Badusha (பாதுஷா)

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

Method:

Preparing the dough 

• 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.

Preparing the sugar syrup

• 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.

• 

     String consistency

  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. 
• 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.

How to check the consistency of sugar syrup: Place a drop of the syrup on a plate and let it cool for a few seconds. Touch the syrup with your index finger and press it with your thumb. Then separate the fingers. If the syrup stretches between the fingers, but breaks midway, it has reached the ‘half-string consistency’ (அரை கம்பிப் பாகு). If it stretches as a thick string between the fingers, it has reached the ‘string consistency’ (கம்பிப் பாகு).  

Preparing the badushas

• 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.

Note: After making badusha, you may have left over sugar syrup, which you can use to make payasam or kheer. 

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