During festivals or when guests visit, dishes like Dahi Bhalle and Dahi Vada traditionally hold an important place on the table of cha lovers. However, if you are tired of monotonous dahi vada, you can prepare dahi gujiya, which turns out incredibly soft and fluffy using just one cup of split moong lentils.
This dahi gujiya, filled with an aromatic stuffing of cashews, raisins, and spices, looks very luxurious, and its taste melts in your mouth. Problems often arise with homemade gujiyas—they can turn hard inside or burst during frying. This article reveals a secret technique for processing the lentils that guarantees perfectly airy and fluffy dahi gujiya.
To prepare the dough for dahi gujiya, you will need:
- Split moong lentils (without husk) — 1 cup (soaked in water for 4-5 hours)
- Ginger — 1-inch piece
- Green chili — 2 pieces
- Asafoetida — 1/4 teaspoon
- Salt — to taste
- Water — 2-3 tablespoons (for grinding the lentils)
For the filling, you need:
- Cashews — 8-10 pieces (finely chopped)
- Raisins — 10-12 pieces
- Ginger — 1 teaspoon (finely grated)
- Green chili — 1 piece (finely chopped)
- Fresh coriander — 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
For serving and garnish, use:
- Fresh thick yogurt — 2 cups (whipped and slightly sweetened)
- Sweet and sour tamarind sauce — 1/2 cup
- Green cilantro and mint sauce — 1/2 cup
- Roasted cumin powder, red pepper, black salt — to taste
- Pink pomegranate seeds and thin crispy strands (sev) — for garnish
First, grind the lentils: drain all the excess water from the soaked moong. Then, place the lentils, ginger, green chili, and only 2-3 tablespoons of water into a blender jar to obtain a very thick and smooth paste. It is important not to add too much water, otherwise the shape of the gujiya will not form.
To make the dough soft, a special whipping technique must be performed: transfer the ground lentils to a large bowl, add asafoetida and a little salt. Next, using your hands, knead the lentils continuously in one direction for 5-7 minutes. The lentils should become very light, fluffy, and white.
There is a way to check the readiness of the dough: drop a small amount of whipped dough into water. If it starts floating on the surface, it means the lentils have been perfectly whipped for gujiya.
Next, prepare the filling: finely chop the cashews, raisins, grated ginger, chopped green chili, and fresh coriander, and mix them in a small bowl, setting them aside.
Use a damp surface to shape the gujiya: wet a piece of dry cloth or plastic wrap with water. Take a small amount of lentil mass in your hand, place it on the wrap, and spread it evenly. Place one tablespoon of cashew and raisin filling in the center. Then fold the wrap in half, giving the gujiya a crescent shape, and carefully pinch the edges.
Fry the gujiyas over medium heat: heat oil to medium temperature in a pot. Wet your hand, carefully lift the gujiya from the wrap, and lower it into the hot oil. Fry over medium or low heat until golden brown and slightly puffed up on both sides.
After frying, immerse the gujiyas in a container with warm water, to which a little salt and asafoetida have been added. Leave them covered for 15-20 minutes so they fully absorb the water and become very soft.
Serving the dish: before serving, gently squeeze the water-soaked gujiya with your palm to remove excess liquid. Then, arrange it on a serving plate and garnish with whipped sweet yogurt, green sauce, sweet and sour tamarind sauce, roasted cumin powder, black pepper, red pepper, pomegranate seeds, and sev, serving them cold.