Sarbhaja (Bengali Fried Milk Cream Sweet)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Medium

Sarbhaja (Bengali Fried Milk Cream Sweet)

Stacked sheets of milk cream layered with sweet thickened milk, shallow-fried in ghee and dipped in warm cardamom syrup. This is a careful home take on a labor-intensive sweet. Makes 12 pieces in about 4 hr 10 min.

Prep 50 min

Cook 80 min

Cooling 2 hr

Total 4 hr 10 min

Yield 12 pieces

Ingredients

Adjust yield

pieces

8 ½ cups (2000 ml)whole milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
3 ½ oz (100 g)khoya or thick milk solids, crumbled
2 ½ tbsp (30 g)granulated sugar, for the filling
2 tbsp (15 g)all-purpose flour, for binding
9 oz (250 g)ghee
1 ¼ cups (250 g)granulated sugar, for the syrup
1 cup (250 ml)water
1 pinchground green cardamom

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Instructions

Simmer the milk gently in a very wide shallow pan on low heat. As a skin forms, lift it off carefully and lay it flat on a tray; repeat until you have about 12 skins, 50 to 60 minutes.
Mash the khoya with the 30 g sugar and flour into a smooth, thick paste.
Stack 3 sheets of skin, spreading a thin film of the paste between each; build 3 or 4 stacks and press gently under a plate.
Chill the stacks 2 hours until firm, then cut into 2-inch (5 cm) squares.
Make the syrup by simmering the sugar, water and cardamom 8 minutes, then keep it warm.
Heat the ghee in a wide pan to about 300 F (150 C), low enough that the squares fry slowly.
Fry the squares a few at a time, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes until light golden. Drain briefly.
Dip each square in the warm syrup for 1 minute, then serve warm.

Tips

Do not rush the skins; a wide pan and a very low flame give the largest, silkiest sheets.
If a square falls apart, press the layers together harder and chill longer before frying.
Fry on low heat; hot ghee turns the sweet brown before it cooks through.
Hot ghee at 300 F (150 C) can cause burns; never leave it unattended. Keep refrigerated after frying.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make sarbhaja (bengali fried milk cream sweet)?

Plan on 50 minutes of prep and 1 hour 20 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hours to chill. The recipe makes 12 pieces.

How should I store sarbhaja (bengali fried milk cream sweet)?

Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days and re-warm gently.

Can I make sarbhaja (bengali fried milk cream sweet) ahead?

Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.

Sarbhaja is a specialty of Krishnanagar in Nadia district, West Bengal, credited to the confectioner Surukumar Das in the 1880s. Serve it with masala chai.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

392 Calories / serving

26.8g Fat

32.9g Carbs

5.9g Protein

32.5g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~4704 cal · 322g fat · 395g carbs · 71g protein · 390g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.