Karanji, Maharashtrian Coconut Pastries

This Maharashtrian karanji recipe is easy and perfect for festivals, featuring crispy pastry stuffed with sweet, cardamom-spiced coconut.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Ingredients

For the Dough

▢ 180 g plain flour all-purpose flour in the U.S., maida
▢ salt to taste
▢ 1 ½ tablespoon ghee
▢ 5 tablespoon water

For the Karanji Filling

For Frying

▢ 1 litre neutral oil for deep frying*

Instructions

Make the Karanji Dough

Add salt to 180 g plain flour and mix in. Next, add 1 ½ tablespoon ghee (melted) and work it into the flour with your fingers, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Slowly add 5 tablespoon water until a dough forms, and knead gently to bring it together. Don't over-knead the dough!
Let the dough rest, covered, for around 15 minutes while you make the filling.

Make the Karanji Filling

Cook the filling by dry-roasting 35 g desiccated coconut in a small non-stick pan until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside and leave it to cool.
Next, dry-roast 2 ½ teaspoon fine ground semolina, stirring constantly, until it smells aromatic, around one minute. Place into the same bowl as the coconut.
Finally, dry-roast 2 ½ teaspoon white poppy seeds and 2 ½ teaspoon white sesame seeds until they start to pop. Cool in the same bowl as the coconut and semolina.
Once the mixture is cool, add it to a blender along with 1 ½ tablespoon white sugar, 9 cashews (chopped), 8 almonds (chopped), ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder, and ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder. Blend to a coarse powder and set aside.

Shape the Karanji

Separate the dough into equal-sized balls. Working with one ball at a time, cover the rest. Roll one ball into a small disc. Fill it with the stuffing and pleat to close, or, for a neater effect, use the karanji mould.
To use the karanji mould, roll your dough ball into a small circle (depending on the size of your mould). Open the mould (most have a latch), and place the dough circle flat on top of the mould. Spoon the filling into the centre of the dough and carefully close the mould. Press the mould together, exerting some pressure. Open the mould and carefully remove the shaped karanji. You may need to trim excess dough.
Repeat the process with the remaining dough balls. Keep the shaped karanji and unshaped dough balls covered with a damp towel to avoid drying out.

Cook the Karanji

Cook the karanji by deep-frying in 1 litre neutral oil until light golden brown. You can also air-fry or bake the karanji (see below)*. Drain on kitchen paper and cool before eating.
Optionally, decorate the karanji with edible silver leaf (vark) and dried rose petals.

Notes

The amount of karanji this recipe makes depends on the size you make the karanji. I estimate that it will make either 14 larger karanji or 18 smaller karanji.

* Air fryer karanji: To make karanji in the air fryer, make the sweet pastries as instructed, then preheat your air fryer. Arrange the karanji in a layer, brush them with oil, and cook for around 15 minutes at 180°C (360°F).

Baked karanji: This method will be slightly more brown and less crispy, but delicious. It’s also the most accessible, healthy way to karanji! Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F), brush the karanji with oil, then bake for around 25 minutes. You may have to check them halfway through.