Gujiya- Sweet Dupling made of Flour & stuffed with mawa n dry fruits

GUJIYA

Region of India :-

It can be found in parts of North India, particularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Introduction:-

It is a sweet dumpling made with Maida flour and stuffed with mawa, dessicated cococnut & dryfruits.

It is similar to samosa but has a semi circle shape with pointed edges which were traditionally moulded with hands. But nowadays readymade moulds and stencils are available.

The stuffing is a mixture of mawa and roasted dry fruits( cashew nuts and raisins), dessicated coconut and to add a grainy texture, a little suji/rawa (semolina) is added.

Authenticity/ Reference Legends:- 

Gujiyas are called Purukiya in Bihar. Purukiyas are very popular in Bihar and are relished by everyone. There are two types of purukiya made in Bihar: one with suji / rawa (semolina flour) and another with mawa or khoya.

They are also found in other states of India with slight variations and are known by the following names :

Ø  Ghughra (Gujarati) in Gujarat,

Ø  Karanji (Marathi) in Maharashtra,

Ø  Karachika (Tamil) in Tamil Nadu,

Ø  Karjikayi (Kannada and Telugu) in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka

Ø  Nevri In Goa, (Goan Hindus prepare it on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.).

Typical flavors :-

It is made with rawa and mawa

In rawa gujiya, rawa is roasted in ghee with sugar, cashew, grated coconut, cardamom, raisins and other nuts and then deep fried in ghee.

In mawa gujiya, pure khoya is mixed with nuts and sugar and then deep fried. 

Method of cooking :-

Ingredients

Maida -1 kg

Ghee/ Oil – 150ml

Mawa/ Khoya – 500 gm

Sugar( Powdered/ Boora) – 375 gm

Dry Fruits ( Cashew nut and raisins – 100 gm

Cardamom powder – 25 g

Dessicated Coconut – 150 gm

Melon Seeds – 50 gm

Method:

1.     Take maida in a bowl , add oil/ghee to it and try to bind the flour in the fist, If you feel  it doesn’t then add a little more ghee/oil.

2.    Next add water and knead the dough. Cover it with damp cloth and set aside.

3.    Take mawa and sauté it a little and set aside to cool.

4.    In a pan add little ghee and roast rawa then roast dessicated coconut then cashew nuts and finally raisins.

5.    Once the mawa is cooled add sugar or boora as we call it ( else it may leave moisture).

6.    Next add all roasted items like rawa, dessicated coconut , cashew nut, raisins , melon seeds and cardamom powder and the filling is ready.

7.    Now make some small portions of the dough and roll them into small circles having 4-4.5 inch diameter.

8.    Place 1-2 tbsp filling on one side of the circle and apply water on the half the circumference.

9.    Carefully bring together the edges giving it a semicircle shape. Press the edges properly then shape them by pressing and cutting with nail or twisting the edges and repeat this process till the end.

10.  Prepare Gujiyas for all dumplings and keep them on a tray covered with a damp cloth so that the dough does not dry out.

11. Heat ghee/ oil in a kadhai and gently slide 2-3 gujiyas at a time for frying.

12. Make sure the oil is neither too hot nor too cold. Gently fry both sides until golden.

13. Take them out on a paper tissue .

14. Serve hot or once cooled store in air tight containers.

Peculiarity of the dish :-

It is generally made on Festivals of Holi and Diwali.

How is the dish made differently at home

Instead of using readymade moulds for giving desired shape, the shaping is done with hand and instead of maida some amount can be replaced with whole wheat flour.

Utensils used :-

Aluminium or non stick Wok or Kadhai can be used for frying.