Madatha Kaja Sweet Recipe | Kakinada Kaja | Tapeswaram Kaja | Diwali Sweets

Madatha Kaja also known as Kakinada Kaja or Tapeswaram Kaja is a famous Sweet recipe from the state of Andhra Pradesh. This sweet always reminds me a memory of my childhood. I was always fascinated with the cookery shows right from my childhood and had seen this once in a cookery show and hence pestered my mom to prepare the same for me. I was more fascinated to it because of its shape rather than anything, I used to hardly eat any sweets then.But I still remember that it was fun helping my mom to prepare this sweet then.

Madatha Kaja is not over sweet, it has a nice flaky crust which is soaked in sugar syrup and hence the outer layers are crisp and juicy inside.So if you are not a sweet lover there is high chance that you might like this sweet.Preparing Madatha Kaja is easy and its fun to roll it into a log and cut it. Try this traditional sweet from the state of Andhra Pradesh during this diwali and impress your guests.

Check out other Diwali sweets recipes on my blog:

• 7 cups Burfi | 7 cups Cake 
• Coconut Choco Truffles
• Coconut Burfi/Koprapak/Kobbari Mithai
• Gulab Jamun recipe using milk powder
• Karjikai | Kajjikayalu | Kadubu | Karanji
• Kesar Peda
• Khoya Jamun | Gulab Jamun using Khoya
• Kobbari Louz | Coconut Ladoo | Nariyal Ladoo
• Moong Dal Ladoo | Pesara Sunnunda

Check out various Diwali Sweets Recipes here.
If you are looking for more Savoury Recipes,Check out Diwali Savoury Recipes here.

Madatha Kaja | Kakinada Kaja Recipe:
Yields: 15-20 Kajas

Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 1 hr

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Sweets

Ingredients:

for dough:

1 cup Maida/All Purpose flour

a fat pinch of Baking soda

a pinch of Salt

2 tbsp Ghee

Water, to knead the dough

to spread:

1 tbsp Homemade Rice flour

2 tbsp Ghee

for sugar syrup:

1 1/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:

• In a bowl add maida,baking soda,salt and ghee and mix until it resembles the bread crumbs.
• Sprinkle water and knead it into a smooth dough and cover it and leave it aside for half an hour.

• Meanwhile prepare sugar syrup by adding water to sugar and boil it until it reaches half string consistency.Switch off the flame and keep the syrup warm.Add cardamom powder and mix it well.

• Meanwhile in a bowl mix rice flour and ghee and beat it nicely and keep it aside.

• Knead the dough again and make four big balls out of maida dough.
• Roll out each ball into thin chapathis of 7" diameter circle or square.

• Apply the rice flour-ghee paste on it evenly and place another chapathi and apply the rice flour - ghee mixture again and place another chapathi and repeat the process for another chapathi.Make a pile of 4-5 chapathis keeping one on top of each other following this process.

• Roll it slowly into a tight log and press it nicely at the end to form a log.You can slightly flatten it gently to ensure it stays together,this step is optional though.

• Cut the log into 1-1.5 cm pieces as shown in picture.Gently pinch both the corners to ensure that they retain their shape while frying.You can gently roll it a bit,just once not more than that.
• Heat oil and drop a small ball of dough , if it rises to the top means it indicates the oil is hot enough to deep fry.
• Keep the flame on low-medium and deep fry few kajas at a time until they turn golden brown.

• Put it in the warm sugar syrup and soak it for 4-5 mins or until the next batch is fried.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon and arrange on a flat plate to let them dry slightly.
• Repeat the process to fry all the kajas.
• Once they are slightly dried you can store them in an air tight container.

It can be stored for 2-3 weeks.

Notes:

1. You can add 1 tsp of curd while making the dough but it is optional.
2. Do not over boil the sugar syrup otherwise the sugar syrup hardens after the kajas are dried.

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