Matar Karanji Recipe: Delicious Maharashtrian Snack

Matar Karanji is a very famous Maharashtrian dish. The savory flavor of the outside layer makes it a perfect snack partner for your tea. Without tea or coffee, you can also pair it with different chutneys like mint chutney and sweet tamarind chutney.

In this article, I am going to take you through the detailed recipe of Matar Karanji. So, let’s start.

What Karanji Means

Karanji is more like a Gujiya. You can fill the pockets of Karanji with anything you like. For example, you can fill it with sweetened khoya or coconut for sweet Karanji, and you can also make Matar Karanji with spiced peas and other veggies. The outer layer of Karanji is usually made of refined flour, semolina, and ghee or clarified butter, but you can make it with regular wheat flour in place of refined flour.

Health Benefits Of Matar Karanji

Matar Karanji is fried food, so there are not many health benefits in this. But for tea time snacks, it can be an excellent option for you. The stuffing is made of Indian spices that already have their benefits, but the star’s star ingredient is green peas. Green peas are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and many more nutrients. You can make it with fresh green peas in the season or make it with frozen peas.

How To Make Matar Karanji

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Servings: 10 to 12 pieces depending upon the size.

Ingredients:

For Outer Layer

• 5 cups of refined flour or whole wheat flour
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of fine semolina
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot oil or ghee
• Salt as per taste

For Stuffing

• 1 cup Matar or green peas
• ¼ cup of freshly scraped coconut
• 1 inch finely chopped ginger
• 2 to 3 chopped chilies (according to your preference)
• Some freshly chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• One pinch of hing or asafoetida
• ¼ teaspoon jeera or cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon of dhania or coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon Haldi or turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of oil

For Frying

Refined oil for deep frying.

Steps:

Now, move on to the steps. Follow these accordingly.

For Outer Layer

1. Take the whole wheat flour or refined flour in a bowl. Add semolina and salt into it; mix these dry ingredients well.
2. Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil or ghee and add into the dry mixture. Start mixing it well with the dry ingredients.
3. After mixing, it should take a breadcrumb-like texture.
4. Now time to add some water. Don’t forget to add a little at a time.
5. Knead well the dough until it forms a semi-hard dough. Cover it with a moist cloth and rest it for around 30 minutes.

For Stuffing

1. Take 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan or kadhai and turn on the flame into the medium.
2. Now add cumin seeds and fennel seeds into the oil. Let it sizzle for few seconds, and then add turmeric powder.
3. Add hing or asafoetida, chopped green chilies, chopped ginger (ginger paste also).
4. Stir it for a few seconds and add cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
5. Mix the spices well and add coconut to it, followed by salt and sugar.
6. Now let it cook for a few seconds, add the green peas, and cook until the peas are tender.
7. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if needed. Then add lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves.
8. After mixing well, mildly mash it with the help of a potato masher.
9. The stuffing is ready and keeps this side.

Assembling

1. Take the dough and cut small balls out of it.
2. Grease the surface and rolling pin with some oil or ghee and start rolling it like a small poori disc.
3. Place 2 spoonfuls of stuffing into the center of the disc.
4. Grease the sides of the disc with water and take one side over another and press the edges. You can press the edges with a fork.
5. Now do the same for all.

Frying

• Take oil in a frying pan or a kadhai.
• Heat the oil and once it hot enough, put 2 or 3 Karanji at a time in the pan.
• Fry it in a medium flame until the outer layer becomes golden brown.
• Your Matar Karanji is ready to be served hot with a dollop of chutney.

If you have kids party try this recipe of Matar Karanji, and I hope you are going to love this Maharashtrian dish Matar Karanji, write a comment on how much did you like this.