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Pandadi rounds
Flaky layered pastries with custard, fried and dusted with nutty sugar
Pandadi are delicate layered pastries: thin rounds of butter dough stacked with custard powder, rolled, sliced and fried so the layers puff and flake. Once drained they're dusted with icing sugar, ground nuts, cardamom and saffron and scattered with rose petals. Makes about 40–45; a special-occasion sweet that keeps well in a tin.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the dough
For layering
For frying
For the topping
To garnish
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ¾ oz butter into 7 oz plain flour, then add ½ cup ice-cold water a little at a time and knead into a soft dough.
Step 2: Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll each into a small 8 cm round and spread 1 oz soft butter thinly over all the rounds.
Step 3: Sift a little 2 tbsp custard powder over one buttered round and place a second round on top, buttered side down. Sift more custard powder on top and place a third buttered round on that.
Step 4: Press the edges together and roll the three layers out into one thin round about 20 cm across.
Step 5: Spread with the rest of the 1 oz soft butter, sift over the rest of the 2 tbsp custard powder and roll up very tightly into a cylinder.
Step 6: Cut the roll into 10 equal slices. Press each slice from the sides with your palm and roll it out into a 3.5 cm round or oval.
Step 7: Repeat with the remaining dough rounds, three at a time.
Step 8: Heat oil in a deep pan over a low heat and fry the rounds in batches until crisp and light pink. All the layers should puff up.
25 minStep 9: To drain, stand the rounds upright in a tray thickly lined with wheat flour and topped with kitchen towel. Leave overnight to drain the oil.
480 minStep 10: Next day, line oven trays with a pile of kitchen towels, arrange the rounds on them and bake at 200°F for 5–10 minutes.
8 minStep 11: Sift 4 oz icing sugar over each round and sprinkle with 2 ⅛ oz almonds and pistachios, powdered, ½ tsp ground cardamom and ½ tsp saffron.
Step 12: Decorate with 1 tbsp rose petals, finely chopped. Store in an airtight container and serve cold. You can also shape them as ovals instead of rounds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pandadi rounds take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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