Gujiya
Crescent-shaped pastries filled with khoya, semolina and dry fruit — the sweet of Holi.
Preparation40 min
Cooking40 min
Servings16
Fasting (vrat) suitability
No saltNo onion or garlicContains grains or pulses, so it is usually made as festival prasad rather than eaten during a strict fast.
Fasting and offering customs differ between families, regions and sampradayas — some avoid all salt, milk, sugar or certain vegetables. Follow your own tradition and your elders’ guidance.
Offered on
Offered to Krishna and the household deity on Holi; also made for Diwali
Ingredients
For 16 servings. 1 cup = 240 ml.
- 2 cups maida
- ¼ cup ghee (for the dough) plus ghee or oil for frying
- 1 cup khoya (mawa), crumbled
- 2 tbsp semolina
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp each chopped almonds, cashews, raisins and desiccated coconut
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- Water to knead
Method
- Rub the ghee into the maida and knead a firm dough with cold water. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
- Roast the khoya on low heat until light golden; roast the semolina separately in a little ghee. Cool both.
- Mix khoya, semolina, sugar, dry fruit, coconut and cardamom to make the filling.
- Roll small circles of dough, place a spoon of filling on one half, wet the edge, fold into a half-moon and seal — crimp the edge or use a gujiya mould.
- Fry a few at a time on low heat until pale golden and crisp. Cool before storing.
Seal the edges well so the filling does not leak into the oil. Some families bake them or add a sugar-syrup coat (chashni wali gujiya).
Also offered on these festivals
Recipes written by our editorial team from common household practice. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.