How to make bakery-style baalushahi at home for Ganeshotsav

Baalushahi is a sweet most people buy from shops, but few know it can be made at home with just a few ingredients. It makes a great choice during festivals or when guests are visiting. Done right, it turns out crisp on the outside and soft inside, tasting just like the shop-bought version.

The sweet is made using flour, ghee, curd and sugar, all common kitchen ingredients. Its distinguishing feature is that it is not fried in hot oil but cooked slowly on medium flame, which gives it its texture. Once fried, it is dipped in sugar syrup so the sweetness soaks through and a light sugar coating forms on top. The recipe works well for Diwali, Dussehra, Ganeshotsav or when guests are over.

The ingredients needed are two cups of flour, five tablespoons of ghee, three tablespoons of curd, a pinch of baking soda, water as needed, and oil or ghee for frying. For the syrup, one and a half cups of sugar, three-fourths cup of water, half a teaspoon of cardamom powder and half a teaspoon of lemon juice are required.

To prepare it, take flour in a plate, add ghee and baking soda, and rub well with your hands. Then add curd and mix, adding water little by little to knead the dough. Do not knead the dough too much; keep it soft and slightly loose. Cover the kneaded dough for a few minutes, then shape it into equal balls, pressing each lightly to make a small dent in the centre. Do not flatten the shape too much.

Heat oil or ghee in a pan, but do not add the baalushahi as soon as the oil gets very hot. Fry slowly on medium to low flame, letting it cook through, and remove once it turns light golden. Meanwhile, boil sugar and water to make a slightly thick syrup, then add cardamom powder and lemon juice. Do not make the syrup too thick.

Drop the fried baalushahi into the syrup while still a little warm and let it sit for a few minutes so the sweetness soaks in fully. Then take it out of the syrup and place it on a plate or a wire rack. Once cooled, a light layer of sugar forms on top, giving it a good appearance and taste. Serve once completely cooled, and it can be garnished with finely chopped almonds or pistachios. Stored in an airtight container, it stays good for a few days.

To keep baalushahi soft and crisp, remember a few things: over-kneading the dough makes it hard, the oil should not be too hot while frying, slow frying on low flame is what cooks it properly inside, and making the syrup too thick can make the sugar coating too thick as well. The baalushahi should be slightly warm before it goes into the syrup.