A gujiya or a pedakiya is a sweet deep-fried dumpling, native to the Indian subcontinent, made with suji or maida stuffed with a mixture of sweetened khoa and dried fruits, and fried in ghee. The earliest mention of gujiya dates back to the 13th century, when a jaggery-honey mixture was covered with wheat flour and was sun-dried. The preparation method of a typical gujiya/pedakiya is rather similar to that of a samosa, but the gujiya/pedakiya looks like an empanada. Shaped like a half moon, the gujiya or pedakiya is filled with a sweet mixture of grated and roasted dried fruits, khoa, grated coconut, and a hint of suji to lend it a grainy texture. It is especially made and consumed during Teej, Holi and Chhath in India.
Similar dishes
Several regional cuisines in India feature dishes similar to gujia, but with different fillings. Gujias are prepared in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujrat and Bihar regions of India during Holi and Diwali festivities. They are called Pedakiya in Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Assametc. Pedakiyas are very popular in Bihar and are relished by everyone. There it is used as holy offerings in Chhath. There are two types of pedakiya made in Bihar: one with suji / rawa and another with khoa. In suji pedakiya, suji is roasted in ghee with sugar, cashew, grated coconut, cardamom, raisins and other nuts and then deep fried in ghee. In khoa pedakiya, pure khoa is mixed with nuts and sugar and then deep fried. It is also called Ghughra in Gujarat, Karanji in Maharashtra, Somas in Tamil Nadu, Garijalu in Telangana and, Kajjikaya in Andhra Pradesh and, Karjikayi in Karnataka. They are all fried sweet dumplings made of wheat flour and stuffed with dry or moist coconut delicacies. In Goa, Goans prepare a similar sweet on the occasion of their festivals: Hindus for Ganesh Chaturthi and Christians for Christmas, and call it nevri or neuri. In Odisha it is called “karanji” and has either a coconut based or curd cheese based filling.
