Pittachyo Neureo
Goan Pittachyo Neureo (also known as Pitticheao Neureo, Pityacho Nevryo, or Pithachi Nevri) is a traditional Goan sweet pastry like karanji or gujiya, traditionally prepared during festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, and Christmas. Learn to make it with step-by-step photos & a recipe video.
Servings: 35 neureos
Equipment
- 1 Heavy-bottomed pan
Ingredients
For the Neureo dough
- 2 cups maida all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rava semolina
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup hot oil
- Water as needed
For the Filling (Pittache Saran)
- 1 cup whole green moong mung beans/green gram
- ½ cup tightly packed desiccated coconut or finely grated dry coconut
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 2 tablespoon chopped cashews
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (a pinch)
Instructions
Prepare the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the maida, rava, and salt.
- Add the hot oil and mix with a spoon. Once it cools slightly, rub the oil into the flour with your hands. This helps make the Neureo crispy.
- Slowly add water and knead into a smooth, semi-stiff dough. The dough should be slightly stiffer than your regular roti dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the filling (Pitache Saran)
- Dry roast the whole moong in a pan over low heat until light golden, stirring continuously to prevent it from burning. Transfer to a plate and let it cool completely before grinding.
- Grind the roasted moong into a fine powder. Optional: Sift the powder through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any coarse bits.
- In the same pan, roast the coconut and sesame seeds over low heat until light golden. Transfer to a plate and let them cool.
- Add ghee to the pan and roast the chopped cashews over low heat until golden. Transfer them to the plate with the roasted coconut and sesame seeds.
- Once all the roasted ingredients have cooled completely, add the ground moong powder, powdered sugar, cardamom powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well. Taste the stuffing and add more powdered sugar if you prefer it sweeter. The filling (Pitache Saran) is ready.
Shape the Neureo
- Knead the rested dough briefly and divide it into 3 portions. Keep 2 portions covered while working with the first.
- Shape one portion into a log and cut it into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough, keeping the balls covered.
- Lightly dust a dough ball with flour and roll it into a small circle. Do not roll it too thin, as the dough may tear while filling the neureos, or too thick, as the outer cover will be too heavy.
- Place a spoonful of stuffing on the lower half of the circle, leaving the edges empty.
- Lightly apply water along the edges. Fold the rolled circle over to form a half-moon shape and press the edges firmly to seal. Make sure there are no gaps or openings, or the Neureo may open during frying and the filling may come out.
- Trim the edges using a Neureo cutter or pizza cutter. Remove the excess dough and reuse it to make other neureos.
- Keep the shaped nevryo covered with a slightly damp cloth while preparing the remaining ones to prevent the dough from drying out.
Fry the Neureo
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low.
- Gently slide in the Neureo and let them fry undisturbed for about a minute.
- Flip and fry on low heat until golden on both sides.
- Remove the neureos and place them on a plate. Let them cool completely before storing.
Adjust the oil temperature between batches: After frying the first batch, increase the heat to medium to bring the oil temperature back up. Then reduce the heat to low before adding the next batch of neureos. This helps them fry evenly without browning too quickly.
Notes
- Roast the moong on low heat, stirring continuously, until light golden. Do not let it turn dark brown, as this can affect the taste of the filling.
- Avoid overfilling the neureos. Leave enough space around the edges to seal them properly.
- Apply a little water along the edges and press firmly to seal.
- Make sure there are no gaps, or the neureos may open during frying, and the filling may come out.
- Keep the prepared neureos covered with a slightly damp cloth while shaping the remaining ones to prevent the dough from drying out.
- To check the oil temperature, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should rise slowly to the surface with small bubbles. If it browns immediately, the oil is too hot. If it stays at the bottom without bubbling, the oil needs to heat up more.