Kakinada Kaja
A famous Kakinada sweet of flaky, layered dough deep-fried until crisp and steeped in fragrant sugar syrup for a shatteringly crunchy, syrupy bite.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 120 min
- Servings
- 20
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 210 kcal
Equipment
- •Rolling pin
- •Deep kadai
- •Sugar syrup pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- fat
- 8 g
- carbs
- 34 g
- fibre
- 0.5 g
- protein
- 2 g
- calories
- 210 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Knead maida (refined flour), melted ghee (clarified butter), and water into a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
Mix rice flour with softened ghee to make a thick paste. Set it aside.
- 3
Divide dough into balls and roll each into thin discs. Stack them up, spreading the rice-ghee paste between each layer.
- 4
Roll the stack gently into a log. Cut it into small rectangular pieces so the layers stay in place.
- 5
Boil sugar and water until a drop stretches into a single thread between fingers. Stir in cardamom powder and camphor.
- 6
Heat oil in a kadai (deep pot) on medium-low heat. Fry the kaja pieces slowly until puffed and pale golden.
- 7
Remove and drain them. Let them cool slightly so the flaky layers set.
- 8
Dip the fried pieces into the warm sugar syrup. Soak for a few minutes until completely coated.
- 9
Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon onto a wire rack. Let excess syrup drip off.
- 10
Cool completely until the sugar coating turns slightly crusty. Store in an airtight tin.
Chef's tips
Fry on low-medium heat only; high heat browns the kaja before the inner layers cook through. The syrup must stay warm while dipping, or it will not penetrate the layers evenly.
Ingredient substitutions
- edible camphor → extra cardamom powder
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Reheating
No reheating needed; served at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rolling the dough too thick, which prevents the signature flaky layers
- •Frying on high heat causing raw centres
Serving suggestions
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