Repost: Pyaraki/ Gujia
10:36 AM
Hi
Just popped in to inform you that have just updated my 3 years old Gujia or pyaraki post. Pyaraki is a crecent shaped fried pastry stuffed with sweetened coconut and milk solids and then coated in a thick sugar syrup. This is very popular all over India but known in a different name at different places.
I have not discarded my old pictures. I know they are pathetic but I like going back to them to remind myself of the very special beginning of my blogging journey. though have updated the post with few new pictures. Hope you will like it.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
Gujia or Pyaraki to enjoy Holi
Wish you all a colourful and happy Holi!
As usual am missing my home in Santinikeatn where this festival is celebrated to welcome the season spring with songs and Dance of Tagore. We call it Basanta Utsav or Spring Festival. The function starts early in the morning with a procession dance with boys and girls wearing yellow dresses and flower ornaments and after the Function everyone celebrate the colours of spring with Abir/gulal.
Here in this part of South India Holi is not celebrated with much fervor. Offices and schools are open and hardly you will get to see people playing with colours. Last year it was on a Saturday so we had a great time playing with friends. But this year its on Wednesday, and I doubt to see a pinch of colour on anybody. This thought makes me miss home more badly, so I decided to cheer things up and make Gujia or Paraki.
In North India, Gujia is specially prepared during holi. These are kind of fried pastries filled with sweetened coconut and khoya. In our home we call it Paraki and we give it another coating of sugar at the end.
Added on 9th August'12
I make this sweet every year for various occasions. Apart from being a very delicious snack the fact that it could be stored makes it more desirable to me. This time it was made for Rakhi and I also made some Gujias with dry fruit, coconut and milk solid filling. following the traditional way of making it.
It's not that am ashamed of my older photographs which are kind of pathetic but that was the start of a very rich learning curve. adding here some more pictures just to remind myself what a good journey I had in this blogosphere till date.
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Also experiences make you wise and in my case I learned to cheat. Now I do not roll each piece for making this. Rather on my clear counter top I roll out a big piece of dough.. Making sure to make it as thin as possible. because the amount of shortening in the dough makes it springy. Then I cut out circles with a small stainless steel Tiffin box. fill it with the Stuffing. moisten the edges with wet finger and then bringing securing the edges together. I then use a fork to make the cut marks on the edges. Its easy and very very neat.
Here is the recipe
Ingredients
For the Shell
2 cups flour
1-teaspoon onion seeds
a pinch of salt
4 tbsp oil
Filling
2 cups grated coconut
1-cup khoya (thickened milk)
1-cup sugar
1/2-teaspoon cardamom powder
Raisins and dry fruits (optional; I generally do not add)
For the sugar syrup
1 and ½ cup sugar
½ cup water
Method
Mix all the ingredients for the dough and by adding water as required knead it to soft dough. Keep covered.
In a deep frying pan put the coconut and sugar and cook till the sugar dissolves. Add the khoya and cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Mix in the cardamom powder and let it cool.
Make small balls almost the size of a lemon. Roll them thinly in circular disk. Put some filling in the center. Moisten the edges with a little water and fold into a semicircle, pressing the edges together. Make designs as shown in the picture. Prepare all the parakis and keep them covered.
Heat oil in a deep pan or kadhai. Deep-fry the parakis till light brown on a slow heat. Using a sieve type ladle take them out and drain the excess oil on kitchen towel. Let them cool completely before proceeding to the next step.
For the sugar coating, Boil the sugar and water in a big heavy bottomed pan until you have syrup of 3 wires. To check this, take a drop of syrup between your forefinger and thumb. Press and try to separate slowly. You should see 3 wires stretching between the finger and thumb. Be careful so as not to burn your finger. Another test is to boil the syrup till it becomes bubbly. At this point put a drop in a bowl of water. If the drop immediately comes to the surface that means the syrup is ready.
Lower the heat and put all the parakis in the syrup and give it a stir to coat them evenly. You need to be very quick at this stage as the syrup solidifies once comes in touch with the parakis.
Take them out on big plates. Let them cool completely and store in airtight container.
This stays good for 2-3 weeks if kept properly. no need to refridgerate.
A homemaker's Notes:(added on August'12)
Now I do not roll out small pieces of dough for individual skins. Rather I clean my counter top and roll out a big piece of dough. Do not bother about the shape of that rather concentrate on rolling it out as thin as possible.
Take them out on big plates. Let them cool completely and store in airtight container.
This stays good for 2-3 weeks if kept properly. no need to refridgerate.
A homemaker's Notes:(added on August'12)
Now I do not roll out small pieces of dough for individual skins. Rather I clean my counter top and roll out a big piece of dough. Do not bother about the shape of that rather concentrate on rolling it out as thin as possible.
once you use a small cookies cutter to cut small circles the skins will spring back and will be little thicker. fill as much as you think will be enough for this circle. you can always pull the dough to contain the filling.
moisten the edges with wet finger and bring the edges together. press with your finger to secure it. Do not be delicate rather press it hard or it will open up while frying.
use a fork to press the edges. This will secure the edges as well will make pretty design.
fry and sugar coat as mentioned above.
the sugar coating could be syrupy also. i prefer a hard coating because it does not make the fried pastry soggy and that way could be stored for a longer period of time.
moisten the edges with wet finger and bring the edges together. press with your finger to secure it. Do not be delicate rather press it hard or it will open up while frying.
use a fork to press the edges. This will secure the edges as well will make pretty design.
fry and sugar coat as mentioned above.
the sugar coating could be syrupy also. i prefer a hard coating because it does not make the fried pastry soggy and that way could be stored for a longer period of time.
Posts
25 comments
Gujia looks tempting...Lovely clicks..
ReplyDeleteLovely pics Sayantani ! I just discovered that I have just lost the pictures of my first 50 odd posts :( Good time to try remaking all of them, but I can't understand how they all disappeared...
ReplyDeleteAre you always on the night shift ?? All your posts seem to popup close to midnight !
Ha ha Archana, yes am always on the night shift. the kid, my other work and the hose takes up all the time during the day...so thia is the only time i get for myself.
ReplyDeletekobe khaoachcho?
ReplyDeleteLooks delicious.
ReplyDeleteWhen I came here I was really disappointed to see no one playing Holi here...I love making these..Chobi gulo bhishon shodor hoyeche
ReplyDeleteAshadharon hoyeche dekhte...Love the recipe..Lovely shots too, Sayantani :)
ReplyDeleteSplendid work Sayantani...Real authentic taste and the clicks,needless to say,they rock !
ReplyDeleteso yummy sayantani...
ReplyDeleteVIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA
Gujia looks so inviting..fell like eating it right now..
ReplyDeletevery nice!...and the pics are nice too! do drop by my space when you get some time.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful click...Gujia looks delicious..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful click...Gujia looks delicious..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful click...Gujia looks delicious..
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and love the sweet, its so traditional...
ReplyDeleteThe Gujjia looks so delicious ....... and it is very important to remember and admire our past to do well in future. I simply smile when I go back to my earlier posts and feel content when I see my learning curve.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Gujia looks perfect great clicks.
ReplyDeleteDelicious gujhiya and so beautiful clicks..loved your pooja thali!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sayantani for visiting my space and leaving your valuable comment :-)
ReplyDeleteshrutirasoi
Today's Recipe
Rice Kheer
gujiya looks awesome.. mouthwatering
ReplyDeleteLovely pics.
ReplyDeleteI wish I can capture pics like you, each one of them tell a story. I suppose I must take the first step to it that is patience.
I am hosting WTML All through August’12. Do send me your entries
@Archana, am not at all patient but love photography. actually for this picture I used the same set up for the besan peda...
ReplyDeleteHi Sayantani,
ReplyDeleteLove how you reflected upon your work..it's amazing to see how one travels in any field...whether it is at work or in the kitchen. Loved your karanji(which is in marathi)
These are lovely pics, beautifully presented. Specially the last picture, it made my mouth water :)
ReplyDeleteI am going through your kheer chomchom blog, and now I am making it for eid. Thank you for the receipe. One of my friend cut the chom chom with a heart shape cookie cutter and covered them with kheer, sprinkled a tinge of pink color in her wedding anniversary and named it " dilbahar"
ReplyDeleteReshma