Made all over India as a festival sweet, Gujias or Nuereos differ only slightly from region to region. In some states, like Uttar Pradesh, the filling is made with sweetened khoya (milk thickened almost to a solid state) and nuts while in others like Goa, it consists of shredded coconut, nuts and jaggery. Though traditionally a festival sweet, try gujias to add a special touch to everyday tea time too.
Ingredients:
- 500 gms all-purpose flour
- 6-7 tbsps of ghee (do not melt the ghee)
- Water
- 500 gms khoya
- 300 gms sugar, powdered
- 1 tsp powdered cardamom
- A handful of almonds cut into slivers (add more or less as per your taste)
- A handful of raisins (add more or less as per your taste)
- Vegetable/sunflower/canola oil or ghee for deep frying
Preparation:
- In a flat dish, mix the flour and ghee to form a crumbly mix that just about holds together.
- Add water a little at a time and knead to form a firm dough. When done, cover the dough with a damp tea towel or muslin and keep it aside.
- Put the khoya in a thick-bottomed, wide pan on a low flame and cook, stirring frqeuently till it turns golden.
- Add the sugar, almonds and raisins and cardamom powder and stir well. Cook for another minute and turn off. Allow the mixture to cool.
- Divide the prepared dough into equal sized-portions and make them into balls.
- Roll these balls out into circles about 4-5" wide.
- Put a heaped tablespoon of filling in the centre of each circle and fold over into a semi-circle. Pleat the edges to seal and keep aside. Repeat the filling process for all the circles.
- Once all your dough and filling is used up, heat oil on a medium flame and deep fry the gujias.
- Drain them on paper towels and store in an air-tight container.
