Flavour Diary: Balushahi / Badusha

If you are on the foreign land, its always that you miss everything you did on the mother land, i mean playing, eating to work. I miss the most when i visit indian store where the cashier place is surrounded by indian desserts by seeing it i always miss mithaiwalas in india. I just remember when my dad n me go to mithai(sweet) shop, there are so many varieties and colourful sweets displayed that its impossible to select one and order. We go for mixed version of sweets in the box and here comes one of the sweet from the box to the blog...

Its been ages that i made or tasted these beauties...i was just waiting to have a hand on it, but you know time time time has to come for every task to be completed..hehe... At last i did it for a friends get together. By the way these beauties are called as badusha or balushahi. These are flaky indian doughnuts dipped in sugar syrup.If you are diet conscious then keep out of your reach, because we use loads of butter.You can find them in two shapes, on with round and indent in the middle and the other round with spiral edges. I couldn't capture the spiral edge badusha , by the time i was planning to take a pic of it , it got completed..

I couldn't capture step by step pic as i was accompanied by my little helper IZ, i should be thankful to her for helping me in the kitchen. She did measuring, mixing, rolling ... oo i should say almost everything except frying. Earlier we both had fun in making chocolate dipped strawberries. I should say cooking with kids helps them in improving their mathematical and motor skills, and off course you will have lot of cleaning.

Makes: 12
1 cup = 240 ml

Ingredients

For dough
All purpose flour/maida : 1 and 1/2 cup
Melted butter/ghee: 4 tablespoon (1/4cup)
Yogurt/curd: 1tablespoon
Sugar: 1/2 teaspoon
Baking Soda: 1/2 teaspoon
Water: 2 tablespoon (adjust to form a dough)
Oil for frying

For syrup
Sugar: 3/4 cup
Water: 1/3 cup
Cardamom/elachi crushed: 2 (1/2teaspoon of cardamom powder)
Saffron a pinch (optional)

Directions

Badusha:

In a bowl add melted butter,sugar mix well until dissolved.
Mix baking soda and flour, add it to butter along with yogurt. The texture of the mix will be crumbly, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and form a soft dough.
Rest the dough for 15 mins, then start kneading it for 5 mins.
Make small lime sized balls and press in between the palms to make small circle and then mark a hard press at the center with thumb, this would look like a mini doughnut.
Heat the oil until it is warm and then drop the badushas in it. Fry it on medium low heat until they are golden brown on both sides. Don't worry, if you see lots of bubbles around the badusha after you dropped in the oil.It will take approximately 8 mins.

Sugar syrup:

While your Oil is getting heating up,Take a small pan, add sugar and water. Bring it to boil and lower the heat and add crushed cardamom pods or powder and keep it for 5- 10 mins to get 1 string consistency.
You can check 1 string consistency in two ways
1. Dip the spoon and lift it up the last drop should drop slowly with a string to it. Take off from heat. I found this is easy way to test.
2. Take a small plate and fill with little water, then drop a drop of syrup on it, then collect the drop in water with hands, if it forms a ball, then its ready. Take off from the stove.

Dip Badusha's in Syrup:
Once badusha's are golden brown remove from oil and place it on the kitchen paper. And transfer 2 or 3 to sugar syrup and coat the syrup on all sides. Place for approx 1 min. Shake of the excess and then transfer to the plate.

Tips

R your badusha dissolving in oil while frying then add little more flour to the dough and knead it and try again. Don't add too much of flour as badusha will loose flaky texture and they will become crispy :( .
Don't get in hurry for fry your badusha's, as they will be undercooked in side.
If you want a traditional shape of badusha then take the small ball of dough and pinch at one end and twist it inside, do this to complete a spiral all around the ball