Khaja
Ingredients
• Maida/All purpose flour – 1.5 cups
• Ghee – ¼ cup
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Sugar – ½ tsp
• Curd – 1.5 tsp
• Eno /fruit salt – ½ tsp (OR any leavening agent like 2 pinches soda bicarbonate or ¼ teaspoon baking powder.)
• Water – ¼ cup
• Oil for deep frying
For Syrup:
• Sugar – ½ cup
• Water – ½ cup
• Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
• A squeeze of Lemon Juice
Preparation
1. In a big bowl measure out the all purpose flour, add sugar, eno, ghee and oil and rub in the fat into the flour to get a crumble; then add the curd and mix.
2. Lastly add the water, knead the dough into a smooth ball and keep aside till you get the syrup ready.
3. In a saucepan add sugar and water and boil till you get one string consistency syrup.
4. Squeeze some lime to prevent crystallization of sugar; then put off the heat and mix in the ground cardamom powder.
5. Divide the dough into about a dozen balls, flatten the ball into a disc and pinch the edges thiner between your thumb and first finger; then give a nice frill to the thin edges like you do for a Karanji and keep aside.
6. Flatten the end by tapping on the counter.
7. Flatten the dough ball and with your thumb make a hole in the middle.
8. Now take enough oil and heat on medium.
9. Fry all the shapes on medium flame till golden and flaky.
10. You will know it is flaky as it will pop a crease on the surface.
11. Lastly dip it in the sugar syrup to glaze it.
12. Remove one by one on a serving plate.
13. Let it cool into a crunchy sweet and flaky delight inside.
Serves
5-6 Persons
By Bhaktin Ranjana
