KAJA(Traditional Andhra sweet)

Today's dessert is a traditional recipe from Andhrapradesh, called Madatha kaja or kaja.A special coastal Andhra dish. Refined wheat flour with sugar is made into layered dough, and lightly fried in oil to make kaja later soaked in sugar syrup for few mins.This crispy sugar coated kaja is our all time favorite dessert.When I made first time I love to the core as I never thought that we can prepare kaja at home.In coastal Andhra this dessert is very common during celebrations.Coming to the recipe as this is my very first recipes so I haven't taken pics nicely..Such a simple easy recipe one should try.I'm posting this recipe in BM#55 Under the theme no bake desserts.

Ingredients:

• Maida(all purpose flour)2 cups
• Ghee 2 to 3 tbspn
• Rice flour little bit 1 tbspn for dusting
• water 1 cup for syrup
• oil
• sugar 2cups
• Baking soda 1  pinch
• Rose water( optional)1tspn

Procedure:

• Take a bowl and mix maida,2 tspns ghee,water( enough to knead the dough) and knead well like we do for chapatis.Keep the dough aside and cover it for 10 to 15 mins.
• In another bowl take 2 cups of sugar and add 1 cup water.Keep it on stove and boil it until sugar dissolves well ,(adding rose water gives nice flavour to the syrup this is optional)..syrup should be like one thread consistency(this takes around 10 to 15 mins). then switch of the stove.

Step by step

1.Take small quantity from the bowl around big lemon size and make a round ball.

2.Make thin chapathi with the round ball.Apply 1 tpn of ghee on top of it and sprinkle some rice flour .

3.Make another chapathi  by taking another round ball,and put this chapathi on top of first chapathi.

4.Apply some ghee on top of it and sprinkle some flour(rice flour)on top of it.

5.wet your hands with little bit of water and slowly flatten the edge( edges should be tightly packed).
( you may use another chapathi after applying ghee and rice flour for more layers)

6.Now roll it as shown in the pic

7.Now cut into small pieces as shown in the pic.,by using knife.

8.slowly press rolling pin on top of each piece(don't press too much )

9.Repeat the process with all the pieces.

Now heat oil in a kadai for deep fry.

10.In the mean time get ready the sugar syrup.Add 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water boil until sugar syrup thickens just one string consistancy.

11. When the oil is hot slowly drop the pieces in the oil

12.when they almost fried we'll take out from the stove and  put in the sugar syrup bowl.

13. Let it stay for 1 or 2 mins then take out in plate.Delicious kaja ready now.

Note::

Sugar syrup should be little more than one string consistency( little thick),then kaja will be more firm and crispy.
Take out kajas from oil and keep 1 or 2 mins aside before dropping them in sugar syrup( syrup should be warm but not too hot or else kajas might turn soft)

Check out for fellow Marathoners in Bm#55