November 8, 2019

Mawa Gujiya

With Diwali long gone, my craving to have some of the most popular sweets hasn’t really subsided. Mawa Gujiya is one very such common Indian sweet prepared during this festive season and honestly cannot remember the last time I had these. To explain plainly, Gujiya is a sweet fried dumpling made using all-purpose flour and filled with a mixture of milk solids (mawa/khoya) and nuts. Traditionally the deep-fried gujiya’s are then dipped in a sugar syrup to make it more glossy and tastier. Crispy yet flaky in texture outside, and soft stuffing inside with the crunch of dry fruits makes this near to perfect and divine dessert for me. Be it any happy occasion, we Indians sure know how to indulge our sweet tooth. An adventurous foodie would quickly discover the addictive quality of Indian sweets.

I have tried to lay out the process as detailed as possible. Again, it might look tedious but just a matter of getting all components ready and in a few minutes you see the magic happen. Since it is difficult to get Mawa / khoya here in Denmark, I make this using milk powder. Here is how to make crispy flaky Mawa Gujiya at home.

INGREDIENTS

For Gujiya Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp Ghee

Pinch of salt

Water to knead the dough

For Gujiya Stuffing

1 cup milk powder

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter

10 almonds

1 tbsp Charoli nuts

10 cashew nuts

½tsp Cardamom powder

10 pistachios

Oil for frying

For sugar syrup

1½ cup sugar

1½ cup water

pinch of saffron threads / Kesar

¼ tsp cardamom powder

METHOD:

To make Gujiya dough

In a bowl mix flour, ghee, salt in a bowl and start mixing everything until the flour looks crumbly
Gradually add water and knead it into a semi-stiff dough
Cover with a damp cloth and let the dough to rest for 30 minutes

To make Gujiya filling

Heat a non-stick pan and add the ghee, milk powder and saute for three minutes till fat separates. Switch off the flame and let it cool
Once the mixture is cool, add all dry fruits, cardamom powder, sugar, and mix well

To shape the Gujiyas

Divide the dough into small equal balls. Cover with a cloth and set aside
Take one ball and roll it flat into 4-5 inches disc.
Place spoonful of filling on one side of the disc, leaving the space at the edges
Apply water to the edges of the disc.
Carefully, bring one edge over the other to combine and form a half-moon shape.
Slightly press the edges with finger. Twist the sealed edges to make a pleat inwards. (You can skip this step and use a karanji cutter instead to seal the edges)
Heat enough oil in a deep pan and gently slide in the gujiyas. Deep fry on a medium heat them until golden and crisp
In another pan, heat sugar and water to make sugar syrup. Let it boil and cook till it reaches a one strand consistency. Switch off and set aside
Let the gujiyas cool for 2 mins approx. before transferring into the prepared sugar syrup
Coat well on both sides and let it rest for 5 minutes
Store them in a clean airtight container once completely cool. Enjoy