Traditionally, Diwali celebrations call for preparing an array of sweets for the family to enjoy! Badusha (பாதுஷா) is one of the popular sweets made for Diwali festival. Let's see how to prepare this yummy sweet at home!
Ingredients: (makes 15 pieces)
All purpose flour or maida - 1 cup or 240 ml measure
Fresh curds - 2 tablespoons
Baking soda - ⅛ teaspoon
Baking powder - ¼ teaspoon
Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Cardamom - 3 no, powdered
Sugar - 1 cup or 240 ml
Saffron - a few strands
Pistachio or almond - 4 no, sliced
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Oil - for deep frying
Milk - as needed
- Mix curds with baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk very well till the curds become frothy.
- Add in all purpose flour and ghee. Gently knead to form a soft dough. If required, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk while kneading to get the right consistency (Fig.1). Cover with a damp muslin cloth and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
- Later, divide the dough into 15 portions. Shape each portion into a ball, flatten it into a 2" disc and make a depression in the center (Fig.2). Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
- Mix sugar and ¼ cup or 60 ml of water in a kadai. Heat the kadai on medium flame till the sugar dissolves fully. Bring it to boil and then simmer.
Stir continuously and you will find that the syrup starts to thicken. At this stage, the syrup is sticky to touch. Soon the syrup reaches 'half-string consistency' and then ‘string consistency' (Fig👉) – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup stretches like a string.String consistency - For badusha, you need 'half-string consistency' (before it reaches string consistency) – when touched between thumb and index fingers the syrup DOES NOT FULLY stretch like a string but breaks mid way. At this stage, add in lemon juice and mix well.
- Switch off the stove. Add in saffron strands, powdered cardamom and mix well. Cover the sugar syrup and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai on low flame. Once it is hot, drop a small bit of dough in the oil. If it rises to the surface, oil is ready.
- Drop the prepared dough discs gently in the oil, one by one, 4-5 at a time. Once cooked, they rise to the surface (Fig.3).
- Turn them over and cook till they turn golden brown on all sides (Fig.4).
- Remove the cooked badushas from oil and place them on a tissue paper. Drop the next set of dough discs in oil.
- Now transfer the cooked badushas to the kadai containing sugar syrup and dip them fully in the syrup. Let them soak for 10 minutes. Turn them over and soak for another 5 minutes in the syrup. Then transfer them to a plate.
- Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Once all the badushas are soaked in sugar syrup and transferred to the plate, garnish them with sliced nuts (Fig.5).
- Allow the badushas to cool fully and store in an air-tight container.