Learn how to make Layered Mawa Neuris or Karanji/Sweet Puffs Recipe Indian versions during festive occasions like Christmas, and Diwali. Karanji. Sweet Puffs or Gujiyas are fried crisp flaky pastries filled with a sweet Mawa filling.
Making Sweet Puffs or Karanjis may seem a lengthy and complicated process. But preparing these festive delicacies is so reminiscing.
We have been making these sweet puffs recipes every year during Christmas and they are a hit with family and friends. I’ll demonstrate the step-by-step instructions I learned from my dear Mum for you to understand better. Try making these Layed Sweet Puffs /Karanji with Mawa filling and enjoy them with your family.
Table of Contents
- Layered Puffs/Nevries – Watch the Video
- Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puff
- How to make Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puffs
Layered Puffs/Nevries – Watch the Video
Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puff
- HOW TO MAKE CRISPY LAYERED KARANJI/SWEET PUFF CRISPY DOUGH FOR THE OUTER LAYER: Add ghee/clarified butter and salt to All-Purpose flour/Maida and knead it to a soft dough with water. Adding ghee or clarified butter while kneading the dough makes the karanji crispy. Keep the dough in an airtight container and let it rest for at least an hour.
- MAWA FILLING FOR KARANJI/SWEET PUFFS/NEVRIES: Because we make these pastries on festive occasions, we want the filling to be sweet. You can have a wide variety of fillings to choose from like mince or any vegetarian filling. But these layered puffs are stuffed with the Indian mawa/khoya (evaporated milk solids).
- Though this filling contains mawa/khoya the shelf life for these pastries, is 10-15 days. Hence, you can enjoy them all through the Christmas season.
- MAKING ROUX FOR LAYERS OF THE PASTRY: Mix equal parts of melted ghee/clarified butter and cornflour and combine this to a smooth paste. If the paste tends to harden after a few minutes, you can then place it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it.
How to make Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puffs
2 hours and 55 minutes
Step-by-Step instructions on How to make Layered Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puffs/Nevries
- Make Karanji/Sweet Puff Dough
Add ghee/clarified butter and salt to All-Purpose flour/Maida and knead it to a soft dough with water. Let the dough rest on your countertop for at least an hour.
- Make Sweet Puffs/Karanji/Nevries
Roll the dough into three equal discs of approx. 12-13″ diameter, as thin as you can.
- Form layers of dough & roll
Place each rolled disc one over the other adding the roux or cornflour paste in a thin layer on every layer. Now fold this into a strip of approx. 1.5″.
- Cutting the strip of dough
Now cut the strip once again into broad strips of approx. 1-inch.
- Roll the cut strips
Roll each cut strip as shown in the picture. With a rolling pin lightly roll the cut strip into small squares. Do not press hard on the folds. These will form into lovely flakes while frying.
- Add the Mawa filling
Now, place a little mawa filling on each piece of the rolled dough. The mawa filling prepared earlier may harden. Adding rose water to the mawa filling will soften it for easy filling.
- Fold the Karanji/Sweet puffs/Nevries
Apply water or rose water to the edges of the puff dough. Fold it over and press the sides well. This will prevent the filling from oozing out during frying. Similarly, prepare all the puffs and keep them covered with a kitchen towel, on a tray and gear up for frying.
- Frying the Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puffs/Nevries
Heat oil in a deep Kadai and drop the Karanjis/sweet puffs/nevries one by one in hot oil. Fry them on a low to medium flame, shuffling them carefully once or twice to ensure even frying.
- Remove the sweet puffs
Once the sweet puffs turn golden and flaky, it’s time to remove them from hot oil. Place them carefully on a kitchen tissue and allow the oil to drain. Allow the puffs to cool overnight or at least for 5 to 6 hours before storing them in an air-tight container.
Serving Suggestions
Now that you know How to make these delicious Mawa Karanji/Sweet Puffs/Nevries, let this be on your Christmas Sweets platter this year. Enjoy this plain or along with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
Traditional Christmas Sweets that you may like to try:
Marshmallows – Homemade marshmallows
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Printable Recipe
How to make Karanji/Sweet Puffs Recipe (Indian)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 Kg All-purpose flour/maida
- 4 tbsp Ghee/Clarified butter
- 1 tsp Salt
For the mawa filling
- 150 grams Roasted Sooji/Rawa
- 300 grams Mawa/Khoya
- 300 grams Powdered Sugar
- 150 grams candied peels or tutti-fruity
- 25 grams Charoli
- 50 grams Cashewnuts or Almonds or 2 tsps each
- ¼ tsp Salt
For the Roux
- 100 grams Ghee/Clarified butter
- 100-150 grams Cornflour
Instructions
- Knead the dough and set aside for at least an hour.
- Make a paste melted Ghee/clarified butter and cornflour.
Filling for Karanji/Sweet Puffs
- Roast 100 grams sooji/rawa. Add the nuts and salt while roasting. Put down from flame.
- When still warm, add the powdered sugar and mawa and mix well. Add all the other ingredients. Add rose-water to combine the filling for easy use. Keep aside.
How to make Karanji/Sweet Puffs
- Take 3 small balls of dough and roll it into a thin chapati of 12- 13" diameter.
- Apply the roux/cornflour paste on each chapati and fold it into a strip of 1.5 inches. Cut the strip again into a 1-inch piece.
- Roll each piece carefully, avoiding the edges. Place a little filling for about 1 tbsp on each piece of the dough and fold it carefully to form the sweet puff. Stick the edges with rose-water.
Frying
- Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Add the nevries and fry on medium flame till golden. Do not over-crowd the kadai.
- Cool the nevries/sweet puffs and then store in an air-tight container
Notes
- If the mawa filling hardens add some rose water to soften it.
- Add hot oil to the roux when it hardens.
- Fry the mawa karanjis on a low to medium flame
Thanks for stopping by ……
Love, Anita,
HI, Anita Congratulations for creating receipe blog. Lovely receipes .
Diana
Delcious. Now i can try and copy your recipes.
Diana
Thanks Diana … I created this space especially for family and friends like you.
Hi.. So this is similar to the East Indian Fold Patties? Can you please share the recipe for that as well
Sure I will Sheryl. Stay connected.
Hi Anita will try with chicken mince. Was very happy to see the way you was making the layered nevris. I was thinking so difficult it is but you made it quite easier. Thank you so much. 😘
Thank you, Rose. Once you start making these, they will seem much simpler.