I prepared these cute rolls yesterday for pooja and, since I was in a hurry, I didn’t take step-by-step photos. I was undecided about which sweet to make when this idea came to me—simple, quick, and delicious. These rolls take about 30 minutes to prepare and turned out wonderfully.
Ingredients
- Maida (all-purpose flour) – 1 cup
- Cold butter – 2 1/2 tablespoons
- Cardamom powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Baking soda – 2 pinches
- Sugar – 3/4 cup
- Water – 3/4 cup
- Oil – for deep frying
Procedure
- Combine the maida, baking soda, and cardamom powder in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and rub or crush it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually sprinkle the water and knead lightly to form a soft, pliable dough. Cover and let it rest briefly if needed.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup: mix the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cook the syrup until it reaches a slightly sticky consistency (single-thread or just before it reaches one-string consistency), then remove from heat.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions and roll each portion into a small rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Brush a thin layer of butter over each rectangle for added richness and flakiness.
- Cut the rectangles into strips about 1/2″ (1.25 cm) wide.
- Roll each strip tightly into a compact roll, pressing the end so it stays closed while frying.
- Heat oil in a deep pan to medium heat and deep-fry the rolls in batches until they turn golden brown and crisp.
- Immediately drop the hot fried rolls into the warm sugar syrup, allowing them to soak briefly. Leave them in the syrup while you fry the next batch so they absorb the syrup evenly.
- Remove the soaked rolls from the syrup and place them on a tray to cool and dry slightly.
- Repeat until all the rolls are fried, soaked, and drained. After about an hour the tops should be dry; if they remain sticky, allow them a little more time to set.
- Store the cooled rolls in an airtight container. They make a delightful accompaniment to tea or coffee.
These sweet rolls are best enjoyed within a few days when stored properly. The cardamom adds a fragrant note while the butter makes the texture delicate and flaky. Quick to prepare and very satisfying, they’re an ideal choice when you need a simple festive sweet.