One of the traditional Indian sweets – Balushahi also known as Badusha is deep-fried Indian Mithai. It is made using all-purpose flour and later dipped in Sugar syrup.
Crispy from the outside and moist, tender and flaky from the inside, it is one of my favorite Indian sweets. It is a Mughlai dish and is usually made for Diwali and other festivals.
This year, my list of Diwali sweets and snacks is big. I have tons of recipes on my list that I would like to share with you all. So I decided to start with this delicious sweet treat – Balushahi recipe.
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What is Balushahi?
It is a traditional Indian sweet dessert recipe prepared with maida or all-purpose flour, deep-fried in ghee/oil, and soaked in sugar syrup.
It is similar to a glazed donut but varies with its layered texture and crunchy taste.
How it is different from a doughnut?
It is also called as Indian doughnuts. But the taste and texture of balushahi are way different from doughnuts.
While a doughnut has a light and fluffy texture, balushahi is not fluffy. It has a soft and slightly flaky texture.
A doughnut has a soft texture from the outside, whereas a badusha has a crisp texture from the outside.
The doughnut is made with yeast whereas Balushahi is prepared with flour, ghee, baking powder, baking soda, and curd combination.
Doughnuts have an even surface and formation whereas in Balushahi uneven surface and edges mean a much flaky and crispier balushahi.
Both have holes in the center, but It usually disappears in Balushahi while deep frying them.
Making badusha with this method is very easy. it is not at all difficult. Only some time is needed to make badusha.
Why I love this sweet?
- easy to make
- loved by all age, be it kids or adults
- looks and taste very rich and exotic
- It is so so good that not only during festivals, I like to indulge in this sweet any time of the year or maybe after my weekend meals. 😉
Ingredients required to make this recipe
Note – Below pic is an overview of the ingredients in the recipe (very handy to use as a visual grocery list at the store). Quantities are mentioned in the recipe card.
How to make this recipe? Step by step process
In a big mixing bowl, take flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix them very well.
Add ghee. Mix with your fingers. The mixture should be crumbly. Add curd. Make it into a dough. Do not knead the dough. Cover it with a damp cloth for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, let’s prepare the sugar syrup. In a pan, add water, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Over medium heat, bring it to a boil. Let it boil until syrup is almost to one thread consistency. It will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Keep it aside.
Once 30 minutes are over, divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
Take one portion and make a ball. Balls should not be very smooth. It should have cracks all around. Make a deep dent in the center.
Heat the oil or ghee in a pan. The oil/ ghee should be low to medium-hot.
Place the Balushahi in the frying pan. Fry them over low to medium heat. If it is fried over high heat, they will not be cooked inside.
Take them out on a paper towel and rest it for a minute.
Dip the Balushahi in the syrup. Your syrup should be warm while dipping the Balushahi. Leave it for 1 to 2 minutes and remove them. Don’t leave them in syrup for a longer time.
Yummy Balushahi / Badusha is ready. Garnish them with chopped pistachios, saffron, and rose petal leaves.
Notes and Pro-tips
- Making Balushahi at home is very easy. Just keep these tips in mind while making it.
- Make sure ghee and curd are cold.
- Kneading the dough light is very critical for this recipe. make sure to not knead the dough and just combine.
- Also while making the rounds, don’t over knead the dough balls. They should be a little asymmetrical.
- Do not overheat the oil/ghee. Balushahi needs to be fried in a low to medium hot oil/ghee so that it gets cooked nicely from inside.
- Each batch takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes to fry. Do not rush this process.
- If cooked in hot oil/ghee, they will be cooked from outside but will remain raw on the inside.
- Do not overcrowd the Kadai.
- Fry them in batches. Keep the remaining ones covered with a damp cloth until they are ready to be fried.
- The consistency of sugar syrup should be of 1 string consistency otherwise it will not set.
- Make sure sugar syrup is warm while dipping the balushahi.
- If sugar syrup is getting cooled and set while dipping the badusha, reheat it once again until it is liquid.
- Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
- Drop balushahi in the hot sugar syrup and allow them to soak for good 5 to 7 minutes, not more than that.
Badusha can be stored in an air-tight container or jar at room temperature for 5 to 6 day
Some more Indian Sweet recipes
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Balushahi
Ingredients
For Balushahi dough
- 1 cup All-purpose flour (Maida)
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ cup Cold Ghee / clarified butter
- ¼ cup Cold Curd
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Sugar syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder
- Few strands of saffron
Garnishing
- Chopped Pistachios
- Silver Vark (Optional)
- Rose Petals
Instructions
- In a big mixing bowl, take flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix them very well.
- Add ghee. Mix with your fingers. The mixture should be crumbly. Add curd. Make it into a dough. Do not knead the dough. Cover it with a damp cloth for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, let’s prepare the sugar syrup. In a pan, add water, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron. Over medium heat, bring it to a boil. Let it boil until syrup is almost to one thread consistency. It will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Keep it aside.
- Once 30 minutes are over, divide the dough into 12 equal parts.
- Take one portion and make a ball. Balls should not be very smooth. It should have cracks all around. Make a deep dent in the center.
- Heat the oil or ghee in a pan. The oil/ ghee should be low to medium-hot.
- Place the Balushahi in the frying pan. Fry them over low to medium heat. If it is fried over high heat, they will not be cooked inside.
- Take them out on a paper towel and rest it for a minute.
- Dip the Balushahi in the syrup. Your syrup should be warm while dipping the Balushahi. Leave it for 1 to 2 minutes and remove them. Don’t leave them in syrup for a longer time.
- Yummy Balushahi / Badusha is ready. Garnish them with chopped pistachios, saffron, and rose petal leaves.
Video
Notes
- Making Balushahi at home is very easy. Just keep these tips in mind while making it.
- Make sure ghee and curd are cold.
- Kneading the dough light is very critical for this recipe. make sure to not knead the dough and just combine.
- Also while making the rounds, don’t over knead the dough balls. They should be a little asymmetrical.
- Do not overheat the oil/ghee. Balushahi needs to be fried in a low to medium hot oil/ghee so that it gets cooked nicely from inside.
- Each batch takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes to fry. Do not rush this process.
- If cooked in hot oil/ghee, they will be cooked from outside but will remain raw on the inside.
- Do not overcrowd the Kadai.
- Fry them in batches. Keep the remaining ones covered with a damp cloth until they are ready to be fried.
- The consistency of sugar syrup should be of 1 string consistency otherwise it will not set.
- Make sure sugar syrup is warm while dipping the balushahi.
- If sugar syrup is getting cooled and set while dipping the badusha, reheat it once again until it is liquid.
- Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
- Drop balushahi in the hot sugar syrup and allow them to soak for good 5 to 7 minutes, not more than that.
- Badusha can be stored in an air-tight container or jar at room temperature for 5 to 6 days.
- This recipe is updated with new pictures and video, originally published in November 2015.
Nutrition
Warm Regards,
Dhwani.
I tried this balushahi and it turned out awesome.. Thanks to you for explaining step by step and making it easier for us..
Hi Divya!
Thank you for your valuable feedback. I am so glad to know that you liked this recipe. 🙂