November 2, 2021

Karanji – Olya Naralachi Karanji

Name: Karanji - Olya Naralachi Karanji
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 cup All purpose flour; 1/2 cup Semolina (fine, *see notes); 1.5 tbsp Ghee (melted); 1/3 cup Water; 1/8 tsp Salt; 2 cup Coconut (fresh, shredded); 1 cup Sugar (+ 2 tbsp or as per your taste.); 1 tbsp Poppy seeds (optional); 2-3 Cashew nuts (coarse powder, optional); 2-3 Almonds (coarse powder, optional); 2-3 Pistachios (coarse powder, optional); 5-6 Saffron strands (optional); 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (freshly ground); 2.5 cups oil

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Karanji is a very popular traditional Maharashtrian sweet dish. It is prepared during Diwali, Narali Purnima, Holi, and Ganesh festival. It is also known as Gujiya in Northern parts of India and Ghughra in the Western parts of India in Gujarat.

The outer pastry-like crispy layer is made with all purpose flour and fine semolina. Karanji’s stuffing can be made with various fillings. The basic stuffing is either made with fresh coconut, dried coconut, or semolina. Gujiyas are made with mawa and dry fruits.

I am sharing a karanji recipe with fresh coconut stuffing in this post which is one of my son’s favorite Diwali sweet snack recipes. It is also named as Olya Naralachi Karanji in the state of Maharashtra.

The outer layer of a karanji is so flaky and crispy. It is a deep fried melt-in-the-mouth recipe. Coconut stuffing is very delicious, soft, and juicy. Sugar or jaggery can be added for sweetness, flavored with saffron and cardamom powder.

Remember my Masala Milk post? I have added the same masala milk powder in the coconut stuffing while making karanji.

Ingredients

For The Dough

All purpose flour
Fine semolina
Ghee
Salt

For The Stuffing

Coconut
Sugar
Poppy seeds
Cashew nuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Saffron
Cardamom

For Frying

Karanji Step By Step Recipe

For The Dough

In a large bowl, add all purpose flour, fine semolina, and salt.

Next, add some melted ghee, rub the mixture with your fingers, and the texture should become crumbly.

Now add a little water at a time and start kneading the dough – you may need more or less water depending on the stickiness of the flour.

Knead the dough so it becomes stiff and smooth. Drizzle some melted ghee and cover the dough with a cloth. Keep the dough aside for 30 minutes.

For The Stuffing

In a small pan, dry roast poppy seeds for 2 minutes on low heat and set aside.

In a medium pan, combine coconut and sugar together. Cook the mixture on a medium low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently.

Next, add the nuts, cardamom powder, saffron, and poppy seeds. Mix the mixture well.

Cook the coconut mixture until the moisture goes away but doesn’t completely dry out for about 5-6 minutes.

Let it cool down completely and separate the mixture with your fingers – it will help not to break the outlet layer while filling the mixture.

Shaping The Karanji

Line a tray with a cloth and keep another damp cloth ready for covering the karanjis. This will keep the karanji from drying out.

Knead the dough again until it turns soft and smooth. Divide the dough into 23 equal balls and cover them with a cloth.

Take one ball and flatten it. Roll it into a thin circle with a rolling pin.

Add approximately 2 tbsp stuffing in the center. Apply some water or milk at the edges of the circle with your finger.

Carefully lift the middle side edges of the circle and seal them tightly. Now move on to both ends of the circle and seal them secure.

Next, turn the seal side facing to you and press the edges to the work surface.

Use a pastry wheel cutter for cutting the extra edges of a karanji or you can use a fork to form a nice pattern. Don’t cut too close from the stuffing or it will come out while frying the karanjis. Keep the extra edges aside to make more karanjis later.

Place the karanji on a lined tray and cover with a damp cloth.

Shape the rest of the karanjis in the same manner. Use the extra edges of the dough to make a few more dough balls to form into karanjis.

Frying The Karanji

Line a plate or baking tray with a paper towel to remove excess oil from the fried karanji.

Heat some oil in a kadhai (pan) on medium heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop a small ball of dough in the hot oil. If it rises immediately that means the oil is ready for frying.

Once the oil is hot, lower the temperature to medium-low. Transfer 3-4 Karanjis to the hot oil depending upon the size of your pan. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Flip the karanji in 20 seconds, one at a time, and fry the other side for about 20 more seconds.

Turn them over again and fry for 10 more seconds or fry them until they turn golden brown in color from both sides.

Transfer the karanjis to a lined plate using a slotted spatula to drain off the oil.

Let them cool down completely for about 20-25 minutes and store them in an airtight container.

Tips For Making Karanji

The key for making the best karanji is to form a stiff dough. The dough should be soft and smooth without adding too much water.
Adding fine semolina in the dough is very important to achieve a soft and smooth dough. If you don’t have fine semolina, you can grind some regular semolina and add it while making the dough.
Don’t cook the stuffing too dry, it should be soft with no moisture left. Once the mixture cools down, it will become more dry. Separate the coconut mixture with your fingers. It will be easy to fill the mixture in the outer layer so the karanji will not break while frying.
Grind the nuts into a coarse powder in a mini chopper.
Seal the edges of the karanji tightly. The stuffing should not come out while frying the karanji. When the coconut stuffing comes into contact with the hot oil, the particles will start burning – they will leave some black residue over the karanji.

Variations

You can skip adding semolina in the dough and simply make the dough with all purpose flour.
Skip adding poppy seeds and nuts in the coconut mixture.
You can mix 2-3 tbsp milk, desiccated coconut, and some sugar for making the stuffing.
Add some jaggery powder instead of sugar. You can adjust the sweetness according to your taste.
For a vegan friendly recipe, skip adding ghee in the dough and use any vegetable oil.

How To Store Karanji?

Once the karanjis cool down completely, store them into an airtight container for 8 days.

You can store them in the refrigerator for 15-20 days in an airtight container.

Take out the required portion and heat them in the microwave for 2-3 seconds or leave it on a countertop for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Diwali Snacks Recipes

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