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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Indian Sweets & desserts » Balushahi

    Published: Oct 13, 2021 | Last Updated On: Oct 14, 2021 by Neha Mathur

    Balushahi

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    Jump to Recipe

    Balushahi (Badusha) is a crispy and flaky Indian sweet made using all-purpose flour, ghee, and yogurt. It is popularly made during festivals, weddings, and special occasions. Make it using my tried and tested recipe at home!

    Here are some more Indian sweet recipes that you might like – Mango Burfi, Peda, Sweet Samosa, Kesar Malai Ladoo, Rabdi, Paneer Kheer, Angoori Rasmalai, and Malpua.

    Balushahi served on a plate.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Balushahi
    • You Might Also Like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Balushahi is a popular North Indian sweet that is crispy on the outside and juicy, soft, and flaky from the inside. It is also known as Badusha in South India and Makkhan Bada in Rajasthan.

    Balushahi is made for festivals like Holi, Diwali, or Rakshabandhand, weddings, and special occasions.

    It is sometimes also called Indian doughnuts because of their shape. Although balushahi is called Indian doughnut, these two are very different in taste and texture. While doughnuts are soft and fluffy, balushahi is crispy outside and slightly flaky inside. Yeast is used in making doughnuts, whereas Balushahi uses a combination of baking powder, baking soda, and yogurt.

    You can make perfect halwai style Balushahi at home using simple ingredients by keeping a few tips in mind. I am sharing a fool-proof recipe to make it at home. Do try!

    Ingredients

    Balushahi ingredients 1

    For The Dough – You will need all-purpose flour (maida), salt, baking soda, baking powder, ghee, plain yogurt (dahi), and ice-cold water.

    Yogurt and ghee make the Badusha soft and flaky from the inside.

    Balushahi ingredients 2

    For The Syrup – You will need granulated sugar, water, cardamom powder, and saffron to make the syrup. While cardamom powder adds a distinct flavor and aroma, saffron adds a hint of orangish-yellow hue to it. 

    For Frying – Balusahi tastes best when fried in ghee. Try not to use oil for frying it.

    How To Make Balushahi

    Make The Dough

    Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour (maida), ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder in a large bowl or a parat (a large Indian shallow plate).

    Flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda mixed in a large shallow plate.

    Add ¼ cup ghee (at room temperature) and mix nicely with your fingertips.

    Note – The ghee should be in a semi-solid state. If it is too hot where you live and ghee is melted at room temperature, then refrigerate it for a few minutes.

    Ghee added to the plate.

    Add ¼ cup chilled plain yogurt (dahi) and mix well using your fingers.

    Chilled yogurt added to the plate.

    Now add ice-cold water (approx ½ cup) little by little and knead to make a soft dough. Do not over-knead the dough. You just have to bring the ingredients together and not try to make the dough smooth.

    Soft dough made.

    Cover the dough with a dish towel and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

    Dough covered.

    Make 20-22 equal-sized balls from the dough. Do not try to make them smooth. Handle the dough as little as possible for the best result.

    Press in the center of the dough ball with your thumb. Shape all the balushahi in the same manner. Keep them covered with a dishcloth to avoid drying.

    Small ball made from the dough and pressed in the center.
    Balushahi ready for frying.

    Fry The Balushahi

    Heat 1-inch ghee for frying in a shallow non-stick pan over medium heat.

    When the ghee is barely hot, drop the Balushahi in the ghee very gently. Do not overload the pan and fry in batches. Balushai will expand while frying so make sure there is a gap between them.

    Reduce the heat to low and fry the balushahi until golden brown.

    Note – Make sure to fry the balushahi only on low heat otherwise they will brown from outside but will be raw from inside.

    Balushahi frying on low heat.

    Keep flipping the balushahi while frying. Each batch will take around 25-30 minutes for frying.

    Browned balushahi.

    Drain the balushai on a plate lined with paper tissues and let them cool completely. Fry all the batches and let all of them cool completely.

    Drained balushahi.

    Make The Sugar Syrup

    Add 2 and ½ cups of granulated sugar, 1 and ¼ cups of water, ½ teaspoon cardamom powder, and 1 pinch saffron to a pan and heat on medium heat for 10-12 minutes to make 2 thread syrup.

    Sugar, water, cardamom powder and saffron added to a pan.

    The consistency of the sugar syrup is very important for it to crystallize properly over the balushahi.

    To check if the sugar syrup has reached the 2 thread consistency, take a syrup on the spoon. Let it cool for 4-5 seconds. Be careful because it is very hot at this stage. Now take a little syrup on one of your fingers and press it with the thumb. You should see 2 threads forming in between the finger and the thumb.

    Ready 1 string syrup.

    If you have a candy thermometer, then the temperature of the syrup should be 235° F–240° F
    (112° C–114° C).

    Coat The Balushahi

    Remove the pan from heat once the syrup reaches the desired consistency and immediately dip the balushai in the warm syrup one by one. Take them out using a fork and arrange them on a plate in a single layer. the sugar will crystallize in 5 minutes.

    Balushahi dipped in sugar syrup.

    Note – In case the sugar syrup crystallizes, then add 2-3 tablespoon water to it and heat on low heat.

    Garnish the balushahi with silver foil and pistachio slivers and store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Refrigerating it will make it harder because of the ghee so avoid that.

    Ready balushahi.

    You Might Also Like

    • Sweet Shakkarpara
    • Roasted Makhana Namkeen (Makhana Chivda)
    • Atta Halwa (Aate Ka Halwa, Wheat Halwa)
    • Shrikhand

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Balushahi (badusha) is a crispy and flaky Indian sweet made using all-purpose flour, ghee, and yogurt. It is popularly made during festivals, weddings, and special occasions. Make it using my tried and tested recipe at home!

    Balushahi Recipe

    Balushahi (badusha) is a crispy and flaky Indian sweet made using all-purpose flour, ghee, and yogurt. It is popularly made during festivals, weddings, and special occasions. Make it using my tried and tested recipe at home!
    4.41 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 20 people
    Calories: 187kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    For The Dough

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ cup ghee (clarified butter) (at room temperature)
    • ¼ cup plain yogurt (chilled)
    • ice-cold water (approximately ½ cup, to knead the dough)
    • ghee for frying

    For The Sugar Syrup

    • 2 and ½ cups granulated sugar
    • 1 and ¼ cups water
    • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
    • 1 pinch saffron
    US Customary or Metric
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    Instructions

    Make The Dough

    • Mix all-purpose flour (maida), salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl or a parat (a large Indian shallow plate).
    • Add ghee and mix nicely with your fingertips.
    • The ghee should be in a semi-solid state. If it is too hot where you live and ghee is melted at room temperature, then refrigerate it for a few minutes.
    • Add chilled plain yogurt (dahi) and mix well using your fingers.
    • Now add ice-cold water (approx ½ cup) little by little and knead to make a soft dough. Do not over-knead the dough. You just have to bring the ingredients together and not try to make the dough smooth.
    • Cover the dough with a dish towel and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
    • Make 20-22 equal-sized balls from the dough. Do not try to make them smooth. Handle the dough as little as possible for the best result.
    • Press in the center of the dough ball with your thumb. Shape all the balushahi in the same manner. Keep them covered with a dishcloth to avoid drying.

    Fry The Balushahi

    • Heat 1-inch ghee for frying in a shallow non-stick pan over medium heat.
    • When the ghee is barely hot, drop the Balushahi in the ghee very gently. Do not overload the pan and fry in batches. Balushai will expand while frying so make sure there is a gap between them.
    • Reduce the heat to low and fry the balushahi until golden brown.
    • Keep flipping the balushahi while frying. Each batch will take around 25-30 minutes for frying.
    • Drain the balushai on a plate lined with paper tissues and let them cool completely. Fry all the batches and let all of them cool completely.

    Make The Sugar Syrup

    • Add granulated sugar, water, cardamom powder, and saffron to a pan and heat on medium heat for 10-12 minutes to make 2 thread syrup.
    • The consistency of the sugar syrup is very important for it to crystallize properly over the balushahi.
    • To check if the sugar syrup has reached the 2 thread consistency, take a syrup on the spoon. Let it cool for 4-5 seconds. Be careful because it is very hot at this stage. Now take a little syrup on one of your fingers and press it with the thumb. You should see 2 threads forming in between the finger and the thumb.

    Coat The Balushahi

    • Remove the pan from heat once the syrup reaches the desired consistency and immediately dip the balushai in the warm syrup one by one. Take them out using a fork and arrange them on a plate in a single layer. the sugar will crystallize in 5 minutes.
    • Garnish the balushahi with silver foil and pistachio slivers and store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Refrigerating it will make it harder because of the ghee so avoid that.

    Notes

    Make sure to fry the balushahi only on low heat otherwise they will brown from outside but will be raw from inside.
    In case the sugar syrup crystallizes, then add 2-3 tablespoons of water to it and heat on low heat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
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    More Sweets & Desserts Recipes

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Aparna

      September 29, 2020 at 6:13 pm

      5 stars
      The balushahi came out extremely well. It was a bit crispy, flaky, and so moist and soft on the inside soaked in ghee. Great recipe.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        September 30, 2020 at 1:18 am

        happy to hear 🙂

        Reply
    2. Manjula Narayan

      October 26, 2021 at 10:47 pm

      5 stars
      Came out excellent!! Thanks!!

      Reply

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