Madatha Khaja
Prep Time: 2hrs {sitting time + making kaja’s}
Cook time: 30mins
Yields : 40 to 50 khaja’s
Ingredients
500g or 3&1/2Cups maida / All-purpose flour
1/4Tsp baking soda {optional}
1/2Cup ghee
1/2Cup curd
1/2Tsp salt {optional}
1Water {use some more if needed}
Oil for deep frying
1/4Cup rice flour
1/4Cup butter @ room temperature {not melted one}
Sugar Syrup
4Cups sugar
1Cup water
1Tsp elachi powder
Directions
– In a large pan add maida, baking soda, salt & mix them. Add in ghee & curd to the flour mixture. Mix them well. Now the mixture will be little wet, but you still need some more liquid to form a dough.
– Add in little by little water while making dough. The dough should be firm, smooth & not sticky. Cover it with a wet kitchen towel & let it sit aside for 1hr & no more than that.
Making Sugar Syrup
– After waiting for 1hr now it’s time to make the sugar syrup. In a wide deep pan {we need depth & width to a pan because it will fit more khaja’s while soaking them} add sugar & water to it.
– Keep the sugar water on medium heat & bring the syrup to string consistency. It will take around 10 to 15mins to get to that stage. Add in powdered cardamon & switch off heat.
Making Kaja’s
– Now take the dough & divide it to 4 equal balls. Dust the surface with rice flour where you are rolling the dough.
– Pick a dough ball & roll it thin, as shown in the picture. Apply ghee to the rolled dough & sprinkle rice flour all over the rolled dough.
– Roll the dough as shown in the figure & cut the khaja’s as shown above. Next take one khaja & roll them lightly as shown above to make them long. Repeat the same with rest of the dough & proceed to frying them. {You can make the khaja’s in 2batches}
– Heat pan with oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot add in the first batch of khaja’s & fry them to golden brown in color.
– Once the khaja’s are fried to perfect color add them to the sugar syrup. Allow them to sit for 5mins & in that time the khaja’s will coat in sugar syrup perfectly.
– Remove them on to a plate & allow them to dry for 15mins or till they are totally cool.
– Arrange them in a air tight container & enjoy them for a long time. They will be good for 3 weeks or more.
Note:
– After staying for few days in a air tight container, sugar syrup on khaja’s will slightly crystalizes. Nothing to panic & enjoy the sweet little one’s.
– You can skip adding soda totally. This is the first time I added & should say that there was no difference.
– Add a pinch of salt to the the maida, along with curd & ghee if you want to eat them as they are without dipping in sugar syrup.
– Don’t allow the dough to rest for more than 1hr.
– I used brown sugar instead of regular white sugar. It’s your choice. The syrup making process remains the same.
