Ingredients: cup All Purpose Flour (Maida), teaspoon Baking soda, teaspoon Salt, cup Ghee, cup Curd (Dahi / Yogurt) - chilled, Oil - for deep frying, cup Pistachios - roughly chopped, cup Sugar, cup Water, teaspoon Cardamom Powder (Elaichi), Vegetarian diet
Instructions: To begin making the Balushahi (Badusha) recipe, we have to follow a two stage cooking process. First is to make the fried dough and second the sugar syrup. To make the dough In a large bowl add in the flour, the salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of soda. Stir to combine the dry ingredients . Next add in the ghee to the flour mixture. Using your fingers combine the flour and ghee to make coarse crumbs . Its takes a good one minute to get this texture. Once you get the coarse crumbs texture, add in the yogurt. knead just enough until all the ingredients come together.Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and allow it to rest for about 30 minutesAfter 30 minutes of resting the dough we will divide the dough into equal portions of large lemon size, making a dent in the center with the thumb. Take care not to press too much while shaping them as this can cause cracks in them.Cover the dough portions with a wet cloth and allow them to rest for another 15 minutes.Next, preheat the oil for deep frying. Start adding a few balls at a time into the oil and fry them on medium heat. The medium heat helps the balushahi to cook evenly from the inside.Once you notice that the dough balls come floating up to the surface flip over and fry until the bottom half is darker golden brown. Remember it is important to fry them on medium heat and not high heat so it gets evenly cooked from the inside.Once both sides are browned well, drain and continue the same with the remaining dough portions and keep them aside.Now let's get the ingredients needed for the sugar syrup. In a sauce pan add in 1/4 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar and a teaspoon of cardamom powder.  With heat on medium, stir the mixture well until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.Once the mixture comes to a boil, add in the cardamom powder, turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer until you get a single thread consistency.You will know that it has reached the single thread when you touch the sugar syrup between your fingers, you will find it sticky. And when the syrup drips from the spoon it will look a longer drop.We will now dip each of the fried doughs one at a time in the sugar syrup until it gets coated all around and arrange then on a platter. Continue the same with the remaining fried dough.Garnish the Balushahi (Badusha) with pistachios and allow them to rest until the sugar hardens. Make these delicious flaky Balushahi for Diwali and share it with friends and family who come visiting you.Serve these Balushahi as a perfect Sweet for any festive occasion.