Mava Gujiya is a simple Indian sweet recipe. You can make it very fast. It is a sweet synonymous with Holi and Diwali. It is also called as karanji in western and Kajjakayalu down south. You can call it the desi croissant.Usually, people use a mould to get a perfect shape. However, this recipe is for making a wholewheat mawa gujiya without any mold just like in the olden days.This is also a recipe for ghughra as it is called in gujarat and prepared during Diwali instead of Holi.
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Equipment
- kadai/frying pan
Ingredients
For Stuffing
- Mawa
- Ghee
- Khuskhus or poppy seeds
- Sooji or semolina
- Desiccated coconut /coconut flour
- Chopped nuts ( almond,walnuts and raisins)
- Powdered sugar
Ghee/Oil for frying
For Pastry
- Atta or whole meal four
- Sooji or semolina
- Salt
- Ghee/oil
- Water for kneading
How is mawa gujiya made?
Traditionally, it is a plain flour pastry with a filling of nuts and mawa. Use instant mawa or khoya milk solids from sweetshops. I love making my own mawa.You can make instant mawa in few minutes by using milk powder and cream. Easy and non contaminated. I also use the homemade mawa instead of buying khoya from the market. Just takes 5 mins. Make it and store in refrigerator in advance. Any burfi or peda making becomes so easy.
Some people also add it to sugar syrup after frying. This way you can reuse the left-over syrup of gulab jamun. However, with the changing times even this recipe has evolved. We have made the vegan gujiya in the past. However, that recipe still has some maida or all purpose flour in it.
Below is a recipe which is made of pure whole wheat flour/atta. Yes, it still as yummy and crunchy.
How to make mawa gujiya? (step wise)
- Heat ghee in a pan and add mawa to it. Cook until it is soft.
2. Once it is soft, add semolina(sooji) and poppy seeds(khuskhus). 
3. Add coconut powder/flour and mix well. Turn off the heat.
4. In a bowl, add powdered sugar, dry fruits and mix it with mawa. Keep this aside. 
5. Mix flour, ghee, semolina and salt in another bowl and knead it into a semi soft dough. Roll into round shape like a roti flatbread. Add the stuffing in one half of the roti. Repeat this for all the flatbreads. 
6. Now, join both halves of the flatbread to make a semi-circle. 
7. Press from all sides. Do not leave any open gaps else mixture will come out while frying. Start binding the edges using finger tips. Place the index finger of right hand. Now, roll the immediate part of covering to bind it. Alternatively, you can use gujiya mold to make the perfect shape. 
9. Start deep frying wholewheat mawa gujiya in oil or ghee on low heat, 2-3 at a time. 
10. Keep them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Store whole wheat mava gujiya in an air-tight container.
Read the wholewheat mawa gujiya recipe below:
Wholewheat Mawa gujiya
Equipment
- kadai/frying pan
Ingredients
Stuffing
- ½ cup mawa you may use instant mawa
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ½ tablespoon khuskhus or poppy seeds
- ½ tablespoon sooji or semolina
- ½ tablespoon desiccated coconut/coconut flour
- 3 tablespoon Chopped nuts almond,walnuts and raisins 1 tablespooneach
- 3 tablespoon sugar powdered
Pastry
- 1 cup atta or whole meal four
- 1 tablespoon sooji or semolina
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon ghee/oil
- ½ cup water for kneading
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Stuffing
- Heat ghee in a pan,add mawa
- Once it is soft,add sooji(semolina) and khuskhus(poppy seeds)
- Add coconut powder/flour ,turn off the heat
- Add powdered sugar,nuts and mix,keep this aside
Gujiya
- Mix flour,ghee,sooji and salt, knead into a semi soft dough,roll a piece of dough into round shape
- Add the stuffing in half of the rolled dough,close in semicircle
- Press from all sides,do not leave any open gaps
- Start binding the edges
- Fry in oil on low heat, 2-3 at a time until golden brown
- Keep them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil
Notes
Variations
You can also add a teaspoon fennel powder or cardamom powder to the filling.
Storage
You can store the deep fried gujiya upto a week in an air tight container.
Why I love this recipe ?
I love this recipe so much because it takes me back to my childhood. We didn't eat fast food back then. Firstly, mum believed homemade is best. Secondly, it was not so easily available. My mum made a lot of snacks and sweets at home in spite of being a working mum. Thus, on festivals sis and I were both helping and learning side by side. Little did we know, how beneficial that would be? Now, as a mum, that experience comes handy. However, it is an easy recipe even if you didn't cook anything earlier.
What are your top Holi recipes?
This is our perfect TOP 5 Holi party recipe list.
Did you know you can easily make Holi colours at home? Follow our DIY to make your own eco friendly non toxic colors with simple ingredients. Also, click here for more recipe videos.
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