Gujiya for Holi!!

Best recipe for Mawa Gujiya for Holi, made with Whole Wheat Flour with fried and baked gujiya method.

Gujiya for Holi!! Flaky Mawa Gujiya for Holi and festivals like Deepawali. Make Mawa Gujiya with Khoya and dry fruits dipped in sugar syrup.

About Holi

Holi Hai!! Holi festival of colors...one of the major Indian festivals of love, happiness and joy is celebrated all around the country. I have very fond memories of Holi, going to market with Papa and buying colors, water gun(pichkari), the Holi Poojan on Choti Holi(day before main Holi on the day when people play colors-Dhulandi), making of gujiyas, Mathri and Shakkarpare and other Holi snacks with mom and other neighborhood aunties. On main Holi day,when it is celebrated with colors, neighborhood kids gathered together to play, throwing water balloons at each other and the adults and when nobody minded the kids' naughtiness. Some things never change.

Even my kids had the same fun on Holi in India, my daughter too looked forward to buying water gun, balloons, colors and of course the Holi Snacks.

What is Gujiya

Festivals anywhere in world are incomplete without the homemade sweets and snacks. Gujiyas are the traditional sweets that are made for Holi in the northern part of India especially in Uttar Pradesh. In Maharashtra Karanji similar to Gujiya is popular.

For those who are not familiar with Gujiya, it is a kind of deep-fried pastry stuffed with nuts, mawa/khoya (evaporated milk solids) and grated coconut and semolina. Coconut and semolina are optional and people use it for filling as per their personal preferences. It is similar to Empanadas(made with different fillings both sweet and savory) that are popular all around the world with different fillings and flavors.

Best Gujiya recipe for me

For me, my mom-made gujiyas are still the best ones for me that I have had till date. She skipped coconut in the filling instead, lightly coated sugar syrup dipped gujiyas with grated coconut. Not every year but few times I make Gujiyas gujiyas but whenever I make it can't match the taste of what my mom made !! Gujiyas can be shaped by hand or special molds are also available for the same.

Ingredients to make Mawa Gujiya dipped in sugar syrup

For Outer Covering

Flour :(Whole Wheat + Maida/All Purpose Flour). You can also use only All purpose flour.

Milk or water for kneading.

Ghee for flaky gujiya. It keep the dough /outer covering flaky.

For Filling

Khoya store bought or homemade.

Nuts- Almonds, Cashew nuts, Raisins, Dry Coconut flakes, Cardamom powder.

Sugar- I used powdered raw cane sugar. You can use castor sugar or boora also. Powder sugar in grinder before using in the recipe.

Ghee- for roasting nuts.

Oil for Frying Gujiya.

For Sugar Syrup

Sugar, water and cardamom powder. For coating fried gujiya.

How to make Mawa Gujiya

Dough For Outer Covering

• For the dough, mix flour and ghee lightly, rub the ghee into the flour until the flour resembles breadcrumbs.
• Adding ghee/fat to the flour is also known as 'Mooyein' in the local language, and it should be added just enough that the flour binds loosely with when taken in the fist
• Knead it with milk/water to a bit tight dough. Milk should be at the normal temperature. It adds richness to the dough.You can take water also for kneading instead of milk.
• Keep the dough to reat for about 10 mins. then again knead it as shown in video for 7-8 mins.
• It will be pliable and soft. This is the secret to flaky gujiya.
• Keep it covered till further use.

Make Khoya and Nuts Filling for Gujiya

• Take a non-stick pan or thick bottomed pan add 1 tsp ghee and roast nuts.
• Roast raisins and chironji for few seconds.
• Crumble mawa and dry roast it, till it turns light brown. Keep the flame to low so that it doesn't burn.
• Mawa solidifies on cooling so we have to crumble it nicely before adding nuts.
• Once the mawa is cools down completely, add nuts, cardamom powder, and powdered sugar or boora to it and mix well.
• Keep aside.

Filling and Shaping Gujiya

• Make the slurry with 1 tbsp of flour and 2 Tbsp of water, for sealing gujjiya.
• If you are using semolina, take 1-2 tbsp of each as per your preference, roast for a few minutes and mix with mawa or nuts.
• After the resting period of the dough, divide dough it into small tennis ball sized portions.Roll with rolling-pin into a circular thin disc.
• Place a spoonful of filling on it, apply the slurry on the edges, fold into half circle, press the edges with a fork to seal.
• Make rest of the gujjiyas with the same process.
• Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
• When the oil is hot enough, fry gujjiyas in it, 3-4 at a time or depending on the size of the pan you are using.
• Oil for frying gujiya should not be very hot, else the outer covering will have a lot of bubbles.
• To check that the oil is hot enough for frying gujjiyas, put one in a pan, it should first sink to the bottom then rise slowly to the surface.
• Then put rest of pieces, and fry first on low flame then on medium flame.This way the gujiyas will be evenly cooked from outside as well as inside and there will be no bubbling on the outer surface.
• Fry all the gujjiyas till these are golden brown in color.Let the gujiyas cool down.

Sugar Syrup fro Coating Gujiya(optional)

• Soaking the gujiyas in sugar syrup and coating in grated coconut/flakes is optional.
• If you want to go ahead with this step, make sugar syrup. For that add water and sugar to a pan and boil, till the solution is of one thread consistency.
• Dip the gujiyas in the syrup for a minute and take it out, roll in grated coconut. I have used store-bought coconut flakes. You can grate coconut at home and use.
• Once the gujiyas cool down sugar will crystallize if you dipped it in sugar syrup. Keep in an airtight container. These stay good for 10-15 days.

Can we Bake Gujiyas(Oven and Air Fryer)

For those who don't want deep-fried gujiya, you can bake these in the oven at 400°F or 200°C, in the preheated oven, for around 30 mins. Same settings work for Air-Fryer but time taken is less about 15-20 mins.

• Brush the gujiyas with oil and keep in the oven to bake.Turn the sides after 10-15 minutes of baking.
• Check the baking time, as it can differ due to different oven temperatures. Bake till light brown in color.
• Give milk wash once out of the oven (for milk wash, dissolve 1 tsp of melted ghee or oil in 2-3 Tbsp of milk) and if you want, sprinkle some coconut when still warm.

Tips for perfect flaky Gujiya

• Rub ghee nicely in flour.

• Knead the dough very nicely for 7-8 mins.Keep the dough to rest for at least 10-15 min.

• Oil should not be very hot. Gujiya do not fry properly in hot oil, will remain raw from inside. In low temp. oil, gujiya will soak lot of oil.
• Do not make very thin maida slurry.
• Fold the gujiya very nicely anad carefully.
• IF the gujiya starts to break while frying/covering tears up, then take it out. You can bake or air fry it.
• Dipping sugar syrup is optional. You can skip it.
• While baking gujiya, oven temp. should not be more than 160 degrees as the inner filling may also burn.

Other recipes for Holi-- Mawa Kachoris, Rajasthani Pyaz Ki Kachori, Puran Poli

Holi Together for a complete menu plan for Holi party and many more.

Recipe Card for Gujiyas for Holi

Gujiya for Holi

Swati

Flaky and delicious, Gujiya for Holi , with mawa/khoya , dry fruits and dipped in sugar syrup, coated with coconut flakes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine Indian

Ingredients

  

For Outer Covering/Pastry

• ¾ cup All Purpose Flour-APF/Maida 200 gm
• ¼ cup Ghee
• ¼ Cup Milk for kneading can use water also

For Filling

• 1 Cup Khoya/Mawa (homemade/store bought) or 200 g
• ½ tbsp Mixed Nuts(Cashew nuts, Almonds, Pistachios)
• ¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
• 1-2 tbsp Raisins
• 2 tbsp Chironji optional

For Sugar Syrup(optional)

• 1 cup Water
• ½ cup Sugar
• ¼ cup Cardamom Powder

For Outer Covering after dipping Sugar Syrup(optional)

• Coconut Flakes(for light coating) as required

Instructions

 

Dough For Outer Covering

• For the dough, mix flour and ghee lightly, rub the ghee into the flour until the flour resembles breadcrumbs.
• Adding ghee/fat to the flour is also known as 'Mooyein' in the local language, and it should be added just enough that the flour binds loosely with when taken in the fist
• Knead it with milk to a soft dough. Milk should be at the normal temperature. It adds richness to the dough.
• You can take water also for kneading instead of milk. Keep aside the dough covered with a damp kitchen towel, for 10-15 minutes.
• Knead the dough very nicely for 7-8 mins. Watch video for instructions.

Make Khoya and Nuts Filling for Gujiya

• Take a non-stick pan or thick bottomed pan add 1 tsp ghee and roast nuts. If you are adding raisins, add it later. Once the mawa is warm or cools down, add nuts, cardamom powder, and powdered sugar or boora to it and mix well. Keep aside.
• and dry roast mawa, till it turns light brown.
• Make the slurry with 1 tbsp of flour and 2 Tbsp of water, for sealing gujjiya.
• If you are using semolina, take 1-2 tbsp of each as per your preference, roast for a few minutes and mix with mawa or nuts.
• After the resting period of the dough, divide dough it into small tennis ball sized portions.Roll with rolling-pin into a circular thin disc.
• Place a spoonful of filling on it, apply the slurry on the edges, fold into half circle, press the edges with a fork to seal.
• Make rest of the gujjiyas with the same process.
• Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan.
• When the oil is hot enough, fry gujjiyas in it, 3-4 at a time or depending on the size of the pan you are using.
• Oil for frying gujiya should not be very hot, else the outer covering will have a lot of bubbles.
• To check that the oil is hot enough for frying gujjiyas, put one in a pan, it should first sink to the bottom then rise slowly to the surface.
• Then put rest of pieces, and fry first on low flame then on medium flame.This way the gujiyas will be evenly cooked from outside as well as inside and there will be no bubbling on the outer surface.
• Fry all the gujjiyas till these are golden brown in color.Let the gujiyas cool down.

Sugar Syrup fro Coating Gujiya(optional)

• Soaking the gujiyas in sugar syrup and coating in grated coconut/flakes is optional.
• If you want to go ahead with this step, make sugar syrup. For that add water and sugar to a pan, and boil, till the solution is of one thread consistency.Dip the gujiyas in the syrup for a minute and take it out, roll in grated coconut. I have used store-bought coconut flakes. You can grate coconut at home and use.
• Once the gujiyas cool down sugar will crystallize if you dipped it in sugar syrup. Keep in an airtight container. These stay good for 10-15 days.

Video

Notes

Mawa for the filling can be store-bought or homemade.Use unsweetened and granular mawa for making gujiya. Click on the link for homemade mawa / khoya recipe.

Keyword Gujjiya, Recipes for Holi

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Make and relish these gujjiya with other Holi snacks and enjoy the Festival of Color with your loved ones!! Cook, Eat, Celebrate.

Do try Gujiya for Holi my way.. You will surely love it. Dipping is sugar syrup and coating with coconut flakes is optional and trust me it tastes awesome!!

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