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Gujhia

INDIA

These sweet dumplings are a celebratory treat

SUBMITTED BY

Nishtha

You can’t argue with me against my claim that dumplings are a favorite dish of many. Light, fluffy, and tender, they’re not only incredibly delicious but also quite easy to make. True dumpling lovers know they come in a wide variety of shapes and tastes, each having something specific you can easily remember it for. And today, I’m here to talk about one I had never tried before- Indian Gujiya!

Although no one can precisely trace the region nor the origin of this delightful dish, there’s no doubt hundreds of thousands of people enjoy its sweet taste. The recipe for this classic North Indian crisp, flaky pastry includes suji (or maida flower) and the stuffing made of khoa (or curd, if you will). Not having a chance to try making Indian Gujiya on my own, I was thrilled to have Nishtha share it with me. Believe me; I didn’t wait a minute before I rolled up my sleeves and turned my kitchen into a mini dumpling factory!

The key to making a perfect dough is working with your hands slowly and steadily, although you’ll need a bit of extra effort as it’s quite thick. What’s so unique about this dumpling variety is that they’re sweet. The secret to Nishtha’s recipe was adding a bit of coconut to lighten up the sweet taste, and let me admit- that’s brilliant! Other things you’ll need include khoa, cashews, almonds, pistachios, powdered sugar, flour, and ghee. 

After a bunch of ingredient chopping and mixing, you’ll be ready to stuff the previously-rolled and circle-shaped dough. After you’ve added the stuffing, you will fold the dough in half and prepare to give it a deep fry. Don’t feel discouraged if you first struggle with folding the dumplings- I struggled but eventually got it with the help of a YouTube tutorial.

I truly enjoyed the process of making it, even though it was a bit difficult at first. So, if you’re open to savoring something new, give this (or some of my other recipes on the blog) a try!

Watch the Video

Gujhia

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Ingredients
  

For pastry dough

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅓-½ cup water or add as needed
  • 2 Tbsp ghee

For sweet filling

  • 1 cup Khoya (mawa or evaporated milk solids)
  • ½ Tbsp ghee
  • 10 almons
  • 10 cashews
  • 10 pistachios
  • ½ Tbsp raisins
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup desiccated coconut
  • ½ tsp cardamom powder
  • oil for frying

Instructions
 

To make pastry dough

  • Place the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt in a bowl. Heat ghee in a small pan or bowl until it melts and becomes warm. Pour the ghee on the flours.
  • First mix the ghee with a spoon. Then rub and mix the ghee with the flours, with your fingertips to form a bread crumb like texture. Add water in parts and begin to knead. The amount of water needed will depend on the quality and texture of the flour.
  • Knead the dough till firm and tight. Cover the dough with a moist cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

To make stuffing

  • Crumble or grate the khoya (mawa). Chop the nuts, raisins and set aside.
  • Melt ghee in a pan on a low heat. Add the crumbled or grated khoya. Stir the khoya continuously on a low heat. Cook the khoya, till it begins to gather around itself. Switch off the heat and place the pan on the kitchen countertop. Let the khoya stuffing cool completely at room temperature.
  • Later add powdered sugar, the chopped nuts, raisins, coconut, and cardamom powder. Better to sieve the powdered sugar if there are lumps. Mix everything well and keep the stuffing aside. Check the taste and add more sugar if you prefer.

Assembling and shaping

  • Divide the dough into two parts. Make a medium log of each part and slice it into equal parts. Roll each part in your palms to make balls and place all the balls in the same bowl. Cover with a moist kitchen towel.
  • Dust the rolling board lightly with some flour. Roll each ball with the rolling pin to a small circle having 4 to 5 inches diameter. Don't add too much flour while rolling. If you can roll without the flour, then it is better.
  • With your fingertip or a pastry brush, apply water all over the circumference edge. Place about 1 to 1.5 tablespoon of the prepared filling on one side of the circle, keeping the edges empty. Don’t add too much of stuffing as it becomes difficult to shape gujhia and they may break in the oil. Carefully, bring together both the edges and join. Gently press the edges. You can use a pleating method as well if desired.
  • Prepare gujhia this way and arrange them on a plate or tray. Cover the gujhia with a moist napkin so that the dough does not dry out.

Frying

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
  • Gently slid the gujhia in oil. Just add a few pieces and don't overcrowd. At a time depending on the size of the pan/wok/kadai, you can fry 2 to 3 gujhia at a time on medium-heat. Turn them over carefully as fry the other side. Deep fry till they have become golden turning over as needed.
  • Drain on kitchen paper tissues. Fry all gujhia this way and once they are cooled completely at room temperature, store them in an air-tight box.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Dassana's Veg Recipes
Course: Dessert
Region: Asia

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