Gujiya Recipe with step by step photos and short video. Gujiya is a delicious Indian deep fried sweet , crispy, flaky pastry covering filled with dry fruits , nuts and milk solids.
If you are here looking for holi sweets recipe , then do check Best Holi recipes here .
Also after playing with colours refresh yourselves with Thandai , Kesar Badam Milk , Basundi , Aam Panna , Sattu Drink , Mango Lassi . Do check this post on how to make Thandai Masala Powder at home to make an Instant Thandai Recipe.
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About this recipe
Gujiya is also known as Karanji or Karjikai in different regions of India.The main difference in Gujiya , Karnaji or Karjikai mainly depends on sweet filling . Gujiya has a sweet filling of khoya and dry fruits mixture wheras Karanji or Karjikai is with desiccated dry coconut , poppy seeds , sesame seeds and sugar.
These are just regional variations as per liking's , availability of ingredients based on abundance and seasonal need to the body requirements as done by our ancestors.
Holi is incomplete without Gujiya , its a must sweet for bhog on Holi festival in North India. Hence , I too made this sweet for Holi festival . Here , I have used some homemade mawa , dry fruits , dry coconut and poppy seeds for filling .
Tips and Variations to make Gujiya
Also I have used 1 : 1 ratio of whole wheat flour to refined flour / maida but you can either use complete wholewheat flour or Refined flour / maida . Generally maida is used for covering along with 1 tablespoon of fine rava to get a crispy outer covering . But irrespective of flour , all techniques of making good gujiya lies in frying . For enhanced taste you can use 1 : 1 ratio of ghee and oil for deep frying. In fact you can use ghee completely for deep frying karanji , undoubtedly it tastes delicious.
While making karjikai / karanji , heat oil / ghee in a medium heat and once it attains the required temperature , put on low flame and fry gujiya's. This ensures that you get a crispy gujiya .
Alternatively you can also bake gujiya but this time as it was for festive celebrations , I was not in a mood to bake gujiya ...., I wanted authentic taste hence deep fried it . Still I cheated by using half amount of whole wheat flour / atta ,just ignore ! Lol 🙂
If you are more calorie conscious you can bake this in an oven at 180 deg Celsius for about 28-30 minutes by brushing with oil and flipping it to other side in half way.
Apart from frying , filling inside karanji speaks lot about this dish. Depending on the occasions stuffings also changes as per religious customs. In karnataka style karjikai , its dry coconut , poppy seeds , fried grams and sugar is the main filling. In Gujiya , its mainly mawa and dry fruits.
Filling is individual's preferences as per their taste and practices. But I personally like mawa with dry fuits , hence I have used the same. You can get creative and add fillings of your choice.
Step by step directions to make Gujiya
To make dough
In a bowl add flour, salt and melted ghee.
Rub ghee with flour in hands till it looks like bread crumbs in texture.
Add water part by part and knead the dough till firm .
Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. Whilst make filling ready.
To make filling
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan .
Add poppy seeds , chopped nuts and raisins , roast on medium heat till it starts to change colour.
Now add in dry coconut.
Roast till aromatic .
Transfer this into a wide plate and set aside.
In the same pan , add grated khoya / mawa and fry for 6-8 minutes till it starts to change color to light brown. Turn off stove and allow it cool.
Transfer mawa to the same plate with dry fruits.
Now add in ½ cup powdered sugar , ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder .
Mix well everything and set aside.
To make sealant
Add 2 tablespoon of maida flour , 3 tablespoon of water make a paste / slurry and set aside.
To roll and shape
Divide dough into 2 parts , roll into a log and cut into equal parts.
Roll into small balls and set aside in the same bowl covered with a damp cloth.
Now take a small ball and roll into a 5 inch diameter circle.
Place rolled dough on a gujiya mold , put 1 ½ tablespoon of filling mixture into mold. Apply sealant mixture on the edges , close and open the mold .
Shaped gujiya's will be ready. My new mold did not work well , hence I again shaped using fork.
Alternative method is to shape with hands or by using fork .
Whichever is convenient ,you can use that method to shape.
To fry Gujiya
Heat oil/ ghee in a deep frying pan / kadai to correct temperature. Test oil temperature by dropping a small piece of dough, if it comes up gradually then temperature is perfect and oil is ready to fry. If dough sits at the bottom , the oil is still warm and need to become hot , If it comes up immediately , then oil is too hot. So test oil before frying .
Gently slide the gujiya into oil . And let it fry on a low heat.
Once its cooked on one side, Turn them over carefully to other side . And fry till it turns golden in colour.
Drain oil and remove gujiya. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Fry remaining gujiya's in few batches , drain and remove. Once they are cooled completely, store them in a air tight box . Stays good at room temperature upto 4-5 days.
Serve to friends and family.
Recipe
Gujiya | Karanji | Karjikai Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- In a bowl add flour, salt and melted ghee.
- Rub ghee with flour in hands till it looks like bread crumbs in texture.
- Add water part by part and knead the dough till firm .
- Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Whilst make filling ready.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan , add poppy seeds.
- Add all chopped nuts and raisins , roast on medium heat till it starts to change color.
- Now add in dry coconut, roast till aromatic .
- Transfer this into a wide plate and set aside.
- In the same pan , add grated khoya / mawa and fry for 6-8 minutes till it starts to change color to light brown. Turn off stove and allow it cool.
- Transfer mawa to the same plate with dry fruits.
- Now add in ½ cup powdered sugar , ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder and mix well everything and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of maida flour , 3 tablespoon of water make a paste / slurry and set aside.
- Divide dough into 2 parts , roll into a log and cut into equal parts.
- Roll into small balls and set aside in the same bowl covered with a damp cloth.
- Now take a small ball and roll into a 5 inch diameter circle.
- Place rolled dough on a gujiya mold , put 1 ½ tablespoon of filling mixture into mold.
- Apply sealant mixture on the edges , close and open the mold . Shaped gujiya's will be ready. Alternative method is to shape with hands or by using fork . Whichever is convenient ,you can use that method to shape.
- Heat oil/ ghee in a deep frying pan / kadai to correct temperature. Test oil temperature by dropping a small piece of dough, if it comes up gradually then temperature is perfect and oil is ready to fry. If dough sits at the bottom , the oil is still warm and need to become hot , If it comes up immediately , then oil is too hot. So test oil before frying
- Gently slide the gujiya into oil .And let it fry on a low heat.
- Once its cooked on one side, Turn them over carefully to other side . And fry till it turns golden in colour.
- Drain oil and remove gujiya. Place on a kitchen paper towel. Fry remaining gujiya's in few batches , drain and remove. Once they are cooled completely, store them in a air tight box . Stays good at room temperature upto 4-5 days.Serve to friends and family.
Video
Notes
- Water quantity depends on the quality of flour , if using 2 cups of maida / refined flour then you may need less water . If using complete whole wheat flour , you may need more water. So add water part by part and then knead to smooth .
- 1 deep fried gujiya of about 95 grams approx has about 282 calories.
pranita deshpande says
welcome recipes
Muktha says
Thanks Pranita 🙂