Badhusha

Diwali (Deepavali), the "Festival of Lights," is just around the corner. It is the biggest and brightest Hindu festival in India. How about we enjoy some of the authentic sweets and savory? The first sweet that came to my mind is Badhusha, my all-time favorite. Badhusha is similar to a glazed doughnut in terms of ingredients, but differs in texture and taste. 

 My Mom is an excellent cook, especially with her authentic South Indian dishes. She passed this recipe to me about 10 years back, and I have been making and enjoying it since then. These disk-shaped Badhushas are hand-shaped, then fried in oil and dipped in thick, glossy sugar syrup. It's slightly crispy and glossy on the outside with soft, flaky middles. Many think it's complicated, but not when you try this recipe. You can never go wrong if the ingredients are measured correctly.   

Recipe Category: Sweet/Dessert
Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Preparation Time - 30 minutes
Cooking Time - 20 minutes
Yields - 15-20 Numbers

Ingredients:
Maida or all-purpose flour (unbleached) - 1+1/2 cups

Yogurt - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 4 Tsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Baking soda - 1/4 tsp

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - for frying

For the sugar syrup:
Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 1 cup

Saffron - a few strands

Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, sugar, ghee, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a spatula in a circular motion in the same direction until it turns creamy and butter-like.
2. Slowly add the maida in two batches to the above and continue the same method of mixing. It will start to look like crumbs (This will add the flaky layers inside once they are cooked).
3. Now, sprinkle about a tablespoon of water or less to knead it into a soft dough. Highly recommend kneading for close to 10 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into small lemon-sized balls and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
5. Now it's time to start shaping the Badhushas. You can simply flatten with a small dent in the middle (like mini doughnuts) or make decorative ends swirl. 
6. In a separate pan to make the sugar syrup by adding the sugar and water to bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally until it turns into a thick syrupy consistency. To this, add the lemon juice and saffron strands. 
7. In another pan or kadai, add the required oil for frying and heat on medium-high. Always test with a tiny piece of dough to see if it is rising immediately at the right temperature. 
8. Now add the shaped Badhushas in small batches, and once they all rise up, set the flame to low for it to cook with the preheated oil itself. This method works well for the inside to cook thoroughly. When it turns light brown, flip it to the other side. 
9. Once the bubbles reduce, remove them and drain it well to put them in the sugar syrup immediately. Leave it for a few minutes and flip to the other side as well.
10. Now drain the excess syrup and transfer them to a parchment or foil-lined tray to avoid sticking. You may decorate it with desiccated coconut, silvered almonds, or chopped nuts. Enjoy making and tasting !!!

Tips and Notes:

• Make sure your dough is smooth and soft enough; otherwise, it might crack easily. 
• If your badhusha's dissolve in oil, add some flour to the dough and knead again. 
• On the other hand, if they are hard, you might have to add more ghee or oil. 
• Lemon juice is added to the sugar syrup to avoid crystallization. 
• Badhusha's are always best when they cool completely. 
• Never refrigerate; it's good to store in a clean container at room temperature for about a week's time.