Recipes
How to make sweet, fried purukiya
Yomari is famous among Newars as a sweet, but these deep-fried dumplings from Terai are strong competitors.Sweksha Karna
Purukiya are deep-fried dumplings made out of all-purpose flour stuffed with sweet fillings. They also go by the name of Gujiyas. They are mostly filled with semolina flour and dry fruits. However, jaggery, khuwa and chocolates are some fun and contemporary fillings to try too.
Ingredients:
½ kg of all-purpose flour
1 kg of semolina flour
2 cups of sugar
2-3 tbsps of ghiu
2-3 pods of cardamom
2-3 cups of sunflower oil
3-4 chopped pistachios and cashews each
400 grams of jaggery or khuwa, approximately (optional)
Directions
Heat a pan with ghiu, add semolina flour. Stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Once the flour starts browning, add sugar and mix well. Then, crush cardamoms and add to the dry mixture along with the chopped dry fruits. Once golden brown, remove from heat and let cool.
While the mixture is cooling, prepare the dough in which the semolina will be stuffed. Prepare a basic dough from all-purpose flour and knead well. Roll dough and cut into small circles, like momos. They must be thinner than biscuits, but not see through.
Take a spoonful of semolina mix and put it on one half of the circle. Shape purukiya by taking the other half of the circle and folding it to make a taco-like shape. Pinch edges together to make folds to strengthen the sealing and create pretty ruffles. The purukiyas should look like a crescent moon, which is why it’s also known as chandrakala.
Make sure you have already started heating oil in a pan while you are stuffing your purukiyas. Once shaped, drop them in the hot oil and fry until golden brown. You may further brush them with sugar syrup and garnish with dry fruits. Jaggery and khuwa can also be used as an alternative filling. Serve as a dessert or snack at any time of the day.