Holi 2023: 3 easy-to-make Gujiya recipes you can try at home

Holi 2023: Any festival is incomplete without its spread of traditional foods and when it comes to Holi, Gujiya features on the top of the list as a sweet delicacy to enjoy during the festival of colours. Known as Karanji in Maharashtra, Pedakiya in Bihar, and Ghughra in Gujarat, the humble Gujiya has many avatars and still many versions of it continue to evolve as the years go by. It comes in myriad flavours from chocolate, cashew, paan, boondi, anjeer, apple, gulkand, to many others. For health conscious, the cooking method changes from deep-fried to baked and healthy ingredients can be added. Gujiya is said to have originated in 13th century where the earliest version had a jaggery-honey mixture in the cover made with wheat flour. It also may have inspired by Turkey's Baklava with similar ingredients and cooking method. (Also read: Holi 2023: Simple and delicious Malpua recipes you can try at home)

On the occasion of Holi, here are three Gujiyas you can try making at home and serve with love to your family and friends.

1. Coconut Gujiya

(Recipe by Chef Vikram Simha)

Ingredients

For stuffing

150 gms dry coconut/kopra/desiccated coconut

100 gms powdered sugar

15 gm poppy seeds / khus khus

Cashews (chopped)

10 raisins (chopped)

5 almonds (chopped)

5 gms cardamom powder

For dough

200 gm maida/all-purpose flour/plain flour

Salt to taste

30 gm ghee (hot)

100 ml warm milk (or as required to knead dough)

500 refined vegetable oil for frying

- In a large mixing bowl take dry coconut. Further add powdered sugar and poppy seeds.

- Add chopped dry fruits, then add cardamom powder and mix well.

- Finally, the stuffing is ready to prepare Gujiya. Keep aside.

Gujiya dough recipe:

- In a large mixing bowl take maida and salt to taste.

- Further pour very hot ghee over maida. Now rub and crumble the dough well between your hands.

- Add milk and knead the dough.

- Cover with a moist cloth and rest for 30 minutes.

Gujiya recipe:

- Divide into small ball sized dough and roll it to a ball with a belan.

- Roll to a slightly thick puris and cut to a round shape.

- Grease the edges of the puri with warm milk.

- Place a tsp of the prepared coconut stuffing in the middle of the puri, and stick the edges together and press slightly.

- Pinch the edge gently and fold it inside.

- Finally take the tip that comes out press it again and fold it.

- Heat oil in a kadai till 160Degrees

- Deep fry the Gujiya slowly few at a time till they turn golden brown.

- Finally, drain over the kitchen towel and serve.

2. Chocolate Gujiya

(Recipe by Chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)

Ingredients

Ghee or oil to fry

For cover

Maida (All purpose flour) - 500 gm

Oil/Ghee (melted) - 6 tbsp

Filling

Dark Chocolate - 200 gm

Cereal Choco (crushed) - 100 gm

Method

- Sieve the flour and add oil in flour and mix with fingers.

- Add moisture and make a tight dough, cover with damp cloth and keep aside.

- Melt chocolate and add choco cereal to make dumpling. Once cooked allow it to cool down.

- Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into 4 inches diameter pancakes.

- Fill the pancakes with the chocolate dumpling and seal it in half moon shape, twisting the edges inwards.

- Repeat the same to rest of the dough and fry in medium heat.

- Fry till golden brown in colour and garnish with melted dark chocolate

2. Gajrele ki Gujiya

(Recipe by Chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa)

Ingredients

Ghee or oil

For the cover

Maida - 500 gm

Melted oil or ghee - 6 tbsp

For the filling

Carrots - 1 kg

Khoya - 200 gm

Green - cardamom pwd 1/2 tsp

Chopped almonds - 25 gm

Chopped cashewnuts - 25 gm

Raisins - 25 gm

Dried coconut, shredded - 25 gm

Sugar - 100 gm

Method

- Sieve the flour and add oil to it; mix it with fingers. Add a bit of moisture and make a tight dough, cover with damp cloth and keep aside.

- Wash, peel and grate carrots to sauté in ghee. Stir continuously to cook evenly.

- Add khoya in it.

- Add green cardamom powder, raisin and dry nuts and cook on slow flame.

- Cook till sticky consistency, add sugar if desired. Allow it to cool.

- Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into 4 inches diameter pancakes.

- Fill the pancakes with the carrot filling, few chopped raisins and coconut shreds and seal it in half moon shape, twisting the edges inwards.

- Fry in medium heat till golden brown in colour and garnish with nuts or silver leaf or gold leaf or as per your choice.

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