Holi recipe: Mava gujiya

We'd asked you, dear readers to share your favourite Holi recipe. 

Reader Aditi Bahl tells us how to make Gujiya. You can share yours too! 

H ere's what she had to say.

"Gujiya is a very common North Indian sweet treat made especially on and for the colourful occasion of Holi.

"This one is my personal favourite too! Earlier we used to have gujiyas bought from the market every Holi. Drenched in sugar syrup one would not have it otherwise, but on Holi -- amidst the colours, all wet and soaked in water -- you just crave for these fried sweet gujiyas filled with coconut and dry fruits."

"I have tried making these in two different ways. One is a dry gujiya and the other one is with a glaze. You may also dip the gujiyas post frying in sugar syrup. I made a jaggery glaze and just dipped the gujiyas on one side into the glaze and served them. This way it gets a tinge of sugary flavour but doesn’t get all soaked in the syrup. You can also add a twist to your recipe by adding a few dry apricots to your filling. You may also alter the quantity of sugar as per your taste, or use sugar-free in this recipe to make it a Diabetic recipe."

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients

For the dough (to make 12 gujiyas)

• 2 cup maida (all purpose flour) 
• 4 tbsp clarified butter/desi ghee
• A pinch of salt
• 6 tbsp sugar
• Water (to knead a soft dough)

For the filling 

• 1/4 cup coconut (desiccated/dry grated) 
• 1 cup khoya/mawa 
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar/sugar-free Natura
• 2-3 tbsp milk (just to bind the filling together and keep the mawa soft post roasting)
• 2 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp pista/pistachio
• 1 tbsp cashew
• 6-7 green cardamom/elaichi 
• 1/2 tsp saffron strands
• 3-4 dried apricots
• 2 tbsp almonds
• 2 tbsp ghee to roast the mawa
• Oil to fry

To seal the gujiya

• 1 tbsp maida mixed with a little water

For the jaggery glaze

• 1/4 cup jaggery (grated)
• 3 tbsp water

(just heat these two on simmer till the jaggery melts and cools)

Method

• For the dough: In a food processor/a bowl take flour, salt, sugar and ghee. Mix well till it gets a crumbly texture and the ghee is mixed in the flour well.
• Now add a little water and knead the dough. Keep the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Remove and knead the dough again lightly with your hands.
• Soak saffron strands in 2 tbsp of milk. We will need this when we roast the mawa/khoya.
• For the filling: In a pan dry roast the almonds and cashews. Roast till they get a golden color. Keep aside to cool.
• In the pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and roast the mawa. Roast on simmer. Once the mawa gets a light golden color add the grated/desiccated coconut. Roast for another five minutes and add the saffron milk. Mix and let the milk get soaked. This may take just a few minutes. Remove from heat and transfer this mixture to another vessel to cool.
• In a mixer add almonds, cashew, green cardamoms, raisins, apricots, pistachio and grind on pulse. Don’t make it too fine.
• Add this mix to the mawa and coconut mixture and mix well. We are ready to make gujiyas now.
• Roll the gujiya dough and make 12 equal small balls. Roll one ball at once into a circle, insert into the gujiya mould. Add 1 tbsp of filling, seal the gujiya with maida and water, paste and close the mould to fix. Make all gujiyas and keep covered.
• Heat oil in a kadai, once the oil is little warm, reduce the flame and start frying the gujiyas. Remember the oil should not be very hot, otherwise it will be a bit undercooked and the shell will not be very crisp.

Photographs: Aditi Bahl

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