Chirote Khaja – Traditional Indian Sweet
Sweet Khaja is a traditional Indian dessert that is deep fried layered pastry soaked in sugar syrup. They are crispy, flaky, juicy and absolutely delicious. This mouthwatering scrumptious Indian sweet is prepared with plain flour, ghee (clarified butter) and cardamom flavored sugar syrup. Khaja makes a perfect sweet for any special occasions or auspicious and religious festivals.
Sweet Khaja is my absolute favourite Indian sweet. A sweet that I can’t stop eating. The wafery textured and melt in the mouth sweet is so addictive that you will not be able to resist yourself from eating more and more. My son was going nuts over this sweet dish. He was uncontrollable.
This delectable and appetizing dessert has a crispy, crusty and brownish layers. It is so delicious with amazing texture and crispy layering with full of sweetness and flavor from the cardamom sugar syrup.
WHAT IS KHAJA?
Khaja is a traditional sweet dish of India that is prepared during special occasions and religious festivals. It is also offered as prasad in many temples.
It is a layered deep-fried pastry that is prepared with minimal and basic ingredients which are always available in our pantry like plain flour, ghee and then dunked in sugar syrup. They are crispy, flaky, juicy and absolutely delicious.
Khaja is a delicious Indian sweet, very popular in Odhisa. Also few regions of India also make this Khaja with a variation to each and called with different names such as Chirote Khaja, Madatha Khaja etc.
It is believed that Khaja is Lord
Jagannath’s favourite sweet and is regularly offered as a prasad in Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odhisa.
LET’S TALK INGREDIENTS
● Flour – Basically it is made with all purpose flour (maida) but I’ve used whole wheat flour (atta).
● Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used. You can use brown sugar or jaggery.
● Oil – Refined oil will work. You may use mustard oil or any flavorless oil like sunflower or vegetable oil.
● Ghee (clarified butter) – If you can’t source ghee, use butter.
● Salt – It is always good to add a dash of salt in any sweet dish.
● Green cardamom powder – Used crushed cardamom pods, you can use powder if available.
HOW TO MAKE KHAJA?
Khaja, an Indian sweet consist of flour and ghee-based dough. It is basically made with all purpose flour (maida), but I used whole wheat flour (atta). The dough is divided into small portions which are then rolled into thin sheets like chapati. The sheets are smeared with flour and ghee paste and then layered one after the other. The layered sheets are then rolled tightly into a log. The log is cut into about 1 inch pieces, gently flatten them and deep fried in oil until golden and crispy. khaja, the fried pastry are then dunked in cardamom sugar syrup coating them well in all sides, though adding cardamom is optional. You may also add saffron to make saffron flavored sugar syrup and for the extra richness and taste.
SUGAR SYRUP CONSISTENCY
The water and sugar is boiled until it reaches one string consistency. It means when you take a drop of the syrup between your thumb and forefinger and stretch — sugar should make a single thread.
HOW TO STORE KHAJA?
Allow khaja to cool down completely before storing them in an airtight container. This will keep the Khaja fresh and crisp. Do not store Khaja in the refrigerator.
HOW LONG CAN THIS BE STORED?
This sweet khaja can be stored in an air-tight container for upto atleast 2 weeks at room temperature.
FEW INDIAN SWEETS AND DESSERTS YOU MIGHT LIKE
● Colourful Sweet Boondi
● Rasgulla
● Rajbhog
● Rasmalai
● Mango Rasmalai
● Sooji Ka Halwa
● Bread Dates Halwa
● Baked Rasgulla
● Tricolor Semiya
● Steamed Mango Yogurt
● Milk Cake / Kalakand
● Kadalai Paruppu Payasam
● Bread Gulab Jamun
● Mixed Fruit & Nuts Kheer
● Black Rice Kheer
This crispy sweet Khaja melts in mouth and is very simple to prepare. We just need some patience while frying the Khaja by frying them over medium heat to acquire a perfect crispy and flaky layers. That is the beauty of Khaja.
Try out this easy mouth watering sweet khaja at the comfort of your home and I’m sure everyone will love it as much as we do! Do share your thoughts about the recipe with me here.
So let’s get started with the recipe. Let’s learn how to make sweet khaja with step by step pictures and recipe video. Please do read the recipe notes given below for tips and tricks to make perfect khaja.
I made a simple recipe video of Sweet Khaja for my readers which I have shared below. Do watch and please SUBSCRIBE to my channel. It will means a lot to me and motivate me to come up with more videos for my readers. As always looking forward to your feedbacks!
SWEET KHAJA RECIPE VIDEO
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yeilds: 15
☆ 1 cup = 240 ml
☆ 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
☆ 1 teaspoon = 5 ml
Ingredients for making khaja:
For the khaja dough:
1½ cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ghee
A pinch of salt
½ cup + 2 tbsps water or as required
2 cups oil for frying
For paste:
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp ghee
For sugar syrup:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2-3 Cardomon crushed
Step by step pictorial instructions to make khaja:
Making the paste:
In a small bowl add the flour and ghee. Mix well and make a fine paste. Keep aside.
Making the dough:
In a mixing bowl, add the flour and ghee. Combine the flour and ghee. Rub them and mix well until you get a crumbled texture.
Add water little by little at a time and knead it into a fine soft dough. Cover the dough and set aside for sometime while you make the sugar syrup.
Making the sugar syrup:
In a pan add the water, sugar and the crushed Cardamon and bring to a boil until the syrup thickens and reaches one string consistency. Keep aside warm.
Rolling and shaping the khaja:
Take the dough and divide it into 6 equal sizes and roll it to balls.
Take the balls, flatten it and roll them into thin sheets like chapatti with the help of a rolling pin. Roll them as thin as you can. You can shape it in rectangle shape also. Continue the same with the remaining portions of the dough.
Place one sheet and smear the ghee flour paste evenly. Place another sheet on top of it and smear the ghee-flour paste. Repeat the same until all the 6 sheets is layered. Now spread the paste on top of the 6th sheet.
Roll it from one end as tightly as possible into a log.
Now cut the roll into about 1 inch pieces. Gently press it and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Frying the khaja:
Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is heated reduce it to medium heat and fry them in batches till golden brown and crisp in all sides. Please make sure that it is not fried on high heat or else the roll will not be cooked properly from inside.
Soaking the khaja in syrup:
Once it is fried nicely take out and dunked it in the warm sugar syrup until it is well coat. Remove the khajas from the syrup. Your delicious, crispy, flaky sweet Khaja is ready to be savoured.
Serve Khaja can be served at room temperature or can also be served when still warm.
NOTES:
● Mix the ghee and flour to crumbly texture before adding water to knead into a dough. This will make the khaja crispy and flaky.
● For frying the khaja any oil can be used.
● Fold the khaja nicely so that their shape remain intact.
● The sugar syrup should be 1 string consistency and should be warm while you soak the fried khaja.
● You can also add saffron to the sugar syrup.
● For making the flour ghee paste you can use cornstarch or rice flour too.
● Flatten the khaja as per your preferred size. The thickness and size of the khaja depends upon how much you rolled.
● Fry khaja on low-medium flame. Please make sure that it is not fried on high heat or else the roll will not be cooked properly from inside.
● Store khaja in air tight container once they cool down completely. These can be stored for atleast 2-3 weeks in room temperature.
● Do not refrigerate the khaja.
RECIPE CARD
Sweet Khaja
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- 240 ml measuring cup set
- Frying pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For Khaja Dough:
- 1½ cup whole wheat flour or all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon water
- 2 cups oil
For Paste:
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoon ghee
For Sugar Syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2-3 cardamom crushed or ¼ teaspoon powder
Instructions
Making The Paste:
- In a small bowl add the flour and ghee. Mix well and make a fine paste. Keep aside.
Making the dough:
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour and ghee. Combine the flour and ghee. Rub them and mix well until you get a crumbled texture.
- Add water little by little at a time and knead it into a fine soft dough.
- Cover the dough and set aside for sometime while you make the sugar syrup.
Making the sugar syrup:
- In a pan add the water, sugar and the crushed cardamon and bring to a boil.
- Boil thr sigar syrup until the syrup thickens and reaches one string consistency. Keep aside warm.
Rolling and shaping the khaja:
- Take the dough and divide it into 6 equal sizes and roll it to balls.
- Take the balls, flatten it and roll them into thin sheets like chapatti with the help of a rolling pin. Roll them as thin as you can. You can shape it in rectangle shape also. Continue the same with the remaining portions of the dough.
- Place one sheet and smear the ghee flour paste evenly. Place another sheet on top of it and smear the ghee-flour paste.
- Repeat the same until all the 6 sheets is layered. Now spread the paste on top of the 6th sheet.
- Roll it from one end as tightly as possible into a log.
- Now cut the roll into about 1 inch pieces. Gently press it and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Frying the khaja:
- Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is heated reduce it to medium heat.
- Fry them in batches till golden brown and crisp in all sides. Please make sure that it is not fried on high heat or else the roll will not be cooked properly from inside.
Soaking the khaja in syrup:
- Once it is fried nicely take out and dunked it in the warm sugar syrup until it is well coat.
- Remove the khajas from the syrup. Your delicious, crispy, flaky sweet Khaja is ready to be savoured.
- Khaja can be served at room temperature or can also be served when still warm.
Video
Notes
- Mix the ghee and flour to crumbly texture before adding water to knead into a dough. This will make the khaja crispy and flaky.
- For frying the khaja any oil can be used.
- Fold the khaja nicely so that their shape remain intact.
- The sugar syrup should be 1 string consistency and should be warm while you soak the fried khaja.
- You can also add saffron to the sugar syrup.
- For making the flour ghee paste you can use cornstarch or rice flour too.
- Flatten the khaja as per your preferred size. The thickness and size of the khaja depends upon how much you rolled.
- Fry khaja on low-medium flame. Please make sure that it is not fried on high heat or else the roll will not be cooked properly from inside.
- Store khaja in air tight container once they cool down completely. These can be stored for atleast 2-3 weeks in room temperature.
- Do not refrigerate the khaja.
Well, if you make this sweet khaja, please do leave a feedback in the comments box below or snap a photo and tag Akum Raj Jamir on Facebook and akumrajjamir on Instagram with hashtag #atmykitchen. I would love to see your creations.
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I hope you liked the recipe. Your valuable feedbacks are always welcome, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you.
Happy cooking!
Love Akum
They look a little bittle like baklava.
I want to join your team
Wow…..this is one of my favourite sweets. Looks delicious…. 🙂
Looks really good. Follow me as well. I just started and maybe one day we can collaborate.