Kakinada kaja
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
A fried pastry of folded wheat-flour dough soaked in sugar syrup so that it is juicy inside, a famous sweet of Kakinada.
Region: Andhra Pradesh (Kakinada and the Godavari districts)Occasion: Festivals, weddings and giftsTime: 1½ hoursServes: Makes about 12Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups maida
- 3 tbsp ghee
- A pinch of baking soda
- Water as needed
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water for syrup
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- Oil or ghee for deep frying
Method
- Rub the ghee and soda into the maida and knead with water to a firm dough. Rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough into a thin sheet, brush with ghee, and roll it up tightly like a cylinder. Cut into 5 cm pieces and press each lightly to flatten.
- Boil the sugar and water to a one-string syrup and add cardamom. Keep it warm.
- Fry the pieces in medium-hot oil until crisp and golden, so the layers open slightly.
- Drop the hot kajas into the warm syrup and soak for 5–10 minutes, until the syrup fills the layers.
- Lift out and let them drain on a rack.
History
Kaja is made in many parts of India. The juicy, syrup-filled version from Kakinada became well known through its sweet shops.
Significance
Kakinada kaja is a popular gift and wedding sweet across Telugu-speaking regions.