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Mawa Gujiya
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: indian, marwadi
Keyword: deep fried sweets, festive
Servings: 20 pieces
Ingredients
  • oil for deep-frying I used pure peanut oil
for the dough
  • 2 cups chiroti rava /fine sooji/fine semolina or all-purpose flour (maida)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ghee/butter/oil
  • pinch of turmeric
  • water for binding the dough
for the filling
  • 1/2 cup crumbled mawa/khova/khoya, fresh or frozen
  • 1/4 cup powdered raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup powdered cashews
  • 1/4 cup desiccated coconut/ grated copra (sun-dried coconut)
  • 1-1/4 cup powdered/confectioner's sugar
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp powdered cardamom about 4-5 pods
Instructions

  1. If using frozen mawa, let sit on the counter for 20-30 mins to thaw. Once thawed, gently squish with your fingers making sure to break all the lumps for a crumbled Mawa. If using freshly home made Mawa, make sure it is crumbly before use.

  2. Pulse almonds in a blender/mixer for a few times until it resembles a coarse flour or corn meal. Do not run the blender continuously or you will end up with almond butter. Ditto for the cashews.

  3. Peel open cardamom pods and powder the seeds using a mortar and pestle.
  4. In a mixing bowl, mix chiroti rava /fine sooji with salt and turmeric, if you chose to. If using all purpose flour, sieve first. Add in your preferred fat and mix well. I prefer home-made ghee if not, pure butter, though oil is a pretty good substitute too. Using little water at a time, mix the dough to a chapati/roti consistency and set aside covered. Dough should be soft to touch but not sticky.
  5. In another medium bowl, mix together all of 'for the filling' ingredients.
  6. Slap the dough a few times on the rolling board or a clean counter and knead well. Divide the dough into portions the size of small key limes or about 1-½" diameter.
  7. Roll the dough into thin circles without using flour for dusting. For perfect round circles, cut out the rolled dough either using a round mold or any cup/container that fits the circumference. Prick it all over gently with a fork, which prevents it from bloating when deep-fried and later from losing its crunch.
  8. Delicately spoon the filling on one half of the rolled dough. Wet the edges of the rolled dough with a few drops of water. Close by bringing both ends of the rolled dough together and press firmly to seal the edges making sure no air is trapped between the filling and the sealed edges.
  9. Either press the edges with a fork or pinch and fold with your fingers to make ornate edges for this dough purse.
  10. Heat oil in a kadai or heavy bottom pan on medium. When the oil is hot enough or shimmering, add a small pinch of dough to check, if it rises immediately, oil is ready for action.
  11. Drop gujiyas one or two at a time and deep fry on medium until golden brown.  Remove onto a tissue to strain extra oil and let cool slightly before serving or the stuffing inside may be very hot.
Notes

Do not discard cardamom skin, use it in lemonade or drop it in the simmering tea for a delicate flavor.

Gujiyas store well for up to 10 days in an airtight container.

Aromas of freshly grated nutmeg and ground cardamom take the sweet to a whole new level. Use of fresh spices cannot be stressed enough.

I prefer using a small to medium size kadai (wok) for deep-frying. Due to its concave shape, lesser oil is required to fry with negligible oil leftover saving me from oil reuse.

for variation, dried fruits like sultana raisins and even chocolate shavings make a grand addition

Don'ts:

Try not to use flour for dusting unless rolling the dough is almost impossible, in which case the dough might be sticky. Add a little flour to the dough, a few drops of oil and knead well until dough is of the required consistency.

Extra flour for dusting is best avoided to prevent it from getting burnt when deep-fried and clinging to the gujiya.