Khaja

Puri Khaja is a popular sweet delicacy that is associated with the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, India. It is believed to be one of the favorite sweets of Lord Jagannath and is often offered as prasad (sacred food) to the devotees visiting the temple. It is made by deep-frying a mixture of flour, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter) until it turns golden-brown in color. The crispy and flaky texture of the snack is what makes it unique.

After frying, the Khajas are soaked in sugar syrup, which gives them a sweet and sticky flavor. They are then garnished with grated coconut, cardamom powder, and sometimes even rose petals. The end result is a mouth-watering sweet that is enjoyed by people of all ages.

Khaja is often served during festivals and special occasions, such as weddings or religious ceremonies. It is also a popular gift item during festive seasons. If you have a sweet tooth or enjoy trying new desserts, you should definitely give Khaja a try!

Khaja recipe step by step

Sure, here is a step-by-step recipe for Khaja:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/4 cup water
• Oil for frying
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour and ghee. Mix well to form a crumbly texture.
2. Slowly add water and knead into a smooth dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into small equal parts and roll them out into thin circles.
4. Cut the circles into diamond shapes using a knife or a cutter.
5. Heat oil in a pan and fry the diamond-shaped dough pieces until golden brown and crispy.
6. In another pan, add sugar, water, and cardamom powder. Cook on low flame until the sugar dissolves and forms a syrup.
7. Dip the fried Khaja in the sugar syrup and let it soak for a few seconds.
8. Remove the Khaja from the syrup and let it cool on a plate.
9. Serve the Khaja as a sweet snack or dessert.

Hope this helps!

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

Where to get khaja in Puri?

There are several places where you can get khaja in Puri, including the street vendors near Jagannath Temple, local sweet shops like Gouranga Sweets and Nimapada Sweets, and popular restaurants like Wildgrass and Chung Wah.

what is Chhappan Bhog?

Chhappan Bhog is a special offering of 56 food items that are presented to Lord Jagannath in the Jagannath Temple in Puri, India. The offering includes various sweets, savories, vegetables, fruits, and grains. It is believed to have originated during the reign of King Indradyumna, who established the Jagannath Temple. The Chhappan Bhog is prepared by the temple cooks and is offered to Lord Jagannath seven times a day. It is considered a sacred offering and is believed to bring great blessings to those who partake in it.

List of chappan Bhog for jagannath temple

1. Sadha Anna – Simple Rice cooked in water.
2. Dahi Pakhala – Water rice mixed with curd.
3. Kanika – Flavoured rice with ghee and sugar.
4. Thali Khichudi – Yellow rice mixed with lentil, ghee and sugar.
5. Ada Pakhala – Water rice with grated ginger.
6. Ghea Anna – Rice mixed with Ghee.
7. Mitha Pakhala – Water rice mixed with sugar.
8. Odia Pakhala – Water rice mixed with ghee, lemon and salt.
9. Khecudi – Rice mixed with Lentil.
10. Khaja – A sweet dish prepared from basic ingredients like maida. These are layered fritters, soaked in sugar syrup.
11. Gaja –  A sweet dish made of wheat which is fried and then soaked in sugar syrup.
12. Ladu – A delicious round shaped sweet dish made with flour, sugar and ghee.
13. Jeera Ladu – A ladoo prepared with cumin seeds, lemon juice, sugar and salt.
14. Magaja Ladu – An extremely flavoursome ladoo made with gram flour, ghee, milk and sugar.
15. Mathapuli – A special sweet dish made of Ghee, beans ground into a thick paste and Ginger.
16. Khuruma – It is made of sugar, wheat, ghee and Salt.
17. Jagannath Ballav – An item made of wheat, sugar and ghee which is black in color.
18. Kakara – A famous Odia cuisine made of ghee, sugar, grated coconut and wheat.
19. Luni Khuruma – It is basically a salty buscuit made of ghee, wheat, and salt.
20. Marichi Ladu – A type of ladoo made with wheat and sugar.
21. Suar Pitha – It is made of wheat and ghee.
22. Chadai Lada – A sweet dish made of wheat, ghee, and sugar.
23. Jhilli – A famous sweet cuisine made of rice Flour, ghee and sugar.
24. Kanti – Made of rice Flour and ghee
25. Manda – It is a type of cake which is made of rice, coconut, jaggery, cheese and ghee.
26. Amalu – An item made of wheat, sugar and ghee.
27. Puri – A deep fried item made of flour and ghee. Basically a kind of bread.
28. Luchi – A pancake-like item made of maida and ghee that is deep fried.
29. Dahi Bara – A dish made of Biri/Urad dal and then deep fried. It is dipped in curd.
30. Bara – A fried item made with Biri dal and ghee.
31. Arisa – A flat cake made of rice flour, sugar and ghee.
32. Tripuri – Another flat cake made of rice, flour, sugar and ghee.
33. Rosapaik – A cake made with wheat and ghee.
34. Khiri – A dessert made of milk, and sugar with rice.
35. Papudi – An item prepared from only the cream of milk.
36. Khua –A dessert prepared out of Pure milk slowly boiled over many hours to a soft custard-like consistency.
37. Rasabali – A famous sweet dish made of milk, sugar, and wheat.
38. Tadia –A traditional and famous Odia cuisine made of fresh cheese, sugar, and ghee.
39. Chhena Khai – It is made of fresh cheese, milk, and sugar.
40. Bapudi Khaja –Made from the cream of milk, sugar, and ghee.
41. Khua Manda –It is made of milk, wheat, and ghee.
42. Sarapulli – This is the most famous milk dish prepared and the most difficult too. It is mainly made of pure milk boiled for hours.
43. Biri Dali – A simple dal made of biri/urad.
44. Chana dali – A simple dal made of chana.
45. Mitha dali –  A thick dal made from arhar dal (Pigeon pea/Legume) made with sugar and is sweet in taste.
46. Muga Dali – It is a type of odia dish prepared with lentil dal.
47. Dalama –  It is a typical Odia dish which is a combination of many types of dal and vegetables such as: Baigana (Eggplant),  Kakharu (Pumpkin), Bean, Kanda Mula (sweet potato), Coconut, Bodhi (a dried root vegetable that looks like a mushroom) with hing (asafoetida). Tomatoes (Bilati Baigana )are not used in Puri Abhada as it’s a foreign vegetable.
48. Raita – A yogurt dish with radish, cucumber,salt and curd.
49. Besar- A vegetable curry mixed with plenty of coconut and mustard paste.
50. Saga –  A dish made with leafy green plants like Spinach, Leutia, Koshala that is seasoned with garlic.
51. Baigini. –A fried item made with eggplants
52. Goti Baigana – A dish made of small eggplants and coconut sauce.
53. Khata – A sour item made with cooked mango, apple, grape mixed and cooked together.
54. Mahura – A type of mixed vegetable curry that uses very basic ingredients like Kakharu  (Pumpkin), Saru (Arbi/ Taro) Kanda Mula  (Sweet potato).
55. Pita – An item made with the fried flowers of Neem tree.
56. Potala Rasa- It’s a famous spicy gravy based odia dish in which the main ingredients are Potala (Pointed gourd) and coconut milk.

Where to get khaja in Puri?

There are many places in Puri where you can get khaja, but some popular options include Jagannath Sweets, Jayashree Sweets, and Radhakrishna Sweets.