Balushahi
Sweet, flaky Indian pastries soaked in sugar syrup and topped with pistachios. A traditional treat that's surprisingly achievable at home with pantry staples.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup ghee (or clarified butter)
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup of water into a small saucepan and add 1.5 cups of sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves, about 3 minutes, until the liquid is clear and no sugar crystals remain.
- 2
Remove the pan from heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature while you prepare the dough, about 15 minutes. The syrup should feel warm, not hot, to your touch.
- 3
Pour 0.75 cup of ghee into a large mixing bowl and add 1.5 cups of flour and 0.5 teaspoon of baking powder. Use a fork to mix everything together until the dough looks like coarse breadcrumbs, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Knead the dough with your hands, pressing and folding it against the sides of the bowl for 3 minutes until it becomes smooth and holds together. It should feel soft like an earlobe, not sticky.
- 5
Pinch off a piece of dough slightly larger than a grape and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball about 1 inch across. Repeat until all dough is shaped into balls; you should have about 16 balls.
- 6
Pour oil for frying into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot until it reaches 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until a wooden spoon handle inserted in it produces steady, rapid bubbles along the sides, about 3 minutes.
- 7
Carefully place 3 or 4 dough balls into the hot oil, spacing them so they do not touch. Fry, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon, until they turn the color of light caramel all over, about 4 minutes.
- 8
Remove the fried balushahi with a slotted spoon and immediately drop them into the cooled sugar syrup. Let them soak for 30 seconds, then lift them onto a wire rack or plate to drain.
- 9
Repeat steps 7 and 8 until all dough balls are fried and soaked. Work in batches to keep the oil temperature steady.
- 10
While the balushahi are still damp, sprinkle the chopped pistachios evenly over the top of each one. Serve at room temperature once the glaze has set, about 10 minutes.
Tools you’ll need
- small saucepan
- large mixing bowl
- fork
- heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot (3-quart minimum)
- slotted spoon
- wire rack or plate
- knife for chopping pistachios
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