Baked or Traditional Slow-Fried
Gujiya is a North Indian festive pastry associated with Holi celebrations. Traditionally deep-fried in ghee at controlled low temperatures to achieve blistered crisp layers, the pastry resembles a hybrid between a turnover and shortcrust hand pie.
Made with a shortcrust-style dough enriched with ghee and filled with fried mawa, roasted semolina (suji), cashew, almond, pistachio, powdered sugar, and cardamom, this gujiya delivers the classic Holi and Diwali flavor profile with modern technical precision.
What you will need:
Dough
| Ingredient | Quantity (g) |
|---|---|
| All-purpose flour | 255 |
| Water | 125 |
| Ghee | 55 |
| Salt | 1 |
Filling
| Ingredient | Quantity (g) |
|---|---|
| Mawa (khoya) | 200 |
| Powdered sugar | 60 |
| Pistachio (chopped) | 40 |
| Cashew (chopped) | 40 |
| Almonds (chopped) | 40 |
| Semolina (suji) | 24 |
| Ghee | 15 |
| Cardamom powder | 1 |
Equipments:
- Digital weighing scale
- Mixing bowls
- Heavy-bottom sauté pan
- Rolling pin
- 8–10 cm round cutter
- Fork (for crimping pattern)
- Pastry brush
- Baking tray + parchment
- Deep heavy-bottom kadai or fryer
- Probe thermometer
- Wire rack
Time:
| Process Stage | Time Required |
|---|---|
| Dough preparation | 15 minutes |
| Filling preparation | 20 minutes |
| Dough resting time | 15 minutes |
| Assembly & shaping | 20 minutes |
| Baking (180°C) | 30 minutes |
| Frying (140°C) | 20 minutes |
| Total Time (Baked Version) | ~1 hour 35 minutes |
| Total Time (Fried Version) | ~1 hour 25 minutes |
Instructions:
Prepare the filling
- Heat a heavy-bottom pan over low heat.
- Add crumbled mawa.
- Cook on medium-low heat until moisture reduces and mawa turns lightly golden.
- Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.
- Remove the mawa, add some ghee and add semolina
- Roast gently until lightly golden and aromatic.
- Remove roasted semolina and allow to cool completely.
- In the same pan, add chopped cashew, chopped almond, chopped pistachio and roast them in small amount of ghee.
- Remove from heat and cool completely to room temperature.
- Combine fried mawa, roasted semolina, chopped cashew, chopped almond, chopped pistachio, powdered sugar, and cardamom powder.
- Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed and uniform.
Prepare the Dough
- Combine all-purpose flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add ghee and rub into flour until a coarse, sandy texture forms.
- Gradually add water while mixing to form a firm dough.
- Knead briefly until smooth but not elastic.
- Cover with cloth and rest for 15 minutes.
Shape and Assemble
- Lightly dust the work surface with flour.
- Roll the rested dough into a uniform sheet approximately 2–3 mm thick.
- Maintain even thickness throughout to ensure uniform cooking.
- Use an 8–10 cm round cookie cutter to cut discs from the sheet.
- Remove excess dough and keep covered to prevent drying.
- Re-roll scraps gently without overworking the dough.
- Place 15–20 g filling in the center of each cut disc.
- Lightly moisten the edges with water.
- Fold each disc into a half-moon shape.
- Press edges firmly to seal completely.
- Use a fork to press down along the sealed edge, creating a decorative pattern and reinforcing the seal.
- Keep shaped gujiyas covered with cloth until cooking.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 180°C (conventional mode).
- Arrange shaped gujiyas on parchment-lined baking tray.
- Apply a mild milk wash evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 30 minutes , rotating the tray half way, until evenly golden brown.
- Remove and cool completely on wire rack.
Fry
- Heat ghee or neutral oil to 140°C.
- Carefully place gujiyas into oil without overcrowding.
- Fry slowly for approximately 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Maintain oil temperature between 135–145°C throughout frying.
- Remove when uniformly golden and crisp.
- Drain on wire rack to maintain crispness.
Try these!
- Add desiccated coconut for traditional flavor.
- Add saffron milk to filling.
- Chocolate-dipped fusion gujiya.
- Sugar-free version using erythritol.
Serving Tips!
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Dip lightly in sugar syrup for glossy finish.
- Serve warm with saffron milk.
- Pair with masala chai.
Applications
- Use cubes in brownie batter, cookies, or melt into ganache.
- Crumble into ice cream mix-ins or parfaits.
- Melt small pieces into fudge sauce with cream and butter.
Nutrition Profile / 100g
| Nutrient | Approx. Value |
|---|---|
| Energy | ~420 kcal (baked) |
| Energy | ~470 kcal (fried) |
| Carbohydrates | ~48 g |
| Protein | ~9 g |
| Fat | ~22 g baked / ~28 g fried |
| Sugar | ~18 g |
| Fiber | ~3 g |
Note: These values are approximate and can vary based on the specific brands and types of ingredients used, as well as portion sizes.
Tips for Best Results:
Sheet method ensures uniform thickness and consistent batch production.
- Avoid excessive re-rolling — it tightens gluten and causes shrinkage.
- Target final dough thickness: 2.5 mm for frying, 2–3 mm for baking.
- If dough shrinks while cutting, rest it 5 additional minutes.
- The slow frying temperature of 140°C is critical — it ensures even cooking of the thick crust without premature browning.
- Slow frying prevents blistering cracks.
- Do not fry above 150°C — exterior will brown too quickly.
- For bakery-style uniformity, scale dough precisely.
- Filling must be moisture-free to prevent leakage.
- Rest fried gujiya 4–6 hours before storage for improved texture.
Troubleshooting Guide:
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Gujiya cracks while frying | Oil too hot or dough too soft |
| Pale fried gujiya | Temperature below 135°C |
| Baking gives dry texture | Slightly increase ghee by 5 g |
| Filling leaks | Seal not tight or overfilled |
Don’t forget to share your results and tag @bake.hows on instagram
