Studies targeting the process standardization of khaja, a traditional Indian sweet, have not been reported and require attention given its wide demand. In this work, the kinetics of change in quality parameters of fried khaja was investigated at different frying temperatures (160–200°C) and time (1–5 min). The lightness parameter of khaja decreased from 82.80 to 58.09–46.04, while the redness parameter increased from 0.42 to 5.63–11.11 for the samples fried for 5 min, at different temperatures. The yellowness parameter increased with time at lower temperatures (160–170°C) and showed a non‐linear trend at temperatures >170°C. The hardness and moisture content of the samples decreased whereas the total fat increased after 5 min of frying. Microstructural changes associated with cellular collapse and starch gelatinization were also observed. The color parameters followed zero‐order whereas, moisture and total fat followed first‐order kinetics.

The growing demand toward ready‐to‐eat foods has promoted the snacks industry. Traditional sweets are very popular among each generation, but longer preparation times and tough protocols are major inconveniences in consumers' busy schedules. Khaja is manufactured by unorganized small‐scale enterprises leading to non‐standard and variability in quality. Standardizing the manufacturing process would help food industries to produce uniform and good quality khaja. This study is the first report that deals with deep‐frying and quality characteristics of khaja. Results of this study would facilitate optimization of frying conditions and developing efficient process technology for good quality khaja production.