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.
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
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.
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).
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.
Add ¼ cup 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.
Note – Make sure to fry the balushahi only on low heat otherwise they will brown from outside but will be raw from inside.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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Recipe Card
Balushahi Recipe
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
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.
