Khaja is a traditional sweet dish from the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is layered deep fried sweet discs. It is called by different names as Khaja, Kaja, Tapeshwara Khaja or Madatha Khaja.
It is believed to have originated from the Eastern parts of the former Oudh and the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. This represents eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh and western districts of Bihar. It is also popular in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
Khaja is a layered sweet from all purpose flour, usually filled with a stuffing of dry fruits, deep fried and dunked in sugar syrup. This is offered as prasadam in Jagganath temple at Puri.
I have been making this during festivals and is one of the favourites at home.
A few other festive treats from the blog:
Khaja, Tapeshwaram Khaja
Ingredients:
For the dough
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 tablespoon milk
- salt a pinch
- water
- oil for frying
For the stuffing:
- 2 tablespoon rice flour
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 tablespoon cashewnuts and almonds grated
For the sugar syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- a few strands of saffron
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
Method:
- Sieve the flour, there should be no lumps in it.
- Add ghee, milk, salt to it and mix well.
- Add little water and mix into a dough.
- Cover the dough and keep it aside.
For the filling:
- Grate the dry fruits and keep them aside.
- Mix rice flour, rub the ghee in it and put the dry fruits to it.
- Keep it aside.
To make the sugar syrup:
- Mix sugar and water in a thick bottom vessel and cook on a low flame for five to seven minutes. Put the cardamom powder and saffron strands to it, it gives a good aroma.
To make the khajas:
- Take a big ball of the dough and roll into a thin sheet.
- Spread the prepared filling over it.
- Fold it into layers tightly. Cut into discs.
- Take each disc and press it lightly or roll with a pin.
- Heat oil in a pan, put the discs and deep fry till golden in colour.
- Put them in the sugar syrup for two minutes and then remove and keep aside.
Khaja, Tapeshwaram Khaja
Khaja | Kaja | Tapeshwaram Khaja | Madath Khaja
Ingredients
Method
- Sieve the flour, there should be no lumps.
- Add milk, ghee and salt to it. Mix it well.
- Use little water and knead the dough. It should be of thick consistency. Cover with a thin cloth and keep it aside.
- Mix sugar and water in a thick bottom pan and keep it to boil, put the saffron strands and cardamom powder for a good aroma. Boil it for seven minutes, you should get a string consistency.
- Grate the cashew and almonds. Mix the ghee and rice flour together, add the grated nuts to it. This is the filling.
- To make khajas: Take a ball of the dough, roll into a thin sheet. Spread the filling over it. Roll it tightly, cut it into discs.
- Take each disc, you can either flatten it with your palm or roll it lightly.
- Heat oil in a pan. Put a few rolled discs in it and deep fry until golden in colour. Remove them on a tissue paper and repeat the same for all the discs.
- Put the fried discs in sugar syrup for two minutes, remove and keep them aside.
- Khaja is ready to serve.
Notes
A few other sweets from my co-bloggers
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The khaja looks scrumptious Jayashree! It is definitely a skill!
Recently had a chance to taste this sweet in a wedding and it tasted divine.. More than me, my hubby loved it. Will bookmark this and try sometime for sure. Thanks for sharing !
The khaja looks so crisp and crunchy, loved your recipe will try soon.
I like Shakarpare and this dish looks similar to it but making is of different style..what a lovely share Jayashree all Andhra recipes are new to me, very delicious 😋
My Aunt makes amazing madatha kaaja — seeing your posts brings so many memories of her bringing them every time she visited us. I have to ask her for her recipe, just so I keep a record of it. Your kaaja look great — crispy, juicy and flaky.
Khaja looks nice and crispy. Will try it out soon.
Andhra is famous for this Madatha Kaja and I absolutely love it. Crunchy, sweet, and just so yummmmmmmmmmmmm……..
Khaja is my favourite and tried them at home. Love this munch this absolutely crunchy and yummy khajas anytime of the day. Too tempting.
Khajas look so deliciously crispy. I’ve yet to make them at home. My mother in law use to make them for Diwali.
What a lovely sweet mithai, I love the the flakey texture of this dish, it reminds of diwali as my mum used to make something similar.
Simply delicious khaja. Love the idea of stuffing it with dry fruits. So this Diwali I will love to make some.
Glad to know a recipe served in jaganath Puri temple..am sure it definitely would tastes great
I bet nobody stops at just one! These golden bites, fried to crispy perfection, then soaked in syrup must taste divine! 😋
I once made khaza a few years back and totally loved it. Your post reminds me to make it again.
Need lot of patience to do this. But it’s definitely worth it:) looks so good!
Nice to read about the famous temple prasad of Puri! I have heard a lot about it and tried it just once and immediately fell in love with that lovely texture of crispy exterior with the sugar dip. Loved the recipe and this certainly calls for a lot of work I must say. Really well done!
Khaja looks yummy Jayashree. A skilled job.
Rich dessert to serve after a heavy meal.. your khaja looks so delicious and tempting..
This is certainly a sweet to indulge in and not an everyday affair. Looks delicious 😚
Thanks for including my recipe😊
This Khaja looks so delicious, loved the recipe . Will try it some time
So crunchy and always love to munch these crisp ones Jayashree
We also have something called khaja, but ours is longer, but almost similar to make… I am feeling so tempted at the crunchy goodness, that would go so well with a cup of chai…
i feel like lifting one off the plate for a quick sink in for my teeth. looks awesome.