Dry Fruit Ghughra/Gujiya Recipe (Pastry Crust Pockets Filled With Dry Fruits)

Dry Fruit Ghughra/Gujiya Recipe (Pastry Crust Pockets Filled With Dry Fruits)

     Dry Fruit Ghughra or Gujiya Recipe are pockets of pastry crust, filled with dry fruits and deep fried to a crispy golden finish - a delicacy served during Holi or Ganesh Chaturthi

     Dry Fruit Ghughra or Gujiyas or Kadubu (Karnataka) Recipe are nothing but pockets of pastry crust, filled with dry fruits and deep fried to a crispy golden finish. Ghughra also called as Gujiya in Rajasthan have been a favorite of mine, ever since I was a child. These half moon shaped deep fried pockets, filled with pounded dry fruits and coconut taste super delicious when savored hot. However they also keep well for up-to a week when stored in an airtight container. They are most often made during Diwali and Holi or to celebrate a special occasion in the family. 

     Holi, the festival of colours in India is also a festival of great food. Holi food traditions involves people going to their neighbours and friends houses and enjoy this spring festival with a lot of snacks being passed around. The most popular savoury snacks during Holi snacks are Gujiyas, Kachoris, Samosas, Dahi Vada etc. Among the sweet snacks are sweet Gujiyas, Kulfis, Thandais and Malpuas.

Serve these delicious Dry Fruit Ghughra/Gujiya Recipe (Pastry Crust Pockets Filled With Dry Fruits)  for the festival of holi, diwali or a special occasion in the family as Party Dessert.

Note: You can also bake these Gujiyas in the oven. To bake them in the oven, first preheat the oven to 180 C. Arrange the shaped Gujiyas on the baking tray and bake in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until you notice them getting browned and crisp. Make sure you turn them at least couple of times in the baking process so the Gujiyas get evenly baked.

Dry Fruit Ghughra

Cuisine: Rajasthani 

Course: Snack 

Diet: Vegetarian 

Ingredients:

Ingredients for the Gujiya Crust:

• 3 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida),(all purposeflour)
• 1/4 cup Ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for the Gujiya Filling:

• 1/2 cup Dessicated Coconut
• 1/4 cup Badam (Almond),coarsely powdered
• 1/4 cup Pistachios,coarsely powdered
• 1/4 cup Cashew nuts,coarsely powdered
• 1/4 cup Dates,finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Raisins
• 2 teaspoons Cardamom Powder (Elaichi), freshly powdered

Method:

1. To begin making the Dry Fruit Ghughra Recipe (Gujiya), we will first make the pastry crust. Combine the flour, ghee and salt, in a large bowl. Work the ghee into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
2. Combine the flour, ghee and salt, in a large bowl. Work the ghee into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
3. Sprinkle water onto the crumbly dough and with your hands push the dough from the sides to the middle of the bowl to form a ball that holds together and is smooth.
4. Be careful to add only little water at a time, and not allowing the dough to become soggy. Knead well with your hands until the dough becomes into a firm ball of smooth dough. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for an hour.
5. Our next step is to make the filling. A tip to crush all the nuts is to use a food processor. This eases the process a lot  than cutting them with a knife.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the filling until all the ingredients hold together. Divide the filling mixture into 20 equal portions. Divide the pastry/gujiya dough into 20 equal portions as well.
7. Keep a small bowl filled with water by the side. On a floured surface roll each portion of the gujiya dough into a 3 inch diameter circle. Place a teaspoon full of filling mixture onto one half of the circle. Wet your fingers into the bowl of water and spread a little water around the edges of the circle.
8. Gently fold the circle into a semi-circle, forming a half moon shape. Seal the edges by pressing slightly, so that the dough sticks to each other making sure all the filling is still concealed inside.
9. Decorate the edges of the Gujiya by twisting the dough portion carefully to form a twisted shape. Continue the same procedure with the remaining dough and filling portions.
10. Preheat the oil on medium heat and you will know when the oil is preheated when you put a small dough it, it will start bubbling up.
11. Place the shaped gujiya, one at a time into the preheated oil. Based on the size of your pan you can fry 4 to 5 at a time on medium heat. Turn the Gujiya’s around in the oil once they come floating to the top. Do make sure to fry it on medium heat and not high, so you get crispy Gujiya’s
12. Once the Gujiya’s are fried to golden brown, drain the excess oil and proceed the same way with the remaining Gujiya’s.
13. Serve these delicious Dry Fruit Ghughra/Gujiya Recipe (Pastry Crust Pockets Filled With Dry Fruits)  for the festival of holi, diwali or a special occasion in the family as Party Dessert.

                                                                                                                                        EnjoyFood!