Whole Wheat Mawa Gujiya

Mawa gujiya is a traditional Indian sweet prepared during Holi or Diwali, especially in North India. Gujiya is a sweet deep-fried dumpling filled with mawa, nuts & coconut mixture. Here is how to make it step by step.

This gujhiya recipe made with whole wheat crust with sweetened mawa filling with nuts. You can check some more festival recipes like baked shakarpara, moong dal laddu, chocolate burfi, lavang Latika & moong dal dahi vada.

Gujiya is a staple sweet prepared on Holi or Diwali. Traditionally it is made with refined flour. Here I use whole wheat flour which resulted in a healthier version of gujiya, calling as whole wheat mawa gujiya or atta gujiya.

Gujiya or Gujhiya or Gujia

Traditionally gujiya are deep-fried, flaky pastry dumplings stuffed with coconut or mawa or sooji filling. They are deep-fried in general but now we can bake in the oven or make an air fryer too. Authentic gujiya have sweet mava filling inside, that is why called as simply mawa gujiya.

They are known as Karanji in Maharashtra and gujiya or gujhiya or ghughra in North India, in Goa, it is called Nevris or Neuros. Gujia is prepared the same way in all over India, though stuffing differs as per regions.

Stuffing can be based on milk solids like khoya or mawa, sooji (semolina), or grated coconut. If you want to make gujiya without mawa then just skip it from the ingredient list and go ahead.

Gujiya is very much similar to Spanish dish empanadas, so you can say gujiya is an Indian version of empanadas.

In Maharashtra, after deep frying gujiya are dipped in sugar syrup and garnished with chopped dry fruits. This version is known as Karanji. Chandrakala is another version of Karanji where the shape is different.

How To Make Crispy Gujia

Crispiness depends on the ghee added while kneading the dough. Ghee should be added enough that after mixing in the flour it should hold the shape. If not then add little more by 1 teaspoon each time until the flour mixture able to hold the fist shape.

Another factor that works for crispiness is fry Gujiyas at a medium-low flame. Do not try to fasten the process by switching on medium or high heat. On high heat, they may brown in color faster but will be raw from inside. Cooking on low heat make sure to cook perfectly with a crunch.

Ingredients

Please check RECIPE CARD for detailed ingredients list with accurate measurement.

Gujiya Dough

• Flour- Authentically gujhiya are made with refined flour, they are soft and crunchy at the same time. You can use whole wheat flour all alone or a mixture of both flours. I am using a mixture of refined flour, & whole wheat flour.
• Semolina- Semolina helps in crunchiness, you can skip it but recommend.
• Ghee- It is a must-have ingredient in Indian sweets recipes. Adds tons of flavors, if you plan to make vegan gujiya, replace it with vegan butter, and the rest of the recipe will be the same. Check here homemade ghee recipe.
• Warm water- Kneading with warm water helps in making them soft and smooth dough.

For Sealing Gujiya
To seal the gujhiya we use a paste where refined flour is mixed with water.

For The Mawa Filling

• Mawa/khoya- Mawa also known as milk solids and often available at Indian stores in the USA. For this recipe, I use store-bought khoya, you can also make it at home.
• Dry fruits- Chopped cashew, almond, pistachio, and chiroli are the best dry fruits to be added in the stuffing.
• Sugar- I am using white powdered sugar. You can replace it with sugar-free or stevia as well to save few calories coming from sugar.
• Coconut- Grated coconut adds loads of flavors in the filling, do not skip it.
• Cardamom powder- A must needed ingredient in Indian sweets. Do not skip it.
• Gujiya mold- You need a gujiya mold but if you do not have then no worries. You can still make these.
• Other- oil for deep frying

Other options for gujiya filling

• Suji filling- Skip mawa in the recipe and add equivalent suji.
• Coconut filling- Just use coconut along with other ingredients and fill.

In India, you get mawa easily on stores but in USA we get it frozen in Indian grocery stores. Frozen mawa may not taste like fresh homemade mawa but overall taste profile of gujiya itself is just great.

How to make best gujiya at home

Let see how to make whole wheat mawa gujiya at home with step-by-step pictures. Take care of the tips & tricks given here and you will surely get the best gujiya.

1. First of all, take a mixing bowl and add whole wheat flour, refined flour, semolina, and ghee.
2. Rub the mixture with your fingertips till all ghee is combined well and the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs texture.
3. Add water a little quantity at a time and knead the firm dough. Cover it with the damp cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Grate the mawa/khoya and roast it in a non-stick pan on low flame. Only 5-6 minutes are good enough to cook mawa.
5. Dry roast almond, cashew, and pistachio on low flame. Let them cool down before pulsing. Pulse for few seconds to get the coarse powder of the nuts.
6. Let it cool before adding sugar powder. Once khoya/mawa is at room temperature add all the coarse powder of the nuts, powdered sugar, and cardamom powder. Mix well and mawa filling is ready to stuff.
7. In a small bowl take refined flour and water. Mix well, this paste will help to seal gujiya.
8. Now divide the dough into equal lemon size portions. Take one portion and roll it up to a 4-5" circle. The dough will not be sticky while rolling down.
9. Place it over gujiya mold, fill 2-3 teaspoon gujiya filling in one side of the mold. Do not overfill the mixture else gujiya will open up while deep frying.
10. Apply flour-water paste all over the circle. Close the mold and remove the excess dough from the sides.
11. Add the trimmed dough with the rest of the dough portions in order to make more gujiya out of it. Repeat the same process to make the rest of the gujhiya until the dough is over. Keep filled gujia under the damp cloth.
12. Heat oil in a kadhai on medium-low flame. Once the oil is hot enough gently drop the filled gujiya one by one and fry them until golden in color. Fry all of them in a similar manner. Transfer them to a paper towel to drain excess oil.
13. Once they cool down, you can easily store them in an airtight container for two weeks.
14. Whole wheat mawa gujiya are ready to serve & enjoy.

Storing & Serving suggestions

Serve these gujiya immediately or after they cool down. You can even use sugar syrup to quote them before serving.

Mava gujhiya are good to store for two weeks in an airtight container. Serve with clean hands and close the lid immediately as Gujiya tends to absorb moisture from the air if kept for too long outside.

Variations

• Baked gujiya
• Chocolate gujiya
• Air fried gujya
• Chandra kala
• Coconut Gujiya
• Sooji Gujiya

Tips To Make Best Gujhiya & FAQ's

• Do not overstuff the filling. Fill the stuffing till you can easily seal them. If gujiyas are overfilled then filling will come out while deep frying.
• Make sure to use a flour-water paste to stick the sides of gujiya. That is the best way to seal.
• Cover the filled gujiya with damp clothes to avoid them from drying.
• It is great to use gujiya mold until you know the trick to folding with hands. It helps to seal gujiya properly.
• Adding oil or ghee to the dough (we call it as moyen) should be perfect. It helps in making the flaky and crispy crust. It should be added as per the mentioned quantity.
• Deep fry 7-10 gujiya at a time depending on the Kadai size you are using. It takes 15-20 minutes for each batch.
• Keep the dough covered with a moist cloth every single time. Else it becomes difficult to reuse it later.

You may also like other Indian festivals (Holi, Diwali) sweet recipes, Check 25+ Indian Diwali Sweets You Must Try

• Moong Dal Burfi
• Moong Dal Laddu
• Dry Fruits Laddu
• Besan sev
• Oats Mathri
• Makki ki mathri

You can also Festival savory and more Festival Sweets.

Holi is a festival of colors celebrated across India in Feb-March in full swing and with great enthusiasm. You can read more about Holi here.

I used store-bought mawa/khoya in this recipe which did not melt while roasting.

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