Unique Bombolini Recipes With An Indian Twist

There are doughnuts, and then there are bomboloni. Gloriously plump Italian pastries that look almost too innocent to eat, until you bite through their sugar-dusted exterior and discover a generous pocket-bomb of cream, chocolate or jam within. Traditionally associated with Tuscany, bomboloni are made from a rich, yeasted dough that is fried until golden, then rolled in sugar and stuffed with filling after cooking. Unlike ring doughnuts, they have no hole, which leaves plenty of room for the most important part: the delicious pocket of filling.

That generous centre is precisely what makes bomboloni such suitable candidates for an Indian makeover. The dough shall remain pillowy and distinctly Italian while the filling takes a decidedly desi touch. But the idea is not to turn bomboloni into another Indian sweet. The real fun lies in keeping the Italian character intact while allowing familiar Indian flavours to comfort as well as thrill your taste buds at the first bite. Here are five combinations worth frying for.

For the bombolini 

• 250g plain flour
• 35g caster sugar
• 12-15g instant yeast
• 120ml lukewarm milk
• 1 egg
• 35g softened butter
• ½ tsp salt
• Oil, for frying
• Caster sugar, for coating

For the mishti doi filling

• 200g thick hung curd
• 80g thick sweetened condensed milk
• 5-6 tbsp caramel sauce or thick date jaggery syrup
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp milk, if required

Image credit: Unsplash

Method

1. Combine your flour, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Then add in the lukewarm milk and egg and knead until a soft dough forms. Now, gradually incorporate your butter and salt, before continuing to knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
2. Now, cover and leave it to rise for about 1–1½ hours, or until doubled in size.
3. Meanwhile, prepare your filling. Whisk the hung curd until smooth, then fold in the condensed milk, caramel sauce or date jaggery syrup, and cardamom. If the mixture is too thick to pipe, loosen it with a tablespoon of milk. Refrigerate until needed.
4. Now, roll the risen dough to around 1.5cm thickness and cut into small rounds. Cover and allow the rounds to proof for another 30–40 minutes.
5. Time to fry. Heat oil over medium heat and fry your bombolini in batches until puffed up and golden. Drain oil and immediately roll them in caster sugar.
6. Once they are slightly cooled, make a small hole to the side of each bombolone and pipe in the mishti doi filling.

Also read: Bomboloni Recipe

Gulkand And Rabri Bombolini

Ingredients (Serves 10-12)

For the rabri filling

• 500ml full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp gulkand
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 1 tbsp chopped almonds
• ½ tsp rose water

Image credit: Pexels

Method

1. Pour your milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook over low heat, stirring regularly and scraping the sides, until the milk reduces to roughly half its volume and becomes thick and creamy.
2. Now, add in your sugar, cardamom and chopped nuts. Continue cooking for another few minutes.
3. Finally, remove from the heat and stir in the gulkand and rose water. Allow your rabri to cool completely before refrigerating it, until it is thick enough to pipe.
4. Time to fry and sugar-coat the bombolini according to the basic recipe.
5. Now, pipe the chilled rabri generously into each pastry and finish with a tiny dab of gulkand and a few pistachio slivers.

Chai Masala And Milk Chocolate Bombolini

Ingredients (Serves 10-12)

For the filling

• 250g milk chocolate, chopped
• 150ml cream
• 1.5 strong cups of masala chai, reduced to 2-3 tbsp
• 2 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 clove
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of salt

Image credit: Pexels

Method

1. First, prepare a strong masala chai using a small amount of water and milk, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, and ginger. Now strain it and simmer the strained tea gently until reduced to about 2 tablespoons.
2. Then, heat your cream until steaming. Pour it over the chopped milk chocolate and leave for two minutes.
3. Whisk the chocolate cream mixture until glossy, then add the reduced chai and a tiny pinch of salt.
4. Allow the ganache to cool until thick and pipeable.
5. Now, prepare and fry your bombolini, then coat them lightly in caster sugar. Time to pipe the chai chocolate filling into the centre.
6. The milk chocolate gives the first impression of sweetness, but the masala chai gradually comes through with cardamom, spice and a subtle ginger warmth. For an extra flourish, you can dust the bombolini tops with a little cinnamon sugar.

Also read: Doughnuts: Desi Doughnut Recipe Made With Everyday Ingredients

Jalebi Cheesecake Bombolini

Ingredients (Serves 10-12)

For the filling

• 250g cream cheese, softened
• 150ml whipping cream
• 75g icing sugar
• ½ tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp finely chopped jalebi
• 1 tbsp jalebi syrup

Image credit: Pexels

Method

1. First, beat your cream cheese with icing sugar until silky-smooth.
2. Then whip the cream separately until it forms soft peaks, before gently folding it into the cream cheese mixture.
3. Now, add the saffron milk, cardamom and orange zest. Time to fold in the chopped jalebi pieces and jalebi syrup, while taking care not to overmix.
4. Refrigerate until firm enough to pipe.
5. Then fry and sugar-coat your bombolini before filling them with the cheesecake mixture.
6. For the finishing touch, drizzle a tiny amount of warm jalebi syrup over each bombolone and place a small piece of crisp jalebi on top.
7. The result is texturally fascinating. The pastry is soft and airy, the cheesecake filling is cool and creamy, while little pieces of jalebi introduce a mellow, sticky sweetness and crunch. As for the orange zest, its citrusy freshness keeps everything from becoming overwhelmingly rich.

Sesame Jaggery Bombolini

Ingredients (Serves 10-12)

For the filling

• ½ cup white sesame seeds
• ½ cup grated jaggery
• ½  cup thick cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp milk, if required

Image credit: Pexels

Method

1. Dry-roast your sesame seeds over low heat until fragrant and lightly golden. Then cool them completely and grind into a coarse powder.
2. Now, melt butter in a saucepan and add the jaggery. Cook gently until it melts.
3. Then add in the cream and stir carefully until smooth. Also, mix in your ground sesame, cardamom, and salt.
4. Now, cook the entire mix for 2–3 minutes until it thickens into a soft paste. If necessary, add a tablespoon of milk to adjust the consistency.
5. Cool completely before transferring to a piping bag.
6. Time to fill your freshly fried bombolini. Stuff them generously and coat the pillowy fried treats in caster sugar. For extra texture, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top.