INGREDIENTS
For the filling
1 cup dry coconut, either grated or flakes, ½ cup sesame seeds, ¼ cup poppy seeds, ½ cup rava, fine, 3 tbsp oil or ghee, 1 cup wholewheat flour, 2 cups jaggery, finely grated, 1 tsp cardamom powder, a pinch of nutmeg
For the crust
3 tbsp ghee, ½ cup refined flour, ½ cup rava, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup milk + water mixed together, 1 tsp salt, oil for deep-frying
METHOD
• To prepare the filling, dry-roast the coconut, sesame seeds and poppy seeds in a pan separately, until they turn golden brown. Make sure that they are roasted and kept separately and never together once done. After they cool down, grind them separately in a mixer (poppy seeds, sesame seeds and coconut—in that order) till you get a coarse texture.
• Next, roast the rava on medium heat in a shallow-bottomed pan with one tablespoon ghee or oil till it turns golden brown. Set aside once done.
• Roast the wholewheat flour with the remaining ghee/oil in the same pan, until golden brown in colour. Keep it aside.
• Now, mix together the coarse powders, roasted rava and wheat flour along with jaggery, cardamom and nutmeg in a food processor. Blend them well for 2-3 minutes till they form a fine powder.
• Sieve the prepared powder to remove any large-sized chunks. Your coconut filling is ready.
• To prepare the crust, heat the ghee in a small pan. When the ghee melts, remove the pan from heat and keep it aside.
• Mix in the refined flour, rava, sugar and salt in a large deep bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the hot melted ghee and salt. Lightly mix everything. Add milk in parts and begin to knead
the dough.
• Once the dough is pliable yet firm, cover it with a damp cloth and set it aside to rest for at least two hours.
• Then pound this dough with a pestle for added softness.
• Divide the dough into four equal-sized balls. Roll each of these balls into a flat circular shape. Then apply a thin layer of oil evenly and mould them into tight elongated rolls.
• Once done, cut each of these elongated rolls into 10, one-inch pieces. Cover the pieces with a damp cloth. Now, take one of the pieces and shape it into a small circular puri, 3-4” in diameter, with a rolling pin.
• Place a small amount of filling on one side of the circle. Make sure you don’t add too much stuffing as it will be difficult to shape the karanjis; also they may break in the oil while frying.
• Apply water all over the circumference edge with the help of your fingertips. Carefully, bring together both the edges and join. Gently press the edges.
• Now with your fingertips, start pinching and pleating the pressed edges.
• Heat oil in a pan and deep-fry the karanjis till crisp and golden.
• Remove and keep them aside. Once cooled, store them in an air-tight container.
