Baked Gujiya is a healthy version of popular Indian sweet Gujiya or Karanji. Gujiya is an Indian style Empanadas commonly stuffed with sweet mixture of mawa or semolina or coconut. Gujiya is a popular sweet prepared during Indian festivals like Holi, Diwali or Dusshera.
Traditionally, gujiya is deep fried in oil, some people also soak fried gujiyas in sugar syrup. However, nowadays we all try to avoid deep fried items. Hence, I have come up with a healthier version of Gujiya which is baked in oven. Believe me, it tastes awesome and people will eat this baked gujiya happily as it's guilt-free.
Different Names of Gujiya
Gujiya or Gujia has different names in different regions. This sweet deep-fried Gujiya is popular in Indian states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Bihar during Holi and Diwali Festival. It is also known as Pedakiya in Bihar. Gujiya is called Ghughra in Gujarat, Karanji in Maharashtra.
In Tamilnadu, Gujiya is known as Karachika. In Andhra Pradesh it is called Kajjikayalu and Karjikayi in Karnataka. Read here
What are the Different Stuffing of Gujiya?
Traditionally, Gujiya was stuffed with mawa or milk solids along with nuts and it is known as Mawa Gujiya. In Maharashtra, Karanji is stuffed with coconut, poppy seeds, nuts, etc. Often, Gujiya is also stuffed with semolina, desiccated coconut and dry fruits.
I have prepared a coconut stuffing using fresh coconuts, sugar and cashew nuts. You can prepare any sweet stuffings of your choice when you are making a sweet Baked Gujiya. You can also stuff the gujiyas using different flavors of sondesh.
So options of stuffings are endless. In case you are in hurry and do not have time to make stuffing at home, I would suggest you to use store bought pedas to stuff your Gujiyas.
How to make Baked Gujiya?
Preparation of Stuffing
Start the preparation of Baked Gujiya by making the stuffing. You can prepare your choice of stuffing. As I prepared stuffing using fresh coconut.
Preparation of Outer Shell
Make a smooth dough using all purpose flour, salt, baking powder, ghee and required water. Divide the dough into equal lemon size balls.
Roll each ball to small round disc (like poori).
Making of Baked Gujiya
Put coconut stuffing in the middle and close it such away it should be half circle or crescent in shape.
After that, seal the edges properly and using a fork secure the sealed edges by making imprints of fork.
Finally, place the gujiyas in greased tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C for 20 minutes.
Can I make the Gujiya quickly?
Of course you can prepare gujiya quickly if you plan it in advance. You can prepare the stuffing in advance (a day or two) and store it in refrigerator. Later you just take out the stuffing to room temperature and you can do the remaining steps.
This way you can save almost an hour time to prepare these baked gujiyas.
Can I use store-bought Pie-Dough for making the outer shell of Gujiya?
I normally prepare dough for gujiya at home using all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, clarified butter and required water.
If you are not comfortable making it at home you can use store-bought pie dough for making the outer shell of Gujiya. Find the details here.
Tips to make Best Baked Gujiya Recipe
- Avoid over-stuffing the shells because sealing will not be proper.
- Prepare smooth dough for better outcome.
- Preheating of oven is really important, so do not skip it.
- Grease the baking tray, properly so it become easy taking out the gujiyas from the tray. Otherwise, gujiyas might stick to the pan.
- Also, don't forget to brush the gujiya with ghee.
More Festive Recipes from My Blog
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Kucho Nimki
Elo Jhelo
Baked Gujiya
Equipment
- Baking Tray
Materials
For Stuffing
- 1 cup Coconut Scrapped
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Cashew Nuts, roasted & crushed
- 2 tablespoon Milk
- 2 tablespoon Condensed Milk
- a pinch Cardamom Powder (Optional)
For Outer Shell
- 1½ cup Maida/All Purpose Flour
- 4 tablespoon Ghee/Clarified Butter For Dough & Brushing
- ½ teaspoon Salt (Optional)
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- Water as required
Instructions
For Stuffing
- Take scrapped coconut in a grinder and add 2 tablespoon of milk, make a smooth paste.
- Now take the coconut paste and sugar in wok mix well and heat the wok. Stir continuously till the sugar melts.
- The mixture will become sticky in nature, at that time add condensed milk mix well.
- Now the mixture will leave the sides of the wok that means it is ready. Add roasted cashew init and mix. If you wish you can also add a pinch of cardamom powder. Allow the mixture to cool.
For Outer Shell
- For the pastry shell, sieve flour, baking powder and salt in a plate.
- Add ghee (2 tablespoon) in that mixture and make a dough just like poori (add water as required).
- Allow to rest the dough by covering with a damp cloth for half an hour.
- Divide the dough into equal lemon size balls.
- Roll each ball like poori and put coconut stuffing in the middle and close it such away it should be half circle or crescent in shape.
- Seal the edges properly and using a fork secure the sealed edges by making imprints of fork.
- Do step 5 & 6 for remaining balls.
- Preheat your oven at 200 degree C for 5 minutes and grease a baking tray with ghee.
- Keep the Gujiyas in the baking tray and brush the both sides with ghee.
- Now bake them at 200 degree C for 18-20 minutes.
- Take them out from the oven and allow to cool it.
- After cooling, store them in airtight container.
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Priya Srinivasan
Love these baked version more than regular ones! Such a healthy treat and love the idea of using pie dough for the outer cover!! A festive treat and a great edible gift.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
Love Gujiya anytime, fried or baked. They have turned out so well and definitely the filling is the highlight..yummy!
Sapna
I love the coconut and nuts filling in gujiya rather than the classic khoya one. Love the idea of baking them , makes a more guilt free dessert.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Baking the gujiyas is such a brilliant idea. Love to make this low calorie dessert for the festival season. And the coconut filling is my favorite 🙂
Padma Veeranki
Baked gujiyas have turned out so well with even browning. Best way to enjoy a guilt free dessert. Whenever I make gujiya or kajjikayalu as we call them, I make both the versions - fried and baked!! and honestly I can tell not a great difference, they both taste equally ggod....Delicious share for the festival season!!
Preethicuisine
Baked sweets are always welcome. These baked gujiyas are so uniformly done. Love the coconut and nut stuffing. Guilt free snack .
Bless my food by Payal
A far better gujia recipe then the deep fried one. Weight watchers and diet concious people can comfortably cherish it.
Me too have tried gujia once by baking and honestly, it tastes yum.
Hem lata srivastava
Love this baked version of gujhiya Amrita. Gujhiya is my son 's favorite and he is following kito diet theese days so perfect for him
Jolly
That’s really an interesting idea of making gujiya with baked version. These looks so perfect and absolutely beautiful. The crispness is same as we get in fried one then why not this healthy version. I love gujiyas with coconut and nuts filling, this is perfect festive sweet for me.
Preethicuisine
Baked gujiya looks incredibly delicious. Love the coconut and nuts filling. Can gorge on guilt free as it is. It deep fried.
Jayashree T.Rao
Love gujiyas and the baked ones sound so healthy and guilt free. They look so crisp and well made.
Malini Vivekananthan
The Baked Gujiya looks awesome. I love that clean nice texture on top. Fried ones don't turn out like these. We call this dessert as somasi in our place. I also made during chathurthi. Next time will try baking. Baked snacks are always welcome at home ?
Superduper kitchen
I too love baked gujiyas, Amrita.Yours is baked uniformly..I seriously don't find much difference in the end result. It tastes as good as the fried ones. In Tamilnadu we also call it as somas or somasi.
Mayuri Patel
Amrita, that's an awesome idea to bake gujiyas. I love them so much but feel so guilty to indulge in them as they are fried. This Diwali will have to try the baked version.
Pavani
Those baked gujiya looks absolutely amazing. Love the idea of baking instead of deep frying - makes them almost guilt-free 🙂 Lovely share.
Seema Sriram
Love the images here. With that crisp coating with that soft decadent sweet filling with the baked one makes it tick all the boxes.
Lata Lala
Aha .. gujiya is its new baked avtaar looks and sounds super delicious. Baking is always a healthy option rather than deep frying these Gujiya.
Lovely share.
Angie's Recipes
I love that fresh coconut filling!
Sona
This baked version of gujiya sounds more healthy and delicious too.
Suja Manoj
Healthy and yummy gujiya,love it
Unknown
Gujiyas look are super yummy, Amrtia. Love the fact that you baked these!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen
Nalini Somayaji
Baked Gujiya a very good option of baking and yummy sweet...
Gloria Fernandes
loved this baked version ..looks really yumm
Beena
Baked Gujiya. Healthy snack
Famidha Ashraf
Its raining coconut on blogosphere! Amrita! this is very interesting, creamy sweet coconut filling and baked. I still like to deep fry these things and for now that is the only version I can make.. we have something similar to gujiyas even in Malabar region of Kerala, but I am not sure what it is called.. should check with my mom.. over all... beautiful combo and neat pics..
coconut chutney
Yummy gujiyas:-)
Kushigalu
Love your version! Looks so good!
MASTERCHEFMOM
Holi is round the corner and this is such an apt post. Love your baked version .
Chitz
Haha.. love the short cut idea Amrita 😉 My grannie used to prepare the South indian version of this which is called somavasa.. I used to love them.. Baked version sounds healthy & tasty !!