly thickens, dipped your fingers in the water and using your ladle take the sugar syrup. Carefully, touch the syrup with your forefinger and thumb. Gently pull apart your forefinger and thumb. If you can see 1 string of sugar syrup that is what exactly 1 string sugar syrup we are looking for.