Odia Khaja

Make the dough: combine the plain flour with the measured melted ghee. Rub the ghee thoroughly into the flour. Add the water a little at a time to bring it together into a firm, tight dough. Cover it and let it rest for 20 minutes so the gluten relaxes.

20 min

Make the syrup: combine the sugar and water in a pan and boil until it reduces to a one-thread consistency. Stir in the cardamom powder and keep it somewhere warm so it does not crystallise.

Make the sata paste: in a second bowl, whisk equal parts solid ghee and plain flour until you have a silky, spreadable paste.

Divide the rested dough into equal balls. Roll each one out with a rolling pin, pressing firmly, into a very thin, wide circle of the same size.

Start layering: lay down one sheet of dough, brush it with a very thin layer of the sata paste, and press the next sheet on top. Repeat for all the circles.

Seize the edge of the multi-layered stack and roll it inwards with intense tension to form a seamless, dense log. Sever the cylinder horizontally into 1-inch thick pucks.

Subject each individual puck to a single, delicate downward thrust with the rolling pin, altering its geometry to an oblong configuration while absolutely preserving the visibility of the lateral strata.

Heat oil for frying in a heavy kadhai, kept at a low to medium temperature. Lower the raw khajas in. Fry them slowly, so the heat forces the layers apart before they set into a firm, golden, crisp shell. Lift them out and drain them.

Briefly submerge the hot, shattered pastries into the warm syrup for a maximum of 30 seconds. The goal is an exterior lacquer without compromising internal crispness. Extract and cool fully before consumption.

30 sec