Piraykiya or Gujia

Piraykiya or Gujia is a sweet made during the festival of holi in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The filling can be of Khoya or semolina(suji).


Ingredients for filling-
Semolina or suji-3/4 cup,
Ghee-2 tbsp,
Powdered sugar- 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup or use according to taste,
Dry fruits-3/4 cup to 1 cup-handful of cashew nuts,almonds and raisins or kismish-chop the nuts into small pieces as it will not tear the dough covering.
White cardamom-4.
Ingredients for dough-
All purpose flour-2 cups (original recipe) but add 1/2 cup more to adjust with the filling- (2 and 1/ 2 is approximately  250 gms in weight )
Ghee-1/4 cup,
Yogurt-1/4 cup,
Water- less then 1/4 cup.
Ghee for frying,
Little water in a small bowl for brushing the edges of the rolled gujia dough.

Note: Initially i had made the dough using 2 cups of flour according to the recipe, but after filling the gujias,there was still some filling left for 6 more gujias. Had to knead 1/2 cup of flour with 2 tsp of ghee and 1 tsp of yogurt and little water.
You can add 1/2 cup of flour in the initial kneading to avoid making the dough again.

Method:
Sieve flour and measure 2 cups in a bowl.
Add 1/4 cup of melted ghee and mix the dough.

Add 1/4 of beaten yogurt.

Mix again and then gradually add 2 tbsp of water each time to get a dough which is a little stiffer then puri dough.

You will require less then 1/4 cup f water for kneading the dough.

 Cover the dough and let it rest for 1/2 hour.
Filling- Roast the nuts in kadahi for few seconds.
Chop the nuts and keep in a bowl.
Grind the cardamoms seeds and keep in a bowl(covered)
Heat a heavy bottom kadhai and add 2 tbsp of ghee.

As ghee heats up lower the heat and add 3/4 cup of suji or semolina.

Using a flat spatula,keep frying the suji till it changes its colour to light pink(approx 7 minutes)

As the suji is lightly fried,add the chopped cashew and almond nuts.

Stir for 2 minutes more, then add the kishmish or raisins.

Close gas.

Keep stirring and tossing for another minute as the kadhai is hot.
To brown the suji evenly we need to constantly mix and stir the suji while it is on heat.
Remove the mixture in a bowl from the kadahi.

Leave it to cool in the bowl.
When the suji mixture has cooled down,add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder.(add sugar according to the sweetness you prefer)

Filling: 
Knead the dough for few seconds after it has rested for 1/2 hour.

Divide the dough into 30 small balls for 2 and 1/2 cup of dough.
For 2 cups I divided the dough into 25 small balls.

Make each ball round and smooth and cover with a cloth as you do the filling.
 Using a rolling pin roll each ball into a 4 inch circle.

Fill 1 and 1/2 tsp of suji filling in the center.
Using your fingers brush around the edges with water.

Lift the dough from the top and cover the filling to close the circle into crescent shape.

Press the edges and make short folding from the top to the end.You can lift the filled crescent dough and do the folding by keeping it on your palm.

Press the folding again so that it does not open while frying in hot oil.

Place the filled gujias in a plate and cover with a cloth as you do the fillings.

You can either do all the fillings and then start the frying process or do the frying in batches.
Heat ghee or oil in a kadhai for frying.

As ghee heats up,lower the heat and put 5 to 6 gujias in the kadhai.

After few seconds the gujias will come up and start to float in ghee.

Using a spoon,flip the gujias or turn upside down.

Keep turning the gujias so that it is fried evenly on both sides in low heat.

When the colour of gujias turn to light golden,take out in a plate.

Drain out the excess ghee and place the fried gujias on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Likewise fry all the gujias in batches in low heat.
Leave it to cool and then keep in a container.

It taste very delicious when eaten fresh and warm.
Makes 25 to 30 gujias.