Gujia

Gujiya (Hindi: गुजिया), a karanji (Marathi: करंजी) or Kajjikayalu in Telugu is a sweet deep-fried dumpling, native to the Indian subcontinent, made with suji (semolina) or maida (all purpose flour) stuffed with a mixture of sweetened khoa (milk solids; also called mawa) and dried fruits, and fried in ghee. The earliest mention of gujiya dates back to the 13th century, when a jaggery-honey mixture was covered with wheat flour and was sun-dried.

Gujia
TypeDumpling
CourseDessert
Place of originIndian subcontinent
Main ingredientsSuji or Maida flour, wheat flour, khoa

The preparation method of a typical gujiya/pedakiya is rather similar to that of a samosa, but the gujiya/pedakiya looks like an empanada. Shaped like a half moon, the gujiya or pedakiya is filled with a sweet mixture of grated and roasted dried fruits, khoa, grated coconut, and a hint of suji to lend it a grainy texture. It is especially made and consumed during Teej, Holi and Chhath in India.

Similar dishes

Several regional cuisines in India feature dishes similar to gujia, but with different fillings.

Gujias are prepared in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat and Bihar regions of India during Holi and Diwali festivities. Dry ones are called Pedakiya in Bihar. Pedakiyas are very popular in Bihar and are relished by everyone. There it is used as holy offerings in Chhath. There are two types of pedakiya made in Bihar: one with suji / rawa (Semolina) and another with khoa. In suji pedakiya, suji is roasted in ghee with sugar, almonds, cardamom, raisins and other nuts and then deep fried in ghee. In khoa pedakiya, pure khoa is mixed with nuts and sugar and then deep fried. It is also called Ghughra (Gujarati) in Gujarat, Karanji (Marathi) in Maharashtra and in Odisha, Somas (Tamil) in Tamil Nadu, Garijalu (Telugu) in Telangana and, Kajjikaya (Telugu) in Andhra Pradesh and, Karjikayi (Kannada) in Karnataka. They are all fried sweet dumplings made of wheat flour and stuffed with dry or moist coconut delicacies. In Goa, Goans prepare a similar sweet on the occasion of their festivals: Hindus for Ganesh Chaturthi and Christians for Christmas, and call it nevri or neuri (plural neureo). In Odisha it is called karanji and has either a coconut based or curd cheese based filling.

See also
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