Nevri | Karanji | Deep-fried Sweet-Puffs
Nevri (plural Nevryo) as they are called in Konkani are deep-fried Sweet -Puffs and are among my favourite Kuswar preparations. I can gobble them at a stretch! Known as Gujiya in parts of Northern India and Karanji in Maharashtra and non-konkani speaking regions of Karnataka, these are a favourite across the country and prepared during various festivals across communities.
These are similar to Samosas but crescent shaped with a light golden crunchy pastry shell with a flavour-packed sweet filling. Across the country, the fillings do vary a bit. Back home in Mangalore, when making these for Christmas, the desiccated coconut based sweet-filling is used. Making Nevryo involves a bit of effort but nevertheless it is a simple recipe.
How to make Nevri
The entire process of making Nevri can be sub-divided into 4 processes viz. making the filling, making the dough, assembling and frying.
To make the filling, roast the cashew-nuts and raisins in some ghee and set aside. Then in the same pan, roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, desiccated coconut and semolina one by one until they turn aromatic or take on some colour. Transfer to the same bowl as the cashew nuts and raisins and allow to cool completely. Once cooled completely, add in the granulated sugar, cardamom powder and ground nutmeg and mix well and set aside in an air-tight container. This filling can be refrigerated for a few days, when stored air-tight and moisture free.
Once the filling is done and ready, we proceed to making the dough for the pastry. Sift together all-purpose flour, semolina and salt. The Semolina is added to enhance the crunch of the pastry. You can skip it if you desire. Add water in parts and mix all the ingredients till they come together and knead it to a stiff dough. Divide the dough into lime sized balls and set aside to begin the process of assembling.
Assembling the Nevryo involves rolling the dough balls, adding the filling and sealing them. Sealing can be done in multiple ways like crimping with our bare hands, using a pastry cutter or using a Ravioli mould. Using the mould is by far, the easiest and clean-looking method.
Roll the dough balls to about 3mm thick discs (if rolled too thin, the pastry shell will crack in the hot oil). Lay the rolled disc on the ravioli mould and scoop a spoonful of the filling in the middle of the disc. Brush the edges of the dough disc with water (this step is very important and necessary to ensure perfect sealing of the pastry dough). Fold the mould to close the dough disc over the filling and form a crescent. Press down on theedges of the mould to seal the Nevri well and to remove the excess dough from the edges.
Drop the assembled Nevri into medium hot oil and fry until the pastry shell turns light golden in colour. Ensure that the oil is not too hot. We need to allow sufficient time for the filling to be cooked by the time the pastry shell turns light golden. If fried on high heat, the pastry shell will cook too quickly and the filling won’t be cooked.
Once cooked, transfer it to an absorbent towel and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled completely, transfer to an air-tight container for optimal storage. Done!
Nevri
Equipment
- Frying Pan, Medium sized
- Bowl, medium sized
- Mixing Bowl, medium sized
- Pastry Brush
- Nevri Mould / Pastry Wheel
- Medium sized pot (for deep frying)
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
for the Filling:
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 12 pcs Cashew nuts, broken
- 12 pcs Raisins
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Poppy seeds
- 100 gms Desiccated coconut
- 2 tbsp Semolina, fine grain
- 100 gm Sugar, granulated
- 3 pods Green Cardamom seeds, powdered
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
for the Pastry:
- 250 gms All Purpose Flour, (plus more for dusting)
- 1 tbsp Semolina
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Water, (plus more for crimping)
For Frying the Nevri:
- Vegetable Oil (as needed)
Instructions
Preparing the Filling:
- Heat the ghee in the frying pan and roast the cashew nuts till they brown a bit. Add the raisins and roast for a few seconds till they puff up.
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same pan, roast the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, desiccated coconut and semolina one by one until they turn aromatic or take on some colour.
- Transfer to the same bowl as the cashew nuts and raisins and allow to cool completely
- Once cooled completely, add in the granulated sugar, cardamom powder and ground nutmeg and mix well and set aside in an air-tight container
Preparing the Pastry Dough:
- In a mixing bowl, take the all purpose flour and mix it with the semolina and salt
- Add water in parts and mix all the ingredients till they come together and knead it to a stiff dough
- Divide the dough into little balls and proceed to assembling the Nevri
Assembling the Nevri:
- On a floured surface, roll the balls into 2mm thick disks (see notes) of about 5 cm in diameter or wide enough to cover the Nevri mould
- Spoon 1 tbsp of the filling into one half of the rolled pastry disk
- Using a pastry brush, smear the edges of the pastry disk with water
- Fold over the other half of the pastry disk to form a crescent and crimp the edges by using the mould or a pastry wheel. Remove the excess dough from the edges
Frying the Nevri:
- While assembling the Nevri, in a medium sized pot heat up sufficient oil to medium-low heat
- Drop the Nevri one by one into the heated oil, laying them away from you to prevent splashing (see notes)
- Fry them until they turn golden brown on either sides
- Using a slotted spoon, take them out of the oil and transfer them to an absorbent towel and let them cool completely to room temperature
Storing the Nevri:
- Once cooled completely, transfer the Nevri to a moisture free air-tight container and store in a cool-dry place
Notes
- Do not roll the dough too thin. This may lead to rupturing of the Nevri while frying
- Do not overcrowd the pot. Overcrowding will cause a drop in the oil temperature and the Nevri may not fry properly
- Ensure the oil is medium hot. You need to allow sufficient time for the filling to cook. If the oil is too hot, the pastry will brown too quickly and the filling won’t be cooked well.
- Before storing, ensure the Nevri have cooled down completely. This will ensure they remain crisp through storage.
- The yield mentioned is approximate and will vary as it depends on various factors like the thickness of the pastry and size of the mould.
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Do check out my Christmas “CLAUS”et for more Christmassy goodness!