With Diwali just around the corner, requests from Hubby Dear and Little Dude have started pouring in! Diwali season is the ONE time in the year where I happily fill my trusty cast-iron kadhai with oil and deep fry to my heat’s content. Amongst our regular annual treats like Namakpare, Shakkarpare, Mathris, and Samosas, Gujiyas are the ones I’m usually most excited for! This is the ONE thing that the whole family – even my parents and siblings, request me to make year in and year out.
I have to be honest, when I first thought of making a batch of Gujiyas a few years ago, I was scared and had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I had this vision of me spending the entire day over the stove frying a small batch barely enough to feed the three of us. Little did I know, that once I got started, it would soon become a tradition I would look forward to every festive season.
To make it easier on myself, I usually break up the process into two days. I make the filling a day earlier and store it in the fridge. The dough gets done in my stand mixer and allowed to rest for 30 minutes. Then I set aside a couple of hours to form the pastries and fry them as I go along. If you so wish, you can freeze the filled pastries before deep-frying and store them for when you’re ready.
Gujiyas are very similar to Samosas or Empanadas, except that the filling is sweet. It’s not at all hard to make – maybe just a bit time-consuming, but then again, it’s recipes like these that make festive celebrations even more special. Here’s wishing you all a Very Happy and Prosperous Diwali! For more special Diwali recipes, please click here.
What are some of your annual festive food traditions? I’d love to hear all about it!
Gujiya (Sweet Stuffed Pastries)
Ingredients
- oil for deep frying
For the Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp light cooking oil
- water as needed
For the Filling
- 6 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
- Mix flour and 2 tbsp of oil with enough water to make a smooth firm dough. Cover and set it aside to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- In the meantime, dry roast the shredded coconut till lightly toasted and fragrant. Be careful to not let it burn by stirring frequently in between.
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the toasted coconut, sugar, almonds and cardamom powder, and give it a good mix.
- To form the pastries, roll out a small portion of the dough to about 0.5 cm of thickness. Now using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and set them aside.
- For each circle, add in about a heaped tablespoon of the filling in the middle. Carefully fold over one half of the circle to form a half-moon, and press the edges together to seal. You can use a fork to crimp the edges to ensure that the filling does not fall out while frying.
- Cover the pastries with a kitchen towel so that they do not dry out. Repeat the process for the remaining dough.
- Once you're ready to fry, heat enough oil on medium-high heat in a deep pan or kadhai.
- Fry the pastries in hot oil till they turn golden brown. Remove on a paper towel to drain excess oil, allow to cool, and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this recipe, then you will surely love my, Shakkarpare, Sooji Halwa and Dairy-free Gajar Halwa recipe as well.
Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
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