Fresh Coconut Karanji ( ओल्या नारळयाच्या करंज्या)

Fresh Coconut Karanji ( ओल्या नारळयाच्या करंज्या)

This is one of my most favourite item amongst the Diwali faral. Although loaded with calories..but Diwali celebration is the time when you eat and not think of calories and then work out hard to burn those which had be literally ignored. Karanji (करंजी) authentically is a fried delicacy but thanks to modern day inventions of appliances we have the oven in which we can bake the karanji and enjoy it as well...here we are just subtracting the fried part of course which does count a lot but the coconut and sugar still carries those extra calories. In my earlier blog you would have read about the easy ways of doing the faral. Although today's recipe doesn't have any easy way, but i have reduced the effort of hammering the dough. It took me a a little less time and effort to make the authentic karanji recipe and the result.. yummy looking fresh coconut karanji. Can't wait until Diwali day to have them. It has been a tradition at my Mom's place that you make the faral in advance but should have it after offering it to God on the first Day of Diwali (नरक चतुर्दशी )

Soon i will add the baked karanji recipe to my blog which I'm sure all of my "sakhis" are waiting to read. Let me share you this recipe

Makes 19 medium size Karanji's

Ingredients (साहित्य):

1 cup Fine Semolina (बारीक़ रवा )

1 cup All purpose flour (मैदा)

5-6 tsp oil (कड़क गरम तेल )

2 cups fresh shredded coconut

1 1/2 cup sugar ( you can add more depending on the sweetness of the sugar)

1/2 tsp cardamom पाउडर (वेलदोडा पुड )

1-2 tsp ghee (सजुप तुप )

1/2 cup warm water

Pinch of Salt

2 tbsp milk

Oil for frying

Method (कृति):

Before you start making the filling first knead the dough for that combine the Semolina, All purpose flour and salt. Once the dry ingredients are mixed add the hot the oil. Make sure the oil is hot else the Karanji's won't have the crunch. Stir the dough with a spoon and add warm water. In about 30 seconds you can knead the dough by hand and make it semi soft. Let the dough rest for a while. Now start the filling. In a non stick pan add the coconut and sugar with 1-2 tsp of ghee on a medium flame. Keep stirring else it may burn. Once the sugar starts melting higher the flame and stir continuously till the mixture thickens. Now the mixture is thick enough add the cardamom and remove the pan from the heat. Let the mixture cool. Make a small ball of the kneaded dough and roll it into a circle (disc) of around 5" diameter. Put a spoonful of the coconut mixture in one half of the circle(disc). apply very little milk on the edge of the filled half, fold and seal the circle (disc). Take the zig-zag wheel headed spoon or plastic fork and seal the extra dough. Make about 5-7 first and deep fry them. Remove once you see a Golden brown color of the karanji's. Do not over fry them else the crust would taste bitter and would loose the taste of the stuffing. Let them cool and store in an air tight container. Crunchy karanji's are ready for Diwali day.

Tip: Seal the edges properly else the stuffing would spread out in the oil. Best way to seal it is after using the zig-zag cutter press it with a plastic for. If you use a metal fork there are chances of its points piercing into the dough which would also lead the way out for the stuffing while frying.