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When you talk about an Indian dessert, the delectable aroma we experience while making or eating it comes to mind. Festivals in India are not complete without the local sweets. A well-known dessert from North India is Balushahi. The same dessert is known as Badusha or Badhusha in south India. You can readily find Balushahi or Badusha in any Sweet Shop. A flaky North Indian pastry with a sugar glaze that is deep-fried and resembles a doughnut is called a balushahi (or badusha, as it is known in the southern states of India).
Many people refer to it as an Indian doughnut, however it is unfair to the Balushai because it bears no resemblance to a doughnut other than perhaps in look. A Balushahi is flaky while a doughnut is soft and spongy.
Some people might disagree with my claim that Balushahi or Badusha is of North Indian origin because it is equally popular in South India and the North. You may recall it from your youth as a confection that wasn't created in my home but occasionally appeared in boxes that had been specially wrapped and were delivered by relatives or friends who came to see us. It is a treat created and given out for special events like weddings and other ceremonial rituals. It is an Indian invention.
If we talk about the history of food, it becomes clear that any dish with the word ‘shahi’, which originates from the Persian word ‘shah’, meaning ‘royal’, has its roots in Mughlai cuisine, an Indian cooking style brought by the Mughal invaders or traders from Persia.
Here’s the recipe for Balushahi.
Ingredients:
• 1½ cups maida
• ¼ tsp soda bicarbonate
• 4 tbsps ghee
• 6 tbsps yoghurt whisked
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tbsps milk
• 4-5 finely chopped pistachios
Method:
• Sieve the soda bicarbonate and flour into a large bowl.
• With your fingertips, knead four tablespoons of ghee into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Create a soft dough by mixing in the beaten yoghurt.
• For 45 minutes, cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it rest.
• Make smooth balls out of the dough by dividing it into twelve equal pieces.
• Be careful not to overwork the dough. With your thumb, make a little ding in the centre of the ball. Keep the balls covered.
• On medium heat, melt enough ghee in a non-stick kadai.
• Two to three dough balls at a time, gently insert them, and deep-fry them over low heat.
• In order to prevent the ghee from becoming too hot, if required, lay a nonstick tawa beneath the kadai.
• Balushahi will eventually begin to rise to the surface.
• Gently flip it over and sauté the other side until brown.
• The complete process may take from 30 to 45 minutes.
• Drain on absorbent paper after removing with a slotted spoon. Around 45 minutes should pass for cooling or until they reach room temperature.
• Cook the sugar and one cup of water in a deep non-stick pan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
• The syrup for cooking should now include the milk. Use a ladle to remove and discard the scum that rises to the surface.
• Cook the syrup for an additional few minute, or until it reaches a two-string consistency.
• When the Balushahi has cooled, remove the syrup from the fire and let it sit there for two hours.
• Place the Balushahi on a serving plate after carefully removing it from the sugar syrup. Use the pistachios to garnish.
• Wait two to three hours until the sugar syrup coats the Balushahi in a thin, white layer.
