Kajikaya-Karanji

Kajjikaya also called as Garjalu or Karanji is a preparation with flour rolled out into thin flat breads and stuffed with a delectable yet subtle coconut and semolina mixture with toasted nuts and sugar  and deep fried.This decadence is usually made during festivals like Holi, Diwali and Sankranthi.

Preparation time	60 minutes
Serves	24 kajjikayas
Serving Size	1 kajjikaya
Calories Per Serving	Approximately 141 per serving
Difficulty	Difficult

Ingredients:
1 cup maida
1/4 cup fine semolina
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons ghee
1/2 cup grated dry coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup semolina
1/2 cup ground cashew+pistachio
1/4 cup roasted cashew pieces
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
oil for frying


Procedure:
1.Take the maida and fine semolina in a bowl and add salt and mix well.Add the ghee and mix well.Add water little by little to form a firm dough,knead well.Cover and keep aside for 30 mins.

2.In a separate pan roast the semolina until lightly brown and take into a bowl.

3.Add grated dry coconut,sugar,ground nuts paste,cardamom powder and cashew pieces and mix well.

4.Make lime size roundles and roll them into a very thin dough.

5.If you have a Kajjikaya press,grease the edges, place the rolled out dough on it and place the coconut stuffing inside,apply water on the edges and press to seal,remove excess dough that is hanging out,if you do not have a press you can place the coconut stuffing in the center and fold it over and press down with fork to seal the edges.

6.Repeat for all the dough(make it in batches and cover it with surround wrap so the dough doesn't dry out. Heat oil on medium flame and once the oil is hot,gently drop the stuffed kajjikaya into the oil, let fry on one side and flip it on the other side until it reaches a light brown color on both sides,remove from oil and drain onto a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil and serve.

Tips:
Always keep the kneaded dough covered to prevent drying
You can add raisins,sesame seeds,peanuts,jaggery,mawa etc to make many variations of kajjikaya.
Make sure the kajjikaya is properly sealed or your stuffing will get into the oil and makes the oil messy.