Inspired by different memories from my childhood, these South Asian-inspired Indian donuts are made with my signature homemade brioche donut dough and are filled with six different flavors – Rooh Afza cream, Chai and Parle-G, Rabdi, Mango Lassi, Gajar Halwa, and Gulkand.
Donuts are one of my favorite desserts, they are the perfect vehicle for all kinds of delicious fillings. While I love the classics (custard, jam, chocolate cream, etc.), I always wanted a box of donuts that are more inspired by flavors from my culture, but I never found them anywhere so I took matters into my own hands, and here we are – six donut flavors inspired by desi culture.
The donuts itself are made with my simple brioche dough that’s perfectly fried up until they’re golden brown, light and crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.
Let’s get into the details.
Brioche Donuts
Making the donut dough is very easy. You’ll spend less than 30 minutes preparing the dough, while the rest of the magic happens as it rises.
This dough can be made by hand or using a stand mixer with a dough hook. While a stand mixer definitely simplifies the process, making it by hand is entirely doable—and doubles as a mini arm workout for the day!
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making Brioche dough.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, and salt, whisking until everything is fully blended. If you’re using a stand mixer, attach the whisk for this step. Otherwise, a hand whisk works just fine.
- Warm the milk and mix it with the yeast, ensuring the milk isn’t too hot, as this could inhibit yeast activation.
- Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the egg mixture and whisk together. Add the melted butter and mix again until incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour: start with half, whisk until smooth, then add the rest. Switch to a dough hook if using a stand mixer, or begin kneading by hand at this stage.
- For stand mixers, knead on medium speed for 5–10 minutes, until the dough forms a smooth ball that clings to the dough hook. For hand-kneading, work the dough for about 10–15 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap, and allow it to rise in a warm spot for approximately 3 hours or until doubled in size. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight for a slower rise.
- Prepare the Dough: Transfer the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 2–3 minutes until smooth. Roll the dough out evenly to a thickness of about 1.5 cm.
- Cut the Donuts: Using a 7 cm round cookie cutter (or your preferred shape), cut out circles from the dough. For classic ring donuts, use a smaller cutter or a frosting tip to remove the center.
Pro Tip: Place each donut on a small square of parchment paper. This makes transferring them to the fryer easier without disturbing their shape or rise. - Reuse the Dough Scraps: Gather the leftover dough, knead it briefly, and roll it out again to cut more donuts. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Let Them Rise: Arrange the donuts on a tray, cover them lightly with a kitchen towel or cling film, and let them rise in a warm spot for 30–45 minutes until they double in size.
- Heat the Oil: In a deep pan, heat the oil for frying to 170°C (or until very hot if you don’t have a thermometer).
- Fry the Donuts: Once the oil is hot and the donuts are risen, fry them in batches for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick or knife—it should come out clean.
- Drain Excess Oil: Remove the fried donuts and place them on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
Now lets get to the fillings.
Rooh Afza Cream Donuts
The Rooh Afza donuts are one of my favorites. They are filled with a simple Rooh Afza whipped cream with a Rooh Afza swirl, and topped with more whipped cream. It’s light, fresh, and creamy.
Here are the steps for making the Rooh Afza donuts.
- In a bowl, add the liquid whipping cream and Rooh Afza and whip on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks.
- Fill a piping bag with the cream and add a swirl of Rooh Afza syrup into the bag. Pipe the cream into the donuts until they’re filled, then pipe some more cream on top.
Mango Lassi Donuts
These donuts are inspired by everyone’s favorite summer drink – the mango lassi which is a sweet mango yoghurt that’s super refreshing. The donuts are filled with a mango and yoghurt whipped cream and topped with the same.
Here are the steps for making the Mangi Lassi donuts.
- In a blender, add the mango with yoghurt and sugar and blend until they form a thick paste.
- Add the mixture in a bowl with liquid whipping cream and whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
- Place the cream into a piping bag and fill the donuts. Use the same cream to top the donuts.
Chai & Parle-G Donuts
Of course I had to make a chai-inspired donut. This one plays on the classic flavor combination of masala chai and Parle-G with a chai pastry cream filling, a cardamom glaze topping, finished with a Parle-G.
Here are the steps for making the Chai & Parle-G Donuts.
- In a saucepan, place the milk with tea leaves and whole spices (like ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon), and let it cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes until the flavors are infused.
- Strain the milk, then place it back in a clean saucepan and bring the milk to boil.
- In a bowl, add the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour and whisk until light and fluffy. Once the milk is hot, pour some of it in the egg mixture and whisk immediately to temper the eggs.
- Pour the egg mixture into the remaining milk into the saucepan and mix continuously for 3-4 minutes until the custard thickens enough the coat the back of a spoon.
- Take it off the heat, add butter and whisk until melted and combined. Transfer the pastry cream into a bowl and cover with cling film, making sure it touches the surface of the custard. Let it chill in the fridge for atleast 2 hours.
- Once chilled, place it into a piping bag and fill the donuts. Top the donuts with a simple cardamom glaze made by mixing icing sugar, milk, and fround cardamom, and place a Parle-G on top to finish.
Rabdi Donuts
Rabdi is one of the most popular desserts in India. It’s a thick custard-like pudding made by cooking milk and sugar until it’s creamy and thick. Because it’s so similar to custard, it makes for the perfect donut filling.
Here are the steps for making the Rabdi donuts.
- To make the rabdi, place the milk in a saucepan and heat it on medium-low heat until it starts boiling, mixing often.
- Once the milk starts boiling, add the sugar and continue cooking on low-medium heat, mixing often, until the mixture reduces to 1/4th of it’s original quantity.
- Add the cornstarch slurry and cardamom powder and continue cooking the milk for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Let the Rabdi cool down, then transfer it into a piping bag and fill the donuts, then cover them with a cinnamon sugar mixture.
Gulkand Donuts
Gulkand is India’s version of rose jam, and it’s commonly used as a filling for pan. It’s sweet, floral, and a little tangy, and makes for the perfect desi-version of the classic jam-filled donut. You can easily find gulkand in most South Asian stores.
Here are the steps for making the Gulkand Donuts.
- Fill a piping bag with the gulkand jam and fill the donuts.
- Cover the donuts with granulated sugar.
Gajar Halwa Donuts
Probably my favorite South-Asian desserts, Gajar Halwa is a sweet carrot pudding that’s often served during winter (during carrot season). It’s sometimes served with ice cream so I’ve created a version of this with a quick sweet carrot filling and plain custard, to[[ed with more custard on top.
Here are the steps for making the Gajar Halwa Donuts.
- In a saucepan, add ghee and let it heat. Add grated carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to dry, then add condensed milk and cardamom powder and continue cooking until it’s thiclk, for 5-7 minutes.
- Add more ghee on top, mix it in, then take it off the heat and let it cool, then transfer it into a piping bag.
- Make a simple custard in the same way as the chai custard, without adding the tea leaves and spices to the milk.
- Once both elements have cooled down, fill the donut halfway with the carrot pudding and halfway with the custard. Top the donut with more custard and gold foil to finish.
Once you try these flavors, you will forget those boring-old donut flavors, and the best part is that each filling is super simple to make. So even if you want to make multiple flavors, you can easily make them.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Desi-Inspired Donuts
Equipment
- Stand mixer with whisk and dough attachment optional, but recommended
- Hand whisk
- Rolling Pin
- 7cm round cookie cutter or any cookie cutter of your choice
- Baking paper
- Saucepan
- piping bags
Ingredients
Brioche Donut Dough
- 2 eggs
- 50 grams caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 10 grams instant yeast
- 240 ml warm milk
- 170 grams butter melted
- 560 grams all-purpose flour
- 300 ml vegatable oil for frying
Rooh Afza Donuts
- 150 ml liquid whipping cream
- 40 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- 10 ml extra Rooh Afza syrup for filling
Mangi Lassi Donuts
- 150 ml liquid whipping cream
- 50 grams mango slices fresh or frozen
- 30 grams plain full-fat yoghurt
Rabdi Donuts
- 1 liter water
- 85 grams milk powder
- 125 grams white granulated sugar
- 5 grams corn flour
- 30 grams full-fat milk
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
- 30 grams sugar + 10 grams cinnamon powder for topping
Gajar Halwa Donuts
- 125 grams carrots shredded
- 75 ml condensed milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder or any winter spice of your choice like ginger or cardamom
- 2 tbsp ghee clarified butter can sub with butter, but I recommend using ghee
Chai & Parle-G Donuts
- 300 ml full-fat milk
- 15 grams tea leaves
- 4-5 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1- inch ginger
- 60 grams egg yolks around 4
- 72 grams caster sugar
- 30 grams cornflour
- 30 grams unsalted butter
- 50 grams icing sugar
- 10 grams milk
- 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Gulkand Donuts
- 100 grams Gulkand rose jam
- 30 grams granulated white sugar for topping
Instructions
Brioche Donuts
- Add the eggs, sugar, and salt to a bowl. If you have a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and whisk until everything is well combined. If not, use a hand whisk.
- In another bowl, mix the warm milk with the instant yeast. Ensure the milk isn’t too hot, as that can kill the yeast. Pour the milk mixture into the eggs and whisk until blended.
- Next, add the melted butter and whisk again. Then add half the flour and mix until you get a thick, batter-like consistency.
- Add the remaining flour and switch to the dough attachment (if using a stand mixer). Knead on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the dough forms a soft ball and starts climbing the dough hook. If you’re not using a stand mixer, knead by hand for 10-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and forms a ball.
- Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let it rise in the fridge for about three hours, or until it doubles in size. You can also let it rest overnight for 12-16 hours.
- Once risen, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1.5 cm, making sure it’s even throughout.
- Flour a cookie cutter and cut out circles from the dough, placing them on pieces of baking paper. If you want to make classic doughnuts with a hole, use a smaller cookie cutter or the back of a large frosting tip to cut out the center. Tip: Cut the baking paper into small squares and place each doughnut on a piece to make it easier to transfer them into the frying pan.
- Cover the doughnuts loosely with a towel or cling film and let them rise in a warm place until they double in size. Meanwhile, heat the oil to 170 degrees Celsius.
- When the doughnuts have risen and the oil is hot, fry them for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. To check if they are cooked through, poke one with a toothpick or small knife—it should come out clean.
- Make the dusting: mix brown sugar, white sugar, and cardamom powder in a bowl.
- Transfer the doughnuts to paper towels to absorb the excess oil, and while they are still hot, roll them in cinnamon sugar.
- Once the doughnuts have completely cooled down, use a smalll knife to poke a hole in the center of the doughnut and fill with the rabdi inside using a piping bag and enjoy.
Rooh Afza Donuts
- In a bowl, add the liquid whipping cream and Rooh Afza, and whisk until the cream becomes fluffy and reaches stiff peaks.
- Place the whipped cream into a piping bag with more Rooh Afza syrup and pipe it into the cooled donuts and top it with more whipped cream.
Mango Lassi Donuts
- In a blender, add the mango and yoghurt and blend into a paste.
- Add the mango paste in to the liquid whipping cream and whisk until the cream becomes fluffy and reaches stiff peaks.
- Transfer it into a piping bag, and fill the cooled donuts with the whipped cream, and top it with more whipped cream.
Rabdi Donuts
- In a saucepan, heat the water on medium-high until warm. Add the milk powder and sugar, stirring until they dissolve completely. If lumps form from the milk powder, continue stirring until they break up and dissolve.
- Once the milk mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from scorching at the bottom.
- Continue cooking on low heat until the milk reduces to about a quarter of its original volume and thickens. The milk will also take on a slightly brown, caramelized color.
- Prepare a slurry by mixing the corn flour with milk, then pour it into the thickened milk while stirring constantly. Keep stirring to prevent lumps as the Rabdi thickens further from the corn flour.
- Add the cardamom powder and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the mixture is thick. Remove it from the heat, transfer to a bowl, cover, and let it chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Before using, whip the Rabdi with a hand whisk to smooth it out, then transfer it into a piping bag or a zip lock bag.
- Transfer it into a piping bag, and fill the cooled donuts with the rabdi, and dust it with cinnamon sugar
Gajar Halwa Donuts
- Make the carrot filling: In a saucepan on medium heat, add 2 tbsps of the ghee. Once it’s hot, add the shredded carrots and fry them for 3-5 minutes until the moisture starts reducing. Make sure to squeeze the water out of the shredded carrots before frying. Once the carrots have dried a little, add the condensed milk. Keep stirring until it’s properly incorporated, then cover and cook the carrot mixture for 5-8 minutes on medium heat until the carrots have softened and the mixture has reduced. Add the spices and cook until the carrot mixture is thick and not runny. Set aside until ready to use.
- Make the pastry cream: Bring the milk and vanilla to a boil in a saucepan on medium heat. While it boils, whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar, and corn flour in a separate bowl until they’re pale and creamy.
- Once the milk starts boiling, temper the egg mixture by adding half of it to the egg yolk mix and whisking it continuously. This introduces eggs to some heat before they are transferred to the saucepan, reducing the chances of them scrambling over the heat.
- Transfer the egg yolk and milk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture on medium heat. Keep whisking continuously until the custard starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Once the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, remove it from the heat, add the butter, and whisk until properly combined. Transfer the custard into a bowl and cover it with cling film, making sure that it directly touches the surface to avoid a milk film forming on top. Let it chill for at least 1 hour before using.
- Transfer the set cream and the gajar halwa to a piping bag and fill the doughnut halfway with both. Top the donuts with more custard and gold foil.
Chai & Parle-G Donuts
- Make the chai custard: Steep the milk with tea leaves and whole spices for 10 minutes on low heat, then strain the milk and make the pastry cream in the same way as the custard from the previous recipe.
- Cardamom Glaze: mix the icing sugar with milk and cardamom powder and whisk until combined.
- Fill the donut with the pastry cream and top with the cardamom glaze and a Parle G
Gulkand Donuts
- Fill the donuts with the Gulkand jam and dust them with icing sugar.
Notes
- Make sure the milk is not hot when mixing it with yeast as that will kill the yeast and your dough will not rise. The milk should be lukewarm, around 30-35 degrees celsius.
- Knead the dough until it forms a completely smooth ball with just a little stickiness.
- When rolling the dough, make sure to properly flour the surface and the rolling pin to avoid it from sticking.
- Do not roll out the dough thicken than 1.5-2cm or the doughnuts will become too big and misshapen after rising.
- The dough should have even thickness all across or your doughnuts will have uneven thickness.
- Cut baking paper into small squares and place each individual doughnut on it. This makes it easy to pick the doughnut and transfer it to the frying pan without disturbing the rise of the dough.
- Make sure the oil is at the right temperature before adding the doughnuts into it. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat it until it’s very hot the way you would for deep frying potato fries.
- You will have to reduce and increase the heat throughout the cooking process, make sure to keep it balanced so that the doughnuts get cooked from inside and not just browned from outside.
- Keep an eye on the doughnuts and don’t let them get too dark.
- If your dough does not rise, it means that your yeast is dead. In this case, buy new yeast and make sure the milk isn’t too hot.
- If the doughnuts come out dry, it means you have overcooked them.
- Roll the doughnuts in cinnamon sugar while they are still hot so that it sticks on the surface.
- If filling the doughnuts, make sure they have completely cooled down before filling or the heat will melt the filling.
These donuts are inspired by so many of my memories, and I really enjoyed how the whole variety came out! If you wanna do something a little different, you will love these, too!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
