Sweet Ghugras for the Holidays
In collaboration with re:store
Nandi shares her mother's recipe for sweet ghugras, just in time for the season's festivities.
These fried stuffed pastries are a timeless favourite. It’s the filling that makes all the difference, and the one I’m sharing today fills my heart with so many beautiful memories of childhood. In those days, all sweets and savouries were made at home, and the scene was always the same: I'd come home from school, year after year, to my mother standing in the kitchen, preparing these sweets. How does it feel like it was the exact same sight every year, even though both she and I grew older?
Nandi’s Recipe for Sweet Ghugras
Makes 15-20 pieces
Ingredients
For the filling
½ cup white raw almonds (with skin)
½ cup shelled pistachio
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp ghee
1 – 2 pinches of saffron
½ teaspoon cardamom powder
For the pastry
See here.
Method
Roast the nuts until they turn to a light golden colour. (You can replace the pistachio with cashew nuts if you prefer). Allow to cool. Once cool, blitz into a coarse powder.
Now, add the powdered sugar and ghee. The ghee binds all the flavours together. Next, add the cardamom and saffron. Use your hands to gently bind the ingredients together. The filling is ready. You can also include mava (known in Tamil as palkova), which is a sweet milk reduction. But if you don’t like very sweet desserts, you can go for this nutty variation.
Now to roll and delicately fold the dough. If this is your first attempt, you can watch the video here to see how to stuff and fold the pastry casings. You will be able to make between 15-20 ghugras using this recipe, depending on the size. I like mine small and dainty, so that you are both satisfied with a single bite and left with a slight craving for more.
Once the pastries have been stuffed, they must be fried.
I prefer the traditional method of deep-frying in ghee over a low flame, but you can use oil if you wish. After a couple of minutes, increase the flame for about 15 seconds then lower it again for a minute. Continue alternating between high and low flames. The ghugras will take 12-14 minutes to turn to a light golden colour. And then they are ready to serve.
Photo and recipe by Nandi Shah of re:store
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