These layered Neuris or Neureos (also called Karanji or Gujiya) are a delight during the Christmas season. The flaky layered pockets of pastry are loaded with the most delicious filling. Check out the recipe for my favourite tips to get the perfect ones every time.
Ingredients
For The Pastry Dough
- 2 cups (250 grams) All Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 25 grams (4 tbsp / ¼ cup) Pure Ghee/clarified butter, melted
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Water, hot
For The Paste
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1½ tbsp Pure Ghee
For The Filling
- 1 tbsp Pure Ghee
- 150 grams Mawa/Khoya
- 2 tbsp Semolina
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 2 tbsp (10 grams) Cashew Nuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp (15 grams) Almonds, chopped
- 2 tbsp (18 grams) Pistachios, chopped
- 3 tbsp (25 grams) Chironji
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 tbsp (30 grams) Golden Raisins
- 8 tbsp (50 grams) Desiccated Coconut
- 5 tbsp (50 grams) Powder White Sugar
- 6 Cardamoms, crushed
For Frying
- Oil
Method
- In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour and salt. Give it a quick mix.
- Now pour in the melted pure ghee and with your fingers, work the ghee into the flour so that the ghee coats the flour.
- For added crispiness to the dough, rub the flour mixture between the palms of your hands.
- To bring the dough together, add water a little at a time. Add just enough water to get a smooth dough.
- Knead the dough for 2 minutes then cover it with plastic wrap and allow it to rest.
- Now in a bowl, add the cornstarch and the pure ghee and give them a quick mix to make a smooth mixture. Cover this up and keep it aside.
- It’s time to knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes till you get a smooth soft dough. Cover it up once again and leave it to rest.
- In a pan, add the mawa and cook it on medium-low heat till it softens and begins to leave the bottom of the pan. Empty it into a bowl and allow it to cook.
- Now add some pure ghee to the pan, toss in the semolina and saute it till it gets some colour. Empty it into a bowl to cool.
- Add some more pure ghee to the pan and toss in the sesame seeds. Saute them till they get a little colour. Now add the chopped cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios, chironji and salt. Saute till the nuts have got well roasted. Lastly, add the golden raisins, give the mix one last stir, and then empty it into a bowl to cool.
- Once cooled, add in the desiccated coconut, powdered sugar, and crushed cardamons and give the mix a good stir so that all the ingredients get well distributed. Cover and keep it aside.
- Now take the dough and divide it into two and then divide each half into three. We are going to work with one piece while we cover the rest.
- Tuck in all the corners of the dough and form a round ball. Now roll it out into a thin sheet. Place it away, covered. Take the second and third dough portions and repeat the rolling process.
- Now place one rolled-out sheet down and apply a thin layer of the cornstarch and ghee paste we made earlier. Top it with a second pastry sheet and smoothen it out on the top with your hands to remove any air pockets. Apply another thin layer of the paste on that pastry sheet and now place the third pastry sheet on top of that one. Once again gently rubbing your hand on the top to remove any air pockets.
- Dust a little all-purpose flour on a plate and place the layered pastry on it. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to firm up. During that time, repeat the layering process with the second half of the pastry dough.
- Dust just a little all-purpose flour on the work surface and place the layered pasty dough. Gently roll out the dough to a thin sheet.
- Use a 3.5” diameter cookie cutter and cut out round circles. Take one of the cutout pastry circles and place it where the palm of your hand and your fingers meet. Put a teaspoon full of the filling in the center of the circle and then with a brush, brush on the water all around the circle between the filling and the edge of the circle.
- Now first fold the circle into half and bring the center together the sides pressing the pastry tough together where you had brushed on the water. This is going to seal the neuris. Place the formed neuris on a lightly floured plate and cover it with damp kitchen paper towels or a kitchen towel.
- Continue the process till you have finished all the dough.
- Fill a heavy bottom pot with oil halfway up to the top. Heat the oil on medium-low heat till it reaches around 280F/140C or when a piece of the pastry dough dropped into the hot oil takes its time to come up to the surface.
- Now gently place about 8 neuris (depending on the size of the pot) at a time into the hot oil. Do not touch the neuris till they come to the surface of the oil. Then gently turn them around occasionally so that they get well fried on all sides. Fry the neuris till they get a light golden brown.
- Once fried, lift them up from the oil with a spider skimmer and drain off the excess oil. Place them in the strainer to cool while you fry the second batch. When the second batch is ready, transfer the first batch from the strainer to the colander to cool and place the second batch in the strainer to cool. Repeat the process till all the neuris are fried.
- Store the cooled neuris in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
