Nevri/Karanji

As a kid, one of my aunts would make this every so often and I loved them so much, I would call them "Ds" because of their shape. I never learned the actual name of the dessert, tsk tsk. Luckily, my mom knew what I was referring to, but would refuse to make it because it involved frying. *sigh*

I had a hankering for them a few days ago and found out that in Konkani, they're called Nevris. In Marathi, they're called Karanjis. I call them delicious. :) Funny story, I was in India having dinner with my parents and uncle before leaving for the airport when my uncle asked if I wanted dessert. I had an upset stomach, so I wasn't too keen on it but he insisted I would love it when it came out. I half-heartedly agreed and when it came out, I was SO excited (it had been years since I had one) that I dug in, tummy ache and all. Point being, nothing gets in between my nevris and me. :)

Alright, on to the recipe... (I made a few changes to the recipe for the filling)

Ingredients:

Dough

1 cup flour

2 tbsp warm oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

Oil for frying

Filling

1 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup jaggery

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground cardamom (20 pods worth)

1. Make the dough by adding oil and salt to the flour. Once mixed, slowly add in a little water until the dough is formed. It should feel sticky, but not stick to the fingers. The description on the site said "stiff" dough, but I think a better word is dry dough. Stiff, to me, means a rock hard ball of flour, which is not what you want.

2. Cover the dough with plastic and keep aside for 1/2 hour. I usually make the dough first, and then make the filling.

3. Heat the water on a low flame until bubbly. Add jaggery (best if they're in small pieces). Stir until all the jaggery is dissolved, the liquid is golden brown and when you try to part the liquid it stays separate for 4-5 seconds. Basically, it should have the consistency of thick syrup.

4. Stir in the shredded coconut. Take the pan off the heat and add the ground cardamom. The amount of cardamom can be reduced if you're not a fan.

5. Keep aside to let it come to room temperature.

6. Divide the dough into 16 portions (or 8, if you want larger nevris). Roll out each portion into a thin circle (see pic). The thinner the better.

7. Add 1 tsp (twice for a larger nevri) of filling to the right side and fold the left half over the filling. Crimp edges using a fork or by hand. There are also molds available to give a uniform look to the nevris.

8. Fry and serve!

I can't get my nevris to be crispy the next day. I'm trying to figure out what I can add to the dough that will make them remain crispy. I also remember the nevris from my childhood have a rounded shape, like they ballooned during frying. I'll have to keep tinkering and find out the tricks to making them that way.

'Til the next dish...