Gujiya (गुजिया)

This happens to be one of my favorites and it's a speciality sweet made on Holi (होली), a festival of colors celebrated in northern India. Even though it's my favorite I like it only when it's made from my Ma's recipe or it's made by my grandmother. Okay so here's my mother's recipe. The proportion of every ingredient is variable; if you like the filling to be more creamy then you can increase the ratio of khoya; similarly for all other ingredients. Sooji is the only ingredient which should be in negligible quantity.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup khoya
1/4 cup sugar 3/8 cup sugar (updated 03/09/09)
1 tsp sooji
1.5 tbsp coconut powder
Raisins and chironji (according to taste - if you like dry-fruits then you could use more of them, otherwise around 2 tbsp each)
2 cups maida (or all-purpose flour)
3 tbsp oil
Water
Oil for deep frying

1. Roast the suji till golden brown.
   
2. Roast the khoya till it turns slightly pinkish brown. I use frozen khoya which has a slight raw taste and it helps to cook it a little. Let it cool.
   
3. Add coconut powder, sooji, raisins, chironji and sugar. If you don't have chironji, you can substitute it with any nutty fruit like roasted almond or cashew. Mix them well.
4. Knead the maida with the oil and water. The dough should be soft but don't use too much water or else you get the bubbles on the skin (see the photo).
   
5. Take a small portion of the dough, knead it in your palm and roll it into a ball. Flatten it into a disc and using a rolling-pin, roll into a circle like a mini roti/tortilla. The size of the circle? Depends on the size of gujiya that you want. The gujiya's size will be half of that circle. The final roti should be sufficiently thin.
6. Take the mini-roti in your palm, dip your index finger into water and slightly dampen the rim of one half of the roti (to help in sealing it later).
7. Put a spoonful of the mixture in the center of the roti. Now seal the ends by bringing one half over the other. Press the rims lightly. You could use a dumpling maker to avoid all this. For the fancy ends - start from end, fold it towards the inside it'll look like a triangle. Now pinch the edge just after it and fold it inside. Keep going till you reach the other end. If you can't make it, don't worry. In fact I don't think I'm doing a good job at explaining it. Actually it's easier to do when you see it. Just make sure that whatever you do, you seal it well.
8. Heat oil for deep frying after you've made all the gujiyas.
   
9. Fry the gujiyas at a medium-high flame to a light brown color.
   

Notes:

• When kneading the dough use little water to avoid bubbles on the skin later when you fry. Use little more oil if required.
• Seal them well else they are vulnerable to suturing when frying. Don't overstuff them for the same purpose.
  

ETA:

• This recipe makes around 25 medium sized gujias.
• I added 3 tbsp dessicated coconut and 3 tbsp raisins.