balushahi recipe with step by step pics. balushahi is a famous north indian sweet. in south india, the same sweet is called as badusha or badhusha. in all mithai shops you can easily get balushahi or badusha. i usually avoid buying sweets or snacks from outside and make them at home.
this balushahi is a tried and tested recipe and gives you one of the best balushahi you will make exactly like the ones you get in the halwai or mithai shop. the outside is crisp and the inside is soft and slightly flaky.
do follow the recipe exactly and without making any changes. the recipe yields about 17 balushahi or badusha. i had made recently again, so took pics this time. badusha can be made during festivals like diwali or for any celebratory occasion.
balushahi are also called as indian doughnuts. but the taste and texture of balushahi is way different from doughnuts. while a doughnut has a light and fluffy texture, balushahi is not fluffy. it has a soft and slight flaky texture. a doughnut has a soft texture from outside, whereas a badusha has a crisp texture from outside.
making badusha with this method is very easy. its not at all difficult. only some time is needed to make badusha.
badusha can be stored in an air-tight container or jar at room temperature for 5 to 6 days.
if you are looking for more sweets recipes then do check:
badusha recipe or balushahi recipe below:
balushahi recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR balushahi recipe
for balushahi dough
- 2 cups maida or 250 grams all purpose flour
- ¼ cup ghee or 60 grams ghee
- ¼ cup fresh curd (dahi) or 60 grams curd
- 8 to 9 tablespoons cold water for kneading or as required
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
for making sugar syrup for balushahi recipe
- 1 heaped cup sugar or 200 grams sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder - add as required
- 10 to 12 saffron strands
- a few drops of lemon juice – optional
other ingredient
- oil or ghee for deep frying, as required
for garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios or almonds or both
HOW TO MAKE balushahi recipe
creaming ghee
- take ¼ cup ghee in a bowl.
- with a spoon or spatula or a small wired whisk, beat the ghee till it is smooth, light and fluffy. its color will also lighten.
- add ¼ cup chilled fresh curd (dahi).
- again with a spoon or spatula or a small wired whisk, mix and whip the curd with the creamed ghee.
- cream till light and smooth.
making badusha dough
- now using a sieve, take 2 cups maida (all purpose flour) in it. place it on the bowl itself. you can also sift the flour separately in a plate or tray.
- add 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch baking soda and ½ teaspoon baking powder.
- sift directly in the creamed ghee and curd.
- mix the flour lightly with the creamed ghee and curd using a spoon or spatula.
- sprinkle some cold water in parts and begin to mix it. overall you can use 8 to 9 tablespoons cold water. add 2 to 3 tablespoons water at a time and mix.
- mix and combine everything to form a soft dough. do not knead. just mix and bring everything together to a dough. in case the dough becomes sticky, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. cover the dough and keep aside for 15 minutes. use light pressure from hands and form a dough. do not knead heavily or if required then knead very lightly.
making sugar syrup for balushahi recipe
- meanwhile make sugar syrup. while frying balushahi also you can make sugar syrup. take 200 grams sugar or 1 heaped cup of sugar in a pan or bowl. use a bowl or pan with more surface area so that the balushahi can get enough space for soaking.
- add ½ cup water and mix.
- place the pan on a low flame.
- using a spoon stir the sugar so that it dissolves. if there are impurities in the sugar syrup, then add 1 tablespoon milk. remove the scum that forms at the top.
- when all the sugar has dissolved, add ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder. then add 10 to 12 saffron strands. stir again.
- simmer the sugar solution on a low to medium-low flame. do stir occasionally. to avoid crystallisation of sugar, you can add some drops of lemon juice.
- simmer till the syrup becomes sticky or you get ½ string consistency in the syrup. you can even cook it to 1 string consistency.
- the sugar syrup should be sticky. so cool syrup in a spoon and touch it and it should feels sticky. when the syrup becomes sticky, then switch off flame.
frying balushahi
- before frying balushahi you can begin to heat oil in a kadai or pan on a medium flame. do use a kadai with handles at the sides. you can also use ghee instead of oil to fry balushahi.
- pinch small to medium sized balls from the balushahi dough. roll them gently and lightly between your palms.
- then make an indent or depression in them. you can flatten them slightly if you want. cover remaining balushahi dough and keep aside. make 5 to 6 badhusha depending on size of kadai.
- check a tiny piece of the badhusha dough in the medium hot oil. it should come up gradually and steadily.
- now lift the kadai from stove top and keep it on the kitchen table top. gently begin to place balushahi in the hot oil.
- be careful when you are keeping the balushahi in hot oil. add 5 to 6 or 7 balushahi depending on the size of kadai. balushahi will expand in oil while frying, so make sure not to over crowd the kadai or pan.
- now lift the kadai and place it again on a low flame.
- begin to fry badusha on a low flame.
- when one side firms up and is light golden, turn over each badusha.
- keep on turning them over at intervals and frying them on a low flame.
- frying balushahi on a low flame takes about 12 to 15 minutes. this will depend on the size, thickness of kadai and the intensity of flame. it took me 14 minutes to fry each batch of 6 balushahi.
- fry balushahi till golden and crisp.
- using a slotted spoon remove the fried balushahi draining the extra oil.
- place the balushahi on kitchen paper towels. when the first batch is getting fried, you can make balushahi from the dough and keep them ready to fry in the second round. keep them covered with a kitchen napkin. then fry the second batch of balushahi in the same way, we fried the first batch.
making balushahi or badusha recipe
- after a couple of minutes, when fried balushahi are still hot, place them in the hot or warm sugar syrup.
- with spoon or tongs turn over each badusha, so that both sides are coated with sugar syrup. let these badusha soak in the sugar syrup for about 14 to 15 minutes.
- after 14 to 15 minutes, using tongs or spoon, lift each balushahi and place it in a serving tray or bowl. in the same sugar syrup, now add the second batch of balushahi.
- sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of pistachios all over. you can even sprinkle some saffron strand, rose petals and cardamom powder if you want. press the pistachios, so that they stick to the sugar syrup on the badusha.
- fry the remaining badusha and then soak them in the sugar syrup. in case if sugar syrup crystallises then add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and warm or heat the syrup again on a low flame.
- serve balushahi or badusha as a sweet. leftovers can be easily stored in an air-tight jar or container at room temperature for about 5 to 6 days.
how to make balushahi or badusha recipe:
a) creaming ghee:
1. take ¼ cup ghee (60 grams) in a bowl.
2. with a spoon or spatula or a small wired whisk, beat the ghee till it is smooth, light and fluffy. its color will also lighten.
3. add ¼ cup chilled fresh curd (dahi) – 60 grams.
4. again with a spoon or spatula or a small wired whisk, mix and whip the curd with the creamed ghee.
5. cream till light and smooth.
b) making badusha dough:
6. now using a sieve, take 2 cups maida (250 grams all purpose flour) in it. place it on the bowl itself. you can also sift the flour separately in a plate or tray.
7. add 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch baking soda and ½ teaspoon baking powder.
8. sift directly in the creamed ghee and curd.
9. mix the flour lightly with the creamed ghee and curd using a spoon or spatula.
10. sprinkle some cold water in parts and begin to mix it. overall you can use 8 to 9 tablespoons cold water. add 2 to 3 tablespoons water at a time and mix. if the curd used has more whey, then less water will be required.
11. mix and combine everything to form a soft dough. do not knead. just mix and bring everything together to a dough. in case the dough becomes sticky, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. cover the dough and keep aside for 15 minutes. use light pressure from hands and form a dough. do not knead heavily or if required then knead very lightly.
c) making sugar syrup:
12. meanwhile make sugar syrup. while frying also you can make sugar syrup. take 200 grams sugar or 1 heaped cup of sugar in a pan or bowl. use a bowl or pan with more surface area so that the balushahi can get enough space for soaking.
13. add ½ cup water.
14. mix.
15. place the pan on a low flame.
16. using a spoon stir the sugar so that it dissolves. if there are impurities in the sugar syrup, then add 1 tablespoon milk. remove the scum that forms at the top.
17. when all the sugar has dissolved, add ½ to 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.
18. add 10 to 12 saffron strands. stir again.
19. simmer the sugar solution on a low to medium-low flame. do stir occasionally. to avoid crystallisation of sugar, you can add some drops of lemon juice.
20. simmer till the syrup becomes sticky or you get ½ string consistency in the syrup. you can even cook it till 1 string consistency.
21. the syrup should be sticky. so cool syrup in a spoon and touch it and it should feels sticky. when the syrup becomes sticky, then switch off flame.
frying balushahi:
22. before frying balushahi, you can begin to heat oil in a kadai or pan on a medium flame. do use a kadai with handles at the sides. you can also use ghee instead of oil to fry balushahi.
23. pinch small to medium sized balls from the balushahi dough. roll them gently and lightly between your palms.
24. then make an indent or depression in them. you can flatten them slightly if you want. cover remaining badusha dough and keep aside. make 5 to 6 badhusha depending on size of kadai.
25. check a tiny piece of the badhusha dough in the medium hot oil. it should come up gradually and steadily.
26. now lift the kadai from stove top and keep it on the kitchen table top. gently begin to place balushahi in the hot oil.
27. be careful when you are keeping the balushahi in hot oil. add 5 to 6 or 7 balushahi depending on the size of kadai. balushahi will expand in oil while frying, so make sure not to over crowd the kadai or pan.
28. now lift the kadai and place it again on a low flame.
29. begin to fry badusha on a low flame.
30. when one side firms up and is light golden, turn over each badusha.
31. keep on turning them over at intervals and frying them on a low flame.
32. frying balushahi on a low flame takes about 12 to 15 minutes. this will depend on the size, thickness of kadai and the intensity of flame.
33. it took me 14 minutes to fry each batch of 6 balushahi.
34. fry balushahi till golden and crisp.
35. using a slotted spoon remove the fried balushahi draining the extra oil.
36. place the balushahi on kitchen paper towels. when the first batch is getting fried, you can make balushahi from the dough and keep them ready to fry in the second round. keep them covered with a kitchen napkin. then fry the second batch of balushahi in the same way the first batch was fried.
making balushahi or badusha:
38. after a couple of minutes, when fried balushahi are still hot, place them in the hot or warm sugar syrup.
39. with spoon or tongs turn over each badusha, so that both sides are coated with sugar syrup. let these badusha soak in the sugar syrup for about 14 to 15 minutes.
40. after 14 to 15 minutes, using tongs or spoon, lift each balushahi and place it in a serving tray or bowl. in the same sugar syrup, now add the second batch of balushahi. after the balushahi is cooled completely, the sugar will crystallize on top.
41. sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of pistachios all over. you can even sprinkle some saffron strand, rose petals and cardamom powder if you want. press the pistachios, so that they stick to the sugar syrup on the badusha.
42. fry the remaining badusha and then soak them in the sugar syrup. in case if sugar syrup crystallizes then add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and warm or heat the syrup again on a low flame.
43. serve balushahi or badusha as a sweet. leftovers can be easily stored in an air-tight jar or container at room temperature for about 5 to 6 days.
