One of India’s biggest festivals, Diwali is right around the corner. With just a few days left for the ‘festival of lights’, people are leaving no stone unturned to make the most of it. One can already feel the festive vibe, as homes are starting to be lit up and shops are decked up with festive treats and decorative diyas. While décor is one part of Diwali, which is of prime importance, the other significant part of the festival is food.
Like any other Indian festival, feasting is crucial during Diwali and everything - from rich and robust curries to traditional sweets - are noshed on, leaving all diet plans on the side. Sugary treats - including traditional desserts - are a hot favourite during this time of the year. If you too are looking forward to Diwali to treat your sweet tooth, we've got one of the best traditional sweets for you to try.
Karanji is essentially a semi-circular, dumpling-like sweet, which originally hails from Maharashtra, but is also popular in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Also known as Gujiya in North India, Karanji usually has a sweet stuffing of coconut, jaggery, poppy and sesame seeds, along with some dry fruits and nuts. Nowadays, of course, one can find creative Karanji fillings (chocolate, oreo, and red velvet, among others).
This sweet filling is stuffed in a small roti rolled out of maida. It is, then, shaped into a semicircle and the edges are sealed, so as to prevent the stuffing from spilling out. A popular sweet during Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali in Maharashtra, Karanji is eaten in North India during Holi. Amazing how one sweet can mean differently in different states on different occasions, isn’t it? After all, who can ever put a restriction on desserts?
Karanji is usually deep fried but one can air-fry or bake it to make it a bit healthier. And if you are in the mood to experiment, you can skip maida and make Karanjis from using too. Wondering how? We’ve got a perfect recipe right here. Try this combination of crispy and sweet bread Karanji by Chef Aditi Handa, from The Baker's Dozen, and impress your guests this Diwali.
Here’s the recipe for Bread Karanji
Preparation time: 15-20 mins
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat bread
- Khoya
- Sugar
- Raisins
- Cashew
- Elaichi powder
Method:
- Take a bowl and add khoya, sugar, raisins, cashew, and elaichi powder. Mix it well.
- Take the whole wheat bread and cut the edges.
- Add the filling to the bread and mould it into the shape of a karanji.
- Deep fry the bread in oil until it turns golden brown.
- It’s ready to be served.