NEVRI or KARJIKAAY

NEVRI or KARJIKAAY or KARANJI



My childhood memories are refreshed with this crunchy sweet stuffed delicacy.My grandparents would visit us in summer sometimes .And they would carry two big aluminium dabbas with them .one filled with nevri other with chakkuli or tinglod.I would wait for mamama(maternal grandmother in konkani) to open the dabbi and arrange them on plate.My granny would call it karanji and as it was a new name for me i would call it karinj ,even today when I made it, I called her and told i made karinj mamama.
Its made mainly during diwali and ganesh festival.As most of my friends here were making gujiya (as they call in hindi for nevri) for the holi festival i too got into the mood of making it.

To ask the ingredients i had called amma and noted it down.She told to give it to her grandson more. yes he had them and liked it because they had raisins.


INGREDIENTS

MAIDA--2 cup

SUGAR-1 cup

CASHEWNUT-10

FRIED GRAM-2tbsp

RAISINS-2tbsp

POPPYSEEDS-1 tbsp

COCONUT-2tbsp fresh or frozen.

OLIVE OIL-1tbsp for kneading

OIL -for frying

SALT -1/4 tsp

CARDAMOM-5 warmed in microwave


METHOD


For the outer cover.


Sieve maida ,add salt to it.Heat olive oil and add to it.Knead it with water into a stiff dough.Keep aside for half an hour with a wet cloth or wet kitchen paper.


For the stuffing


Powder grind the sugar with cardamomseeds.clean poppy seeds under running water in a tea sieve, and spread on a kitchen towel.


Dry roast cashewnuts, fried gram (hurigadle) and poppy seeds .the poppy starts real poppy at this point. close a lid.for a second.and switch off the flame.


roast coconut grated till pink and remove.


roast raisins with little olive oil or ghee for nice aroma.

grind the cashewnuts and fried gram .combine the powders,coconut,poppyseeds and raisins with sugar.
The stuffing is ready.


Make 1" balls out of the dough.Flatten each into thin circles.
place a teaspoon of the stuffing in the left half and wet the edges with water.wrap over the other end and close it to a semicircle.press the edges.
make a batch of 10 likewise.heat oil in a deep pan.and fry them both sides till light gold.finish the dough and stuffing in batches if doing alone.thats wat i did.

remove and drain on a papertowel to absorb the extra oil. when cooled store in airttight containers.munch them for a week or more if they are left.