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!