Karanji Recipe (Maharashtrian Style)
Karanji is a traditional Maharashtrian sweet made during Diwali and other festive occasions. These crispy, deep-fried half-moon-shaped pastries are filled with a sweet coconut-rava mixture, nuts, raisins, and sesame seeds. In this recipe, I'll show you how to prepare the stuffing, shape the karanji, and fry them until golden and crispy, with step-by-step photos and video.
Servings: 35 karanji
Calories: 83kcal
Equipment
- 1 Deep bottom pan
Ingredients
For the Karanji Cover
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (Maida)
- ¼ cup rava (semolina)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup oil
For Karanji Stuffing
- ½ cup desiccated coconut (or 1 dry coconut, prepared as shown in the recipe)
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds khus-khus
- 3 tablespoon barik rava semolina
- 1 tablespoon chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon chopped cashews
- 2 tablespoon raisins
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- A small pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoon Ghee, divided
For Frying
- Cooking oil for frying
Instructions
For the Karanji Dough
- In a mixing bowl, add all-purpose flour (maida), rava, and salt to taste. Combine with a spoon.2 cups all-purpose flour (Maida), ¼ cup rava (semolina), Salt to taste
- Heat oil in a small tadka pan until hot. Carefully pour it over the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon while the oil is hot.¼ cup oil
- Once the mixture has cooled slightly, rub the oil into the flour using your fingers until it is evenly combined. It makes the outer covering crispy and flaky. Take a handful of the flour mixture and press it firmly in your palm. If it holds its shape, it is ready.
- Add water little by little and knead into a semi-stiff dough. The dough should be slightly firmer than the dough you prepare for roti or chapati. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, let's prepare the stuffing.
Make the Stuffing
- Take one dry coconut and remove the hard, outer brown shell using a peeler.
- Roughly chop this dry coconut into small pieces. Transfer them to a mixer grinder. Pulse a few times. Stop and check in between. Do not grind continuously, as the coconut may release oil and turn into a paste. Desiccated coconut is ready.
- Measure ½ cup of tightly packed desiccated coconut for the stuffing. You can also use store-bought desiccated coconut instead and skip steps 5 & 6.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan over low heat. Add the desiccated coconut, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Roast on low heat, stirring continuously, until the coconut turns lightly golden. Do not let it turn brown. Transfer the mixture to a plate and keep it aside to cool down.½ cup desiccated coconut (or 1 dry coconut, prepared as shown in the recipe), 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- Heat 1 tablespoon ghee in the same pan over low heat. Add 3 tablespoon fine rava and roast, stirring continuously, until it turns lightly golden. Transfer it to the same plate with the roasted coconut.3 tbsp barik rava
- Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in the pan over low heat. Add the chopped almonds and cashews. Roast until lightly golden, then transfer them to the same plate.1 tbsp chopped almonds, 1 tbsp chopped cashews
- Add 1 teaspoon ghee to the pan and add the raisins. Roast until the raisins puff up. Transfer them to the same plate. Let all the roasted ingredients cool completely on the plate.2 tbsp raisins
- Add powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and a small pinch of salt to the plate. If you like, add a pinch of nutmeg powder for extra flavour. Mix everything well. The stuffing is ready. Keep this aside.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp cardamom powder, A small pinch of salt
Secret to soft, melt-in-the-mouth Karanji stuffing: Let the roasted coconut-rava mixture cool completely before adding powdered sugar. This keeps the Karanji stuffing soft and melt-in-the-mouth.
Shaping Karanji
- After resting the dough for 30 minutes, knead it again briefly. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Keep two portions covered while working with the first.
- Shape one portion into a log and cut it into approximately 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece between your palms into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered to prevent them from drying out. Repeat with the remaining dough portions.
- Take one dough ball and flatten it slightly. Dust with a little flour and roll it into a small circle. Do not roll the dough too thin or too thick.
- Place a spoonful of stuffing on the lower half of the rolled circle, leaving the edges empty. Apply a little water along the edges.
- Fold the rolled circle over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Press the edges firmly to seal the Karanji and prevent the stuffing from coming out while frying the Karanji.
- Use a karanji cutter or pizza cutter to trim the edges. Collect the trimmed dough and add it to the remaining dough to make more karanji. Keep the shaped karanji covered with a slightly damp cloth.
- You can also seal and decorate the edges of the Karanji using a fork. Gently press the edges with the fork to seal them.
Do not overfill the karanji or spread the filling along the edges. This makes sealing difficult, and the karanji may break in the oil.
Frying Karanji
- Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat. Once the oil is medium-hot (not very hot), reduce the heat to low.Cooking oil for frying
- Carefully add the Karanji to the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Let them fry undisturbed for about a minute, then gently flip them. Fry on low heat, flipping them slowly, until golden on both sides and crispy.
- Remove the Karanji and place them on a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Before frying the next batch, bring the oil back to medium heat, then reduce it to low.
- Allow the fried Karanji to cool down completely. Transfer them to an airtight container. They stay good for up to 15 days when stored properly.
Oil temperature test: Drop a small piece of dough into the hot oil to check the temperature. If it sinks to the bottom without bubbles, the oil is not hot enough. If it browns immediately, the oil is too hot. It should rise slowly to the surface with small bubbles around it.
Notes
- Use fine rava: Use fine rava for the filling. It blends well with the other ingredients and does not leave a coarse texture in your mouth while eating karanji.
- Fry at the right temperature: Heat the oil, then keep it on low heat while frying the karanji. If the oil is too hot, the outer covering will brown quickly without cooking properly. If the oil is not hot enough, the karanji will absorb too much oil and turn greasy.
- Keep the prepared karanji covered: Cover the shaped karanji with a clean, slightly damp cloth while you prepare the remaining ones. This prevents the outer covering from drying out and cracking.
- Please note that the nutrition information is for 1 karanji. The total number of Karanji may vary depending on the size of each piece.
- You can prepare the filling ahead and store it in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 35karanji | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg