Gujiya | How To Make Gujiya

Gujiya is an addictive, flavorful, and delicious Indian sweet recipe that is crispy and flaky on the outside with melt-in-mouth filling on the inside. Gujiya is specially prepared for Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Teej, and Diwali.

What is Gujiya or Gujia?

Gujiya is a popular Indian sweet recipe or deep-fried Indian dumpling prepared using flour and stuffed with mawa (koya, khoa, or milk solids) and dry fruits and nuts.

The making of gujiya is similar to a samosa, but it is half-moon/crescent-shaped or looks like empanadas.

Gujiya is also known as Karanji in Maharashtra, Nevri in Goa and Konkani, Ghughra in Gujarat, Pedakiya in Hindi, Garijalu in Telangana, Kajjikayalu in Andhra Pradesh, Karjikayi or Karigadubu in Karnataka, Somas in Tamil Nadu, Purukiya in Bihar - with each region having its own variation to the gujiya recipe. The outer covering is almost the same, but the filling is different in each region.

Gujiya vs. Karanji

Traditionally, while making karanji, coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds are used in preparing the filling. While making gujiya the filling uses evaporated milk solids known as mawa (khova, khoa, or khoya) and dried fruits and nuts. You can add desiccated or sweetened coconut even in some versions of gujiya.

If you love gujiya or karanji, and plan to make this delicacy for Holi, then make sure to check out other easy Holi recipes you can make at home!

Ingredients for Gujiya or Gujia

For the gujiya dough

2 cups All purpose flour or Maida
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Ghee
½ cup Water

For the gujiya filling

½ cup Sugar
4 Cardamom pods
2 tablespoon Ghee
15 Cashews, chopped
15 Almonds, chopped
10 Raisins
200 grams Khoya or Mawa
Oil for frying

How to make the best Gujiya?

To make the gujiya dough

• In a bowl, add flour, salt, and mix. Now add ghee and rub into the flour until the ghee is incorporated with the flour well. You can check the video here.
• Now add water in parts and mix to form a firm pastry-like dough. Please do not add all the water at once. 
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 30 minutes. 

To make the Gujiya filling with Mawa or Khoya

• Crumble the store-bought khoa or mawa and keep it aside. 
• Add sugar and cardamom pods in a mixer jar and blend to smooth powder. 
• In a pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of ghee, almonds, cashews, raisins, and saute until light golden. Transfer it to a plate. 
• In the same pan on medium heat, add another 1 tablespoon of ghee, crumbled mawa (or khoya), and keep stirring for 3 to 5 minutes until it comes together and becomes light golden in color. 
• Keep this aside to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. To this, add powdered sugar, roasted nuts, and mix. Keep this aside. 

How to shape gujiyas?

• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Shape each portion into a log and cut them into 6 or 7 equal pieces. 
• Roll each portion into a circle of 4 to 5 inches in diameter. I have not added any flour while rolling. Add flour only if needed. The lesser the flour, the better it is. At this point, you can use your fingertip to apply water on the edge for sealing. I have not done it. To know how I seal my gujiyas perfectly, you can check the video here.
• Once rolled into a circle, add 1 tablespoon of filling at the center. 
• Fold over to bring the edges together and shape it like a half-moon. You can seal the edges with a fork and then trim off excess dough. Alternatively, you can trim extra dough off the edges and then seal or crimp with a fork. If you are good at pleating, you can even pleat the edges for additional sealing and to make it look festive.

Frying the gujiya

Heat oil in a pan or kadai for frying on medium to medium-low flame. Once the oil is hot, drop the gujiyas 3 to 4 at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Leave it undisturbed for a minute. Then flip and continue frying till it becomes golden on all sides. 

Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil, and repeat the process for the remaining gujiyas. 

Tips:

• You can vary the amount of nuts in the filling to taste. Pistachios also can be added.
• If you love the flavor of coconut, feel free even to add (desiccated) coconut to the filling. 
• I fry it with oil. If you are looking for more flavor and richness, you can fry them in ghee. 

Chashni wali gujiya

You can also soak the fried gujiyas in sugar syrup to give it a glossy look and a unique sweet crunch. In this case, adding the sugar powder to the filling is optional. Prepare the sugar syrup by adding 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and saffron strands (or cardamom powder). There is no need to check for string consistency. Just boil for 5 minutes and keep it aside. 

Soak the fried gujiyas for 5 minutes in syrup. Serve and enjoy. 

FAQ

How to make gujiya crispier?

The perfect crispy and flaky gujiyas are obtained when you fry them on medium to medium-low flame. Never fry them on high flame. Medium-low flame is the key to crispier gujiyas. Yes, it will need a slightly longer time for the outer covering to develop a golden color. Gujiyas fried on medium-low flame remains crispy for a very long time, i.e., several days (7 to 10 days). 

How to store gujiyas?

You can make this dessert ahead of time, maybe 5 to 7 days before the festival, and store it in an airtight conatiner at room temperature. It will remain fresh and crispy. If you want to keep it for a longer time, say a month, then store it in the refrigerator. Reheat in a microwave or toaster oven.

Can I use whole wheat flour to make gujiyas?

You can make the entire recipe with atta or whole wheat flour or use a 1:1 ratio of atta and maida. There will definitely be a difference in the amount of water needed to make the dough and the texture and taste of the final gujiyas. But it will be tasty too. 

My gujiya opened while frying? What went wrong? How to fix it?

• You should seal the edges properly. 
• Do not overfill the gujiyas.
• Once you drop them in oil, do not disturb them for at least a minute or two. 

Baked Gujiya

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C. Brush each gujiyas with ghee on all sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until it becomes golden brown. You can flip it halfway through. 

Air fried Gujiya

Brush the gujiyas on all sides with ghee. Place the gujiya in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Bake them at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through or until it becomes golden brown. 

 Video recipe for Gujiya (Gujia)

Recipe Card

Detailed step-by-step recipe on making the best homemade Gujiya for Holi, Diwali, and Ganesh Chaturthi.

Recipe card

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