COCONUT FILLED GUJIYA

Coconut filled gujiya or karanji is a traditional Maharashtrian recipe made and served during all important festivals such as Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi etc. Made all over India as a festival sweet, gujiyas differ only slightly from region to region. In some states, like Uttar Pradesh, the filling is made with sweetened khoya (milk thickened almost to a solid state) and nuts while in others like Goa, it consists of shredded coconut, nuts, and jaggery. This version of coconut filled gujiya I have made, uses the coconut filling sweetened with sugar. The crispy top layer of gujiya with stuffing of mouth melting coconut filling creates a beautiful melange of ingredients that you can relish anytime.

For this coconut filled gujiya recipe, you will need…

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup Wheat flour/Atta
• 2 tbsps. Ghee
• ½ cup Coconut, freshly grated
• 1 cup Sugar
• ¼ cup Water
• 2 tbsps. Raisins, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps. Cashews, finely chopped
• 2 tbsps. Almonds, cut into very thin slivers
• ½ tsp. ground Cardamom
• Vegetable oil or Ghee, for deep frying

 

Method

• In a dish, mix the flour and ghee to form a crumbly dough that just holds together.
• Add water a little at a time and knead to form a firm dough. When done, cover the dough with a damp tea towel or muslin and put aside.
• In another pan, toast the coconut on a very low flame until it is a pale reddish color. Put aside.
• Mix the sugar and water in a pan and cook until the sugar is fully melted. Allow it to thicken slightly.
• Add the coconut, raisins, cashews, almonds, and cardamom to the syrup and mix well. Remove from fire and place aside to cool.
• Divide the prepared dough into equal-sized portions and hand-roll them into balls.
• Flatten the balls out into circles about 4 to 5 inches wide.
• Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle and fold over into a semi-circle. Pleat the edges to seal. Repeat the filling process for all the circles.
• Once all the dough and filling are used, heat oil or ghee over a medium flame and deep fry the gujiyas.
• Drain them on paper towels and yumm…. they are ready to eat.
• You can also store them in an airtight container.