Khaja is a layered sweet pastry — thin sheets of flour-and-ghee dough stacked, rolled, folded and deep-fried so the layers separate and puff into a crisp, flaky structure, then dipped in a light sugar syrup while hot. It is a specialty of certain Sindhi towns, particularly Hyderabad, where confectioners have made them for generations in the small sweet shops near the bazaars. The technique — rolling fat into flour for flakiness, then frying — is similar to the Bengali khaja and the Odishan khaja that appear further east along the subcontinent, each tradition arriving at the layered fried sweet independently. The Sindhi version is less sweet than its eastern cousins, the syrup lighter, the emphasis on the crisp pastry rather than the sugar coat.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups plain flour
- 4 tbsp ghee (for the dough)
- ½ tsp salt
- water to knead
- 4 tbsp melted ghee (for layering)
- neutral oil for deep-frying
- For the syrup: 200g sugar
- 150 ml water
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp rose water
METHOD
- Mix flour and salt. Rub in 4 tbsp ghee until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add just enough water to form a stiff dough. Knead 8 minutes until smooth. Rest 20 minutes.
- Roll the dough very thinly — about 2mm — into a large rectangle.
- Brush the entire surface generously with the melted ghee. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter. Roll out again to 2mm. Brush with ghee again. Fold in thirds again. Repeat twice more (3 folds total).
- Roll out to 1cm thick and cut into fingers or diamond shapes.
- Make the syrup: boil the sugar with the water to a one-thread consistency. Add cardamom and rose water. Keep warm.
- Heat oil to 160°C (steady, moderate temperature). Fry the khaja in batches for 6–8 minutes until pale golden and fully puffed and separated into visible layers. Drain.
- While still hot, dip each piece in the warm syrup for 30 seconds. Lift out and arrange on a rack to drain and dry. The syrup should form a thin, crisp glaze.
- Cool completely before serving. Store in a tin — they keep 4–5 days.
