Kakinada Khaja

Kakinada Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Bihar state and Andhra Pradesh, India. Since Kakinada, a coastal town in Andhra Pradesh, is popular for Khajas, hence the name.

Khajas are sold in the city of Patna, Gaya and several other places across the state of Bihar, yet Khajas of Silao and Rajgir areas are distinct over khajas of all other places. Silao and Rajgir are the places where one can get puffy khaja, which melts in the mouth.

From Bihar, Khajas are believed to have travelled to some other parts of India, including Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

Ingredients

Refined wheat flour, sugar and edible oils are the chief ingredients of khaja.

It is believed that, even 2000 years before, Khajas were prepared in the fertile land on the southern side of the Ganges Plains of Bihar. These areas which are home to khaja, once comprised the central part of Maurya and Gupta empire.

Preparation

First,a paste is made out of wheat flour, mawa and oil. Then it is deep fried until crisp. Then a sugar syrup is made which is known as "Pak". The crisp croissants are then soaked in the sugar syrup until they absorb the sugar syrup. The speciality of Kakinada Khaja is that it is dry from outside and full of sugar syrup from inside and is juicy. It melts as soon as one puts it in one's mouth.