Khaja

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Khaja is a sweet delicacy of Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal states in eastern India.

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 Gangetic Plains of Bihar and in Orissa. These areas which are home to khaja, once comprised the central part of Maurya and Gupta empires.

Presently, khajas are prepared and sold in the city of Patna, Gaya, Baharampur and several other places across the states of Bihar and West Bengal, yet Khajas of Silao and Rajgir areas have a distinct superiority 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 have traveled to some other parts of India, including Andhra Pradesh. Khaja of Kakinada, a coastal town of Andhra Pradesh, is famous. Khaja of Tapeswaram is also famous. 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 specialty 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.

[edit] See also

• Indian sweets

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