Coconut empanadas/ Indian Sweet gujiya/ Gujarati ghughra

This recipe is traditional Gujarati Recipe from Gujarat India.  Traditionally with made from Gram and wheat flour. We grow up eating Ghughra stuffed with coconut and nuts stuffing. Simple easy to make and just right for the sweet tooth buds. I gave the title Empanadas since it looks and made in the same way. This recipe calls for the charoli(Charoli are tiny almond-flavoured dried seeds of a bush called Buchanania lanzan, which is cultivated across India, primarily in the northwest. After the hard shell is cracked, the stubby seed within is as soft as a pine nut.) 

You can find charoli in any Indian grocery store. If can not find it then simply use any nuts, pine nuts can be a good substitute. unsweetened coconut also can be find at indian grocery but if not then just use the sweetened and add 2 tablespoons of powder sugar instead. Lets get started with the recipe. 

Ingredients - 

for stuffing:

2 cups - shredded coconut( unsweetened) 

2 tablespoon  - Golden raisins

2 tablespoon- chopped cashews

1/4 cup-  chopped or sliced almonds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds( khus khus)

1/4 cup powder sugar

1/2 teaspoon- crushed cardamom/ cardamom powder 

1 tablespoon- charoli(optional) either use pinenuts

oil to fry

Mix all the ingredianet in a bowl. It should look like this.

For the dough:

2 cup- flour

1/2 cup- ghee(clarified butter)

water

 Mix the ghee in to the flour and give it a good massage until the flour soaks all the ghee. Add water in small amount, keep adding the water until it forms in the dough. It should look like this. add a little ghee to smooth the dough. 

 Cover the dough with the damped towel for 10 minutes.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured board to circles about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Place a spoonful of filling on one side of the circle. Moisten the edges of the circle with a small amount of water and fold the dough over the filling to make a half circle. Press the edges together to seal. if you can fold the edges to make a little design then go ahead and do it. It's fun!

Make one at a time and put those Ghughra( empanadas) in to the bowl covering damped towel. Damped towel would help pastry from drying. Now heat the oil in the fryer or deep pan. Fry those Ghughra until golden. 

This is the final product. I know i should post few more pictuers of showing how to fold and roll the pastries. I'll do that hopefully soon.Hope you guys enjoy this recipe. This can be really good snacks with the tea or coffee or any hot beverages.

Baking Instructions: Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes on lightly greased pan.

        

Please comment if you have any questions. Thanks!

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with vegetables & Mozzarella cheese

Ingrediants

1 Small Spaghetti squash

1 medium tomato

3 celery stalk

1 Red pepper or Green is fine too

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 Green chilli seed removed and chopped

2/4 cup spaghetti sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry thyme

 1/4 teaspoon dry basil

1/4 teaspoon dry parsley

1/4 teaspoon oregano

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoon olive oil

mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoon Cilantro chopped  

 

Method

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Put the water to boil in the pan. Cook squash in to the boiling water for 30 minutes in the cover pot. mean while in one pan heat the oil. Add garlic saute it for few seconds and add onions. cook the onions until tender, add pepper and celery. cook it for 1 minutes and add tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper to taste. cook more 2 to 3 minutes on medium- low or until tomatoes are tender. by the time now squash should be done. cool down the squash with cold water scoop out the spaghetti and squash should look like a boat or a cup to stuff the veggies in. Add the spaghetti in to the vegetable mixture in the pan. add spaghetti sauce and coriander. cook it on low for 2 minutes. Preheat the oven on 400F.

Take a baking sheet Grease it lightly. Stuff the Squash boats with vegetable stuffing cover it with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle it with lill paprika. Arrange those squash boats on the baking sheet. 

 Bake it in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve it hot.