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Balushahi or badusha - Best Indian sweet recipe or Pastry dessert for Diwali and other festivals.
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5 from 21 votes

Balushahi Recipe | Badusha Mithai - Indian Pastry Sweet

This balushahi recipe gives you the perfect halwai-style badusha sweet that is crispy on the outside with melt in the mouth and a soft and flaky interior—one of the best Indian pastry-style dessert recipes for any special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or festivals like Diwali, Navratri, Karwa Chauth, Christmas, or even Thanksgiving.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Desserts, sweets
Cuisine: Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 16
Calories: 204kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

  • Pan for frying
  • Pan, for sugar syrup
  • Bowl, for kneading dough

Ingredients

For Balushahi Dough

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour or Maida
  • ½ teaspoon  Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ cup Ghee or Melted Butter
  • ½ cup  Water

To make Sugar Syrup (Chashni)

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 6 to 8 strands of Saffron
  • 2 to 3 drops Lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder

Instructions

Make balushahi dough

  • In a bowl, add flour, salt, and baking powder, mix. To this, add ghee and water and mix till dough is formed. Do not overmix the dough. Check out the video on making of balushahi.
    2 cups All-purpose flour or Maida, ½ teaspoon  Salt, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ cup Ghee or Melted Butter, ½ cup  Water
  • Using a rolling pin, roll to form a rough rectangle shape. Check here. Then fold it into thirds (This is done to create those layers)
  • Roll the second time again into a rectangle, fold into thirds and then roll third time again into a rectangle and fold into thirds and again for fourth and last time roll into a rectangle and fold into thirds. We have effectively created 81 layers in the dough. Cover and let this sit for 30 minutes.

Make sugar syrup (chashni)

  • While the dough is resting, add sugar, water, saffron, lemon drops in a pan on medium heat, and stir until sugar dissolves and starts to boil. Once sugar syrup starts boiling, continue to simmer or medium-low for 5 mins or until the syrup is not runny.
    2 cups Sugar, 1 cup Water, 6 to 8 strands of Saffron
  • Add a drop of sugar syrup to a bowl and tilt; it should not be watery but sticky. Add cardamom powder and switch off the flame.
    2 to 3 drops Lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon Cardamom powder

How to shape balushahi or badushah

  • Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Take one part and cover the rest.
  • Roll this portion of the dough to form a smooth log. Check the video on how to shape balushahi.
  • Cut the dough-log into 5 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to create a dough ball with a smooth surface, and then make an indent or depression in the dough ball using your finger. The impression gives it a signature look and also helps in even cooking while frying.

How to fry Balushahi

  • Heat oil in a pan on low heat for frying. To check if the oil is warm, drop a piece of dough and check if it sizzles and come up slowly. Always fry balushahi on low flame.
  • I generally take big kadai to fit all my balushahis at once and fry so that all get fried at the same temperature and look even.
  • When it slowly starts puffing up and becomes firm on one side, flip and cook on another side. Fry till it’s crispy and light golden on all sides. Keep on flipping them in intervals during the frying process.
  • Transfer this to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Making of Balushahi

  • After a couple of minutes when balushahi are still warm, add them into the prepared sugar syrup. After 5 minutes, using a spoon, flip each Balushahi and let it get soaked on another side for another 5 minutes.
  • Lift the balushahis and place them on the serving plate to tray.

Video

Notes

  • Do not over knead the dough.
  • Always fry them on low heat. Else it will burn on the outside and remain uncooked inside.
  • If you are frying in two batches just make sure you switch off the flame after the first batch, allow the temperature of the oil to come down a bit, and then start frying again.
  • Sugar syrup should be sticky. This is what we are looking for. You can go up to one string consistency if needed.
  • I have deep fried this in coconut oil – our traditional way of frying. To make it even more decadent and festive, you can even fry them in desi ghee.
  • Garnish is just to give that festive look and is totally optional.

Nutrition

Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg