Rose Coconut Karanji

This karanji is my mom's recipe; the one I've watched her make every Diwali since I was little. The dough turns perfectly crisp and flaky, and the coconut-rose filling stays fragrant and just sweet enough. Every bite takes me straight back to her kitchen. It's the version I now make with my boys, keeping our family tradition alive one batch at a time.

In our home, karanji is part of the traditional Maharashtrian faral spread that's made with love and shared with everyone who stops by during Diwali. Alongside these karanjis, we also make chakli, shankarpali, saranachi puri, and chirote; each one with its own special story, aroma, and place on the festive platter

Karanji Outer Shell

The dough for Karanji is made using a mix of all-purpose flour, semolina, ghee, and milk. Small dough balls are rolled into thin circles to which the sweet filling of choice is added. The circle is folded in half to make a beautiful half-moon-shaped pastry with crimped edges to seal in the filling. The outer shell can also be made by layering dough. A creamy paste of ghee and rice flour (Also known as "Sata" in Marathi) is added between each sheet of dough to create the signature flaky layers.

Traditional Karanji Filling

Traditionally, the Maharashtrian Karanji filling is made with roasted dry coconut, poppy seeds, sugar, cardamom, and nuts. For festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Raksha Bandhan, the filling is also made with fresh coconut, which has a unique taste and texture. The fresh coconut Karanji, known as "Olya Naralachi Karanji", has a much shorter shelf life due to the moisture in the fresh coconut.

Ingredient Notes

• Outer Shell - is made with a dough made of all-purpose flour(maida), fine semolina(sooji), ghee, and milk
• Filling - unsweetened desiccated coconut, powdered sugar, rose petal preserves, and rose essence. Simply mix, adjusting the sugar depending on how sweet your gulkand is. If you do not have gulkand, you can add an extra half a teaspoon of rose essence or rose syrup to the filling.
• Layering - to get that signature flaky texture, a paste of ghee and fine rice flour is spread between layers of rolled dough. This step makes all the difference!

How To Make Karanji

Knead The Dough

• Mix semolina and all-purpose flour. Heat the ghee and add it to the flour
• Massage the ghee into the flour for 3 to 4 minutes or until you can form a loose ball with the dry flour
• Next, knead the dough with warm milk
• Cover and allow the dough to rest for 20 mins

Make the Filling

• Add all the ingredients for the filling to a mixing bowl.
• Rub filling on the palms of the hands for a couple of minutes so that the rose preserve is mixed evenly.

Layering Paste and Color (Optional Step)

• Make the layering paste AKA "Sata" by mixing rice flour and ghee. Reserve.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal parts.
• As ⅓ of the dough will be left white, knead this ball of dough first so there is no color transfer from the next step. Knead for 2-3 minutes. 
• Bloom saffron in warm milk and add it to the second part. Knead well for 5 minutes until the color is evenly distributed.
• Add a teaspoon of beet juice (or a few drops of red coloring) to the final piece and knead well for 5 minutes or until the color is evenly distributed.

Roll the Dough and Apply Sata Between Layers (optional)

• Roll each of the dough into a thin 12-inch circle. Evenly spread one-third of the rice flour paste over the white rolled circle.
• Place red over the white and apply a thin layer of rice flour paste.
• Lastly, place the yellow dough and apply a thin layer of rice flour paste.
• Make a tight roll of the layered dough and cut it in half

Roll The Dough, Fill and Seal

• Roll each half to even out the thickness, and then cut each half into 12 pieces or ¼ inch discs.
• Take one cut piece and roll it into a 3-inch circle. While rolling, press the outer white edge forward so the outermost layer is on the top/front. With the layers overlapping each other and the disc forming an oval shape. This step is very important as it keeps the layers together while rolling. Do not flatten the disk at its center by pressing on the top, as the layers may start opening as you roll them.
• Place a tablespoon of filling in the center. You can do this on a board, or it's also easier to pick up the rolled dough on the palm of your hand and add filling to the center
• Apply, little milk on the edges using your finger. Then, fold the circle over to form a semi-circle with the edges sealing the filling inside. I prefer picking up the disc in my hand rather than adding the filling and sealing. Although it can also be done on a board.

Shape the Karanji and Discard Excess Dough

• Once the karanji is sealed firmly, use a spiral pastry cutter to cut some of the excess dough and shape the karanji. This step is entirely optional. You can also fry the sealed karanji as is. You can also use a fork to press the edges to form a pretty pattern, or the edges can also be folded into tiny pleats.
• Repeat rolling, filling, sealing, and shaping the remaining dough.
• Keep the shaped karanji covered under a lightly wet paper towel

Fry the Karanji

• After all the karanjis are ready. Add oil to a frying pan on medium-high heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add 4 to 5 karanjis, fewer depending on the size of your frying pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and fry for 4-5 minutes, turning once halfway through. If they start to brown sooner, lower the heat further.