Balushahi (Badusha)

Balushahi or Badusha is a deliciously deep fried flaky traditional North Indian sweet recipe that is made with flour ghee and yogurt and glazed with cardamom flavoured sugar syrup. An exceptional festival mithai, with unique delicate flavours that will hit the right spot of your sweet tooth! Here is how to make best balushahi recipe in halwai style step by step

Badusha is very popular Indian sweet particularly served here India at weddings, festivals and functions with great love and joy. The name ‘Badusha‘ for balushahi recipe is popular in South India.

Surprisingly, making Balushahi at home is not at all an onerous task as it looks. It just requires little wariness for few things while preparing them. And ‘Voila’, you have your unbeatable authentic balushahis at home. No more penny spend on those highly priced sweets from the shops this festive season

Tips to make best Balushahi Recipe at home

• While kneading the dough, always use ice cold curd and water for best results
• Do not over knead the dough.
• Keep the dough covered throughout while making balushahi. This will ensure the dough doesn’t get dry.
• Before frying balushahi, ensure that ghee should is just warm and not hot
• Always fry them on low heat. Do not fry them on high heat as it will burn them from out and remain uncooked within.
• The sugar syrup should be of one string consistency, and should be warm when dipping the badushas.

Balushahi Recipe Ingredients

Wanna gather the ingredients to make these balu shahi exactly like the ones we get in halwai shops? So take out your notepad and note it all.

• You will require, Maida i.e. all – purpose flour, curd, ghee (can be Vanaspati or desi), baking soda, saffron strands, ice cold water and ghee or oil for frying. Now these were the first process ingredients.
• For sugar syrup: take sugar, water, saffron, cardamom powder and boil them together until string consistency
• The royal touch of silver wark and pistachios is a statement of beauty itself. So garnish them with slivered pistachios, silver wark (silver paper) and saffron starnds.
• If you wish to stuff khoya / mawa in balushahi, then you can go on ahead with it. Before making the dough ball, be sure to fill the ball with a small spoonful of khoya and nuts mixture and then roll. After rolling the ball, gently give it a press in between and fry them on low flame.

This balushahi is surely going to flourish all its love and the extreme flavor this festive season. So, note down the step by step procedure of this traditional Indian balushahi.

How to make balushahi recipe (badusha recipe) – Step By Step

Firstly, in a pan, combine sugar, water and bring it to a boil. (photo 1)

Then, add saffron cardamom powder, few drops of lemon and simmer for few minutes until it reaches one string consistency. Then, switch off the flame and set it aside. (photo 2)

• Pro Tip: To check one string, put a drop of syrup in a bowl and touch it with your index finger and thumb. Now, when you stick you finger and thumb together, it should be sticky and when you open it, syrup will form a thin single string.

To make the balushahi dough, first, in a bowl, combine, flour, soda, crushed saffron and ghee (photo 1 below)

Then, start mixing the mixture with fingers such that it resembles coarse crumbs. When you take the mixture in your hand, it should hold the shape of fist. (photo 2 below)

Then, add yoghurt and mix nicely. Add ice cold water and start to knead the dough (photo 3 and 4)

Do not work too much on the dough as it need not be smooth. Also, the consistency of the dough should be medium soft. (photo 5)

Cover the dough and keep it aside for 30-45 minutes (photo 6)

Once the dough is ready, divide the dough into equal small lemon sized ball, balls need not be smooth. (photo 7 below)

Make an indentation (not a hole but press it) in the centre with your thumb. Repeat the same for all the balls. (photo 8 and 9 below)

In a kadhai or deep bottom pan heat ghee. (photo 10)

• Important Tip: Be sure to check that ghee is not hot but melted well and warm. We do not need hot ghee to fry the balushai

When the ghee is warm, carefully slide-in the badusha. (photo 11)

After a few seconds, gradually badushas will start puffing up and float on the top. Please do not over load the pan while frying as they increase a bit in size (photo 12)

Fry on very low heat until equally golden brown from all the sides. Frying each batch of balu shahis will take approx 20-25 minutes depending upon the size you make. Once they are beautiful golden brown, take them out and allow it to cool a bit. (photo 13 and 14)

• Important Tip: Repeat the frying step for the remaining balls. But, before adding the next batch of badhusha, switch off the flame for couple minutes. This step helps to bring back the temperature ghee from hot to warm. Then, again switch on the flame to low and fry another batch.

Finally, dip the fried balushahis in warm sugar syrup for about a minute or 2. Carefully, take it out from the syrup and keep them on the tray or a plate for few minutes. Garnish balushahi with slivered pistachios and silver wark. (photo 1 and 2 below)

Sweets Recipes that you may want to try:

Gulab Jamun

Kala Jamun

Besan Ladoo

Mawa Malpua

Kesar Kalakand

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Balushahi

Balushahi sweet is a delicious deep fried traditional sweet recipe made with flour, ghee and yogurt, then dipped in sugar syrup for glazing. Crisp, flaky and moist within, an ultimate Indian sweet for Diwali or any festivals

Course Dessert, Sweets

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Badusha, Balushahi, Balushahi Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 25

Calories 114kcal

Author Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

to prepare balushahi at home

• 3 cups All-purpose flour (350 grams of maida)
• 5 tablespoons curd whisked well (ice cold)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 tablespoons ghee
• A pinch of crushed saffron optional
• 6-7 tablespoons ice cold water
• Ghee or oil for deep frying

For Sugar Syrup

• 2.5 cups sugar
• 1.25 cup water
• A pinch of saffron
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• Slivered pistachios and silver wark for garnish

Instructions

how to make balushahi recipe (badusha recipe)

• In a pan, combine sugar, water and bring it to a boil.
• Then, add saffron cardamom powder, few drops of lemon and simmer for few minutes until it reaches one string consistency. 
• Then, switch off the flame, cover and set it aside.

To knead the dough for balushahi

• In a bowl, combine, flour, soda, crushed saffron and ghee
• Then, start mixing the mixture with fingers such that it resembles coarse crumbs. 
• When you take the mixture in your hand, it should hold the shape of fist.
• Then, add yoghurt and mix nicely
• Add ice cold water, knead such that it just come together to form a dough.
•  Do not work too much on the dough as it need not be smooth. The consistency of the dough should be medium soft
• Cover the dough and keep it aside for 30-45 minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal small lemon sized ball, balls need not be smooth.
• Make an indentation (not a hole but press it) in the centre with your thumb
• Repeat the same for all the balls.

To deep fry balushahis

• In a kadhai or deep bottom pan heat ghee. Be sure to check that ghee it not hot but melted well and warm.
• Carefully slide-in the badusha.  Do not over load the pan while frying as they increase a bit in size
• Fry on very low heat until equally golden brown from all the sides.
  
•  Once they are beautiful golden brown, take them out and allow it to cool a bit
• Before adding the next batch of badhusha, switch off the flame for couple minutes. This step helps to bring back the temperature ghee from hot to warm.
• The again switch on the flame to low and then fry another batch
• Finally, dip the fried balushahis in warm sugar syrup for about a minute or 2.
• Carefully, take them out from the syrup and keep them on the tray or a plate for few minutes.
• Garnish balushahi with slivered pistachios and silver wark.

Notes

• Always use ice cold water to knead the dough
• Please do not fry balushahi on high as it will not puff up, will remain uncooked within and over browned from out. At any point, do not increase the flame while frying them
• If the dough is too hard or tight, you may add 1-2 tablespoon of more ice cold and knead. Do not add to much water at a time.
• To check one string, put a drop of syrup in a bowl and touch it with your index finger and thumb. Now, when you stick your finger and thumb together, it should be sticky and when you open it, syrup will form a thin single string.
• Do not worry if the sugar in the syrup crystallises, heat it up again and proceed.
• Frying each batch of balushahis will take approx 20-25 minutes depending upon the size you make.
• Before adding the next batch of balushahi, switch off the flame for couple minutes. This step helps to bring back the temperature ghee from hot to warm. The again switch on the flame to low and then fry another batch.
• Balushahi (badusha sweet) can easily be stored in a clean airtight container for up to 3 weeks

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 16mg | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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