Balushahi-Badushai-Glazed Donut Biscuits

Diwali is the time, at least in my home, when we go extra miles to make and share goodies, if we can meet in person during the festival, it is great, but if work and life keeps us away, we can use postal services and share the good times.

Another time when I make the treats is around Christmas time. We all love to receive gifts, the joy is unmeasurable and however many years we add to our birth date, we are all kids at heart and we all love to get gifts. It's a thought that someone somewhere is thinking and caring about me to send me the gift is all it is. It gives out a different kind of warmth within you, when you open  a gift..I had made a few snacks this Diwali and except for the milk based sweets like Kala Kand, and Malai Peda, I had also arranged the rest of faral/snacks in small packages and then in a bigger box to be shipped to my family and friends in the US.

It has been my effort to try at least one new item every Diwali, and keeping with my self imposed tradition, this year I tried not one but three new dishes, namely, Kala Kand, Malai Peda and Badusha or Balushahi. I have seen very talented girls make decorative Balushahi's and Indian mithai's, but I have no patience for the decorative aspects of the dish...as long as it tastes good, I am good.. But someday I would also like to build up the kind of patience of making my dish look good and taste good, I am working towards it...

**Recipe Source; I had downloaded this recipe a while ago, but forgot the save the source, am kicking myself for that, Please if this is your recipe, I want to credit this amazing recipe to its owner.

Balushahi/Badusha

(makes about 15 pieces)

For the fritters:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp zero-trans fat shortening like Crisco
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp powdered cardamom
1/4 tsp baking soda
Some milk for mixing the dough
Oil for deep frying

For the sugar syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp powdered cardamom


To make the fritter dough, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and cardamom powder in a bowl. Now add the oil and the shortening. Using your fingers, break the shortening into the flour until you have a fairly grainy mix.

Add a little milk at a time, mixing with a fork, until you have a dough that comes together and holds together but is not sticky. Place the dough in the bowl, cover and set aside.


To make the syrup, mix the sugar and water in a saucepan along with the cardamom and bring to a boil. Let it continue to boil until it easily coats the back of a spoon. To test if it's ready, pour a drop on a greased plate and pick it between your thumb and forefinger. Slowly separate them. If the syrup forms a single thread that holds together for a few seconds, it is ready. If it doesn't form a thread, it needs to boil some more.

To shape the badushas, divide the dough into fifteen pieces. Now roll each piece between your palms to get a smooth ball.

Place the ball on one palm and flatten it into a disc with the fingers of the other hand, around 1 1/2 inches in diameter. With your thumb, make a depression in the center of the disc. Set aside and shape the remaining badushas.

Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a cast-iron or steel pan, preferably with a rounded bottom. When the temperature reaches around 350 degrees, immerse one or more badushas, taking care not to crowd them. I have a cast-iron skillet about six inches in diameter that I use for deep-frying and I fry around 4 at a time. The oil should not be too hot or the outside will cook faster than the inside, and you don't want that. It should take at least a couple of minutes for each side of the badusha to turn golden-brown.

Remove the fried badushas from the oil with a slotted spoon, let the excess oil drip off, and drop into the sugar syrup. Make sure both the badushas and the syrup are hot or they won't absorb the syrup. Let them stay immersed for at least four minutes. Flip over if required to ensure that the syrup distributes evenly.

Remove the badushas to a rack placed on top of a plate and allow them to cool until the sugar syrup hardens up.

My son called it Glazed Donut Biscuits and was munching on it the entire day..I had to make 2 batches of it the same day, these were so good!!