Why is gujia made on Holi?

Sweet gujia is made with maida, sugar and dry fruits in North & West India on the occasion of Holi festival. It is a traditional sweet which is made in most of Indian households on Holi & eaten / distributed amongst friends & relatives.

Why you must eat the gujiya this Holi!

While two states have been rivalling each other quite bitterly over who had their first bite of the divinely sweet roshogolla, the rest of the country sits back, relaxes and nibbles on a gujiya.

There’s no fight over the origin of this sweet as long as there is enough of it — on Diwali and on Holi. But no matter how many similarities Diwali and Holi share between them — the victory of good over bad, festivity-turned-hooliganism, etc. — the gujiya belongs to Holi more than it belongs to Diwali.

Gujiya Recipe:

About Gujiya Recipe: Gujiyas are sweet dumplings made of maida or flour and filled with a delightful khoya and dry fruits mixture and are popularly made in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Deep fried in ghee and dipped in a sugary syrup, this Indian dessert is commonly made during the festival of Holi. The crisp outer layer cracks in the mouth for the sweet filling to take on your senses. Today, there are many versions of the gujiya available with different fillings such as dry fruit gujiya, mawa gujiya and even healthier ones like baked gujiyas, but nothing beats the timeless classic.

Ingredients Of Gujiya:

For the dough:

• 2 cups refined flour
• 1 cup clarified butter
• Water (to mix)

For the filling:

• 1 cup khoya
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp green cardamom, powdered
• 1 tbsp almonds, finely chopped
• Ghee (for deep-frying)

For the syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

How to Make Gujiya:

Prepare the dough:

1. 1.Rub 1/4 cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with water.
2. 2.Leave to rest for at least half an hour.

Prepare the filling:

1. Saute the khoya over medium heat till it looks slightly fried.
2. Take off the heat and when it cools, mix in the sugar, cardamom and almonds.
3. Shape the filling into ovals about 21 cm length and 1 cm thickness.
4. Make balls of the dough and roll out into 1 cm / 1/8 in thick rounds.
5. Take a round, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half.
6. Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal.
7. Either cut off the edge with a fancy cutter or make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges.
8. Make all the gujiyas in this way. Heat ghee in a kadahi. To check if the ghee is hot enough put a piece of dough in it. If it comes up at once, add as many gujiyas as fit in comfortably.
9. Turn them over and lower the heat to medium. Fry till golden brown on all sides. Lift out and leave to drain on absorbent paper.
10. Make sugar syrup by cooking water and sugar together, till one thread consistency
11. Dip the gujiyas in it, lift and let dry on a plate.
12. Fry the rest, increasing the heat for a few seconds before adding the next lot.
13. Can be eaten hot or at room temperature and can be stored in air-tight containers.

Recipe Notes:

• You can modify the ingredients for the filling in gujiyas according to your choice.
• Read and try more of our Holi recipes here.
• Why wait for an occasion? Cook our favourite Indian desserts at home when you just cannot resist on those sugar cravings.

Key Ingredients:

refined flour, clarified butter, Water (to mix), khoya, sugar, green cardamom, almonds, Ghee (for deep-frying), sugar, water