Badusha: Crafting the Perfect Balushahi

wellhealthorganic.com Badusha: Balushahi, a beloved Indian sweet renowned for its flaky, juicy, and moist texture, resembles a donut and is coated with sugar syrup. In South India, it goes by the name Badusha.

Badusha

• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Resting Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Cuisine: Indian, North Indian, South Indian
• Course: Desserts, Sweets
• Diet: Vegetarian
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients:

For Balushahi Dough:

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
2. ¼ cup Ghee (60 grams), semi-solid
3. ¼ cup Curd (60 grams)
4. 8 to 9 tablespoons cold water, or as required for kneading
5. Pinch of salt
6. Pinch of baking soda
7. ½ teaspoon baking powder

For Sugar Syrup:

1. 1 heaped cup sugar (200 grams)
2. ½ cup water
3. ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder, or to taste
4. 10 to 12 saffron strands
5. 2 to 3 drops lemon juice (optional)

Other Ingredients:

For Garnish:

1. 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios, almonds, or preferred nuts

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Instructions:

Creaming Ghee:

1. In a bowl, take ¼ cup ghee.
2. Beat the ghee with a spoon, spatula, or small wired whisk until smooth, light, and fluffy.
3. Add ¼ cup chilled fresh curd (dahi) and whip it with the creamed ghee until light and smooth.

Making Balushahi Dough:

1. Using a sieve, sift the all-purpose flour into the creamed ghee and curd.
2. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix lightly with a spoon.
3. Sprinkle cold water gradually and mix to form a soft dough. Avoid heavy kneading.
4. If the dough is sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and gently form a dough.
5. Cover the dough and set aside for 15 minutes.

Making Sugar Syrup:

1. In a pan, combine sugar and water. Stir the mixture gently over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves.
2. Optionally, add a tablespoon of milk to remove impurities.
3. Once sugar is dissolved, add cardamom powder and saffron strands. Simmer until syrup becomes sticky.

Frying Balushahi:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a kadai or pan over medium heat.
2. Pinch small to medium-sized balls from the dough and shape them into discs.
3. Make an indent in the center and fry in batches until golden and crisp.
4. Drain excess oil and soak fried balushahi in warm sugar syrup for 14 to 15 minutes.

Assembly:

1. After soaking, remove balushahi from syrup and place in a serving tray.
2. Garnish with chopped pistachios or preferred nuts.
3. Repeat frying and soaking process for remaining dough.
4. If sugar syrup crystallizes, add water and reheat on low flame.

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Notes:

• Avoid heavy kneading of dough.
• Ensure ghee is semi-solid for proper texture.
• Follow frying method as per instructions.
• Recipe can be adjusted for smaller or larger batches.
• Approximate nutrition info is for one balushahi.