Andhra Mini Kaaja / Kaja

 

 Madata Kaaja / Tapeswaram Kaaja , Kakinada Kaaja are very popular sweets in Andhra. They are big in size according to me as  I could never eat the whole piece of it. I started eating and liking kaajas only after buying mini kaajas from a sweet shop in Hyderabad. 

I was not a big sweets fan but my family is. I recently joined their sweet club so am making more sweets these days. When I made these mini kaajas, my son started singing "Kaaja mere Kaaja" and my husband continued "Mu me aaja" 

Ingredients

1 Cup All purpose Flour / Maida

Pinch of Baking Soda

2 tablespoons Rice Flour

4 tablespoons Ghee

1/2 cup Water

For Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 cup Water

1 1/2 Sugar

1. In a bowl, mix Maida, Baking Soda and 2 tablespoons of Ghee thoroughly. It may look crumbled. Leave it like that for 10 mins. Knead it for 10 mins by slowly adding water to it spoon by spoon (needs less than 1/2 cup of water) and make a soft dough. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. 

2. Dust each portion with Rice Flour and flatten it like a circle or a square using a roller pin. Dust it everytime after pressing it with Rice Flour so that the dough doesn't stick to the roller and to the flat surface. Apply Ghee all over the middle of the circle not at the ends / perimeter and roll it like a mat.   

3. Apply water at the end / perimeter and stick it firmly. This is very important as the kaaja may open while deep fry without proper sticking of the ends. 

4. Now cut the ends of the roll at an angle. Discard them.Cut the pieces also at an angle with a width of 1/2  inch.

5. Seperate these and flatten each piece gently with a roller to get Kaaja shape. You should be able the layers in Kaaja. (See the picture).

6. Heat Oil for deep fry. Simultaneously prepare Sugar Syrup : Boil Water in a pan add Sugar to it. When bubbles start appearing check the consistency, for this drop little portion of Sugar Syrup in water, if it doesn't dissolve then it is the right consistency (No need to get thread consistency). Remove from Stove and keep it aside.

7. When the Oil is hot enough, check : place a tiny ball of dough in Oil it should raise to the top with in few seconds, add 3 or 4 Kaajas to Oil. When one side of Kaaja turns brown turn it upside down. When the other side also turns brown remove Kaajas on to an absorbent paper and then add them to Sugar Syrup. Let the Kaajas soak in Sugar Syrup for 10-15 mins.

8. Enjoy Andhra's Mini Kaajas.