Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Dahi ki Gujiya
Dahi ki Gujiya (Savoury Pastry Crescents)

Dahi ki Gujiya

Savoury Pastry Crescents
Vegetarian●●●Origin DelhiPrep 30 minutes, plus soaking timeCook 45 minutesMakes 10–12

Lentil dumplings stuffed with aromatics and folded into half-moons, deep-fried until pale gold and softened in water. They are served immersed in chilled, spiced yoghurt with sweet chutney.

Batter spice

0.3 gWhisked into the lentil paste (step 2)
01
~0.3 gpinch
spice
Keep as a powder ready to aerate into the batter.

Toasting cumin

4.2 gDry-toasted before grinding (step 8)
01
4.2 g2 teaspoons
spice
Keep whole for dry-roasting.

Yoghurt spice

0.7 gStirred into the whisked yoghurt (step 8)
01
0.7 g¼ teaspoon
spice
Keep ready to stir directly into the yoghurt.

Everything else

01
Black gram · Urad Dalrinsed and drained
200 g
legume
02
2.3 g½ teaspoon
other
03
Ginger · Adrakpeeled and finely chopped
24 g1 piece
aromatic
04
Green chilli · Hari Mirchde-seeded and finely chopped
12–18 g2–3 chillies
vegetable
05
Mint · Pudinafinely chopped
1 g2 teaspoons
herb
06
18 g2 tablespoons
fruit
07
to taste
oil/fat
09
517 g500 ml
dairy
10
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Cover 200 g urad dal with water and leave to soak overnight, then drain well. Puree in a food processor or blender until a thick, smooth paste forms.
  2. Transfer the pureed dal to a mixing bowl, add 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda and the batter spice, then whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale, light, and airy.
  3. In a separate bowl, toss together 24 g ginger, 12–18 g green chilli, 2 tsp mint, and 2 tbsp raisins to make the filling.
  4. Pour enough vegetable oil or ghee for deep-frying into a kadhai or heavy-based pot and bring to 180°C (350°F).
  5. Stretch a clean, wet piece of muslin across the rim of a wide glass. With moist hands, shape a small portion of the batter into a round ball and pat it flat onto the cloth. Spoon a little filling onto the middle, then use the fabric to fold the round into a crescent, pressing the perimeter gently to seal completely.
  6. Carefully lower the crescent from the cloth into the hot fat. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden, then lift out and drain on paper towels.
  7. Place the fried pastries into a bowl of lukewarm, lightly salted water and allow them to soak for 10 minutes.
  8. Toast the toasting cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat for roughly 1 minute until fragrant, then crush finely with a mortar and pestle. In a bowl, whisk 517 g yogurt until completely smooth, then incorporate the crushed cumin, the yoghurt spice, and salt to taste.
  9. Lift each soaked dumpling from the water and gently compress it flat between your hands to expel excess liquid. Lay the dumplings in a shallow dish, coat generously with the seasoned yoghurt, and top with sweet chutney to serve.

Don't have something?

Urad dal
  • Whole black gram

    Use equal weight. Needs longer soaking and cooking; the dark skins impart an earthy flavour and greyish-black hue unless thoroughly rubbed off.

  • Chana dal

    Use equal weight when tempering (tadka). Provides a comparable nutty, crunchy texture in hot oil, though grains are slightly larger.

  • Split mung beans

    Use equal weight for batters or dals. Ferments and cooks faster, producing a lighter, less sticky, and less viscous consistency.

Bicarbonate of soda
  • Baking soda

    Use the same weight; it is the same ingredient under another name.

  • Baking powder

    Use about 3 g baking powder for 1 g bicarbonate of soda; it already contains acid, so expect slight extra rise and a different taste in baking.

  • Alkaline water

    Only for soaking or tenderising, not baking; use enough to cover and expect a much weaker effect.

Asafoetida
  • Garlic powder

    Use double the weight. Stir into hot oil just before adding wet ingredients; mimics the allium savoury background without the sulphurous edge.

  • Garlic paste

    Use 2 g for every 0.5 g of asafoetida. Sauté in oil until the raw smell clears; adds moisture and sweet allium depth.

Ginger
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; scrape off the skin and grate or finely julienne according to the recipe.

  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight; stir straight into the sizzling aromatics, taking care as the extra moisture may spit.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 15 to 20% of the weight; add alongside ground spices, noting it imparts warm, dry heat rather than zesty freshness.

Green chilli
  • Chilli powder

    Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.

  • Dried red chilli

    Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Mint
  • Dried mint

    Use about 30% of the weight of fresh mint. Rub between your palms to crush before stirring in; the flavour will be more intensely herbal and less bright.

  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, finely chopped. Adds fresh citrusy green notes, but lacks the cooling menthol lift.

Raisin or sultana
  • Sultana

    Use the same weight; if the recipe already says raisin or sultana, this is the direct swap. Sweeter and softer.

  • Raisin

    Use the same weight; larger and less sweet. Chop if the recipe needs even distribution.

  • Dried apricot

    Use the same weight, chopped small. Tarter and firmer; soak 10 minutes in hot water if very dry.

Ghee or vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use equal weight; handles high tempering heat well and keeps flavours neutral.

  • Butter

    Use equal weight; cook over gentle heat to prevent browning the milk solids too quickly.

Chutney
  • Mint chutney

    Use the same weight for a fresh herby chutney; adjust salt and chilli after tasting.

  • Tamarind chutney or mint chutney

    Use the same weight; it is tangier, so reduce added lemon or tamarind in the dish.

  • Mango chutney

    Use the same weight only if a sweet chutney suits the dish; it is sweeter and less sharp.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Yogurt
  • Plain yogurt

    Use 100% of the weight. Whisk thoroughly until smooth before stirring into warm gravies to prevent curdling.

  • Single cream

    Use 90% of the weight combined with 10% lemon juice to replicate the lactic tang and rich body in marinades and curries.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Similar dishes

Sukhi Urad ki Dal
Dry Black Lentils
Sukhi Urad ki Dal tastes warm, earthy, and savoury rather than cool, creamy, sweet, and tangy like this dish.
  • Same: Sukhi Urad ki Dal also uses urad dal as its primary ingredient, seasoned with ginger, green chilli, cumin seeds, and asafoetida.
  • Different: Instead of grinding and deep-frying the lentils to serve in chilled yogurt and sweet chutney, it cooks the dal dry and sautés it in ghee with turmeric and dried red chilli.
Hari Matar ke Kofte
Green Gram Balls in Yoghurt Sauce
Hari Matar ke Kofte is warmer, more savoury, and garlicky, lacking the cooling sweet-and-sour contrast of this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature deep-fried pulse dumplings served in a spiced yoghurt sauce seasoned with cumin, green chillies, and asafoetida.
  • Different: Hari Matar ke Kofte uses green gram shaped into balls and served in a warm yoghurt curry tempered with garlic, turmeric, and dried red chillies, rather than soaked urad dal crescents topped with sweet chutney and mint.
Masoor ki Dal
Red or Black Dal
Masoor ki Dal is warm, soft and velvety with a spiced ghee and dried-mint aroma, whereas this dish is chilled, tangy from yoghurt and sweet chutney, and has savoury fried pastry.
  • Same: Masoor ki Dal shares lentils, asafoetida, ginger, cumin seed, chilli powder, salt and a fat with this dish.
  • Different: Masoor ki Dal uses masoor dal cooked with turmeric, ground coriander, clove, rice cooking water and dried mint, then finished with a ghee tarka, while this dish uses urad dal, bicarbonate of soda, yogurt, raisins, chutney and deep-fried stuffed crescents soaked in water.
Khasta Kachori
Savoury Deep-fried Snack
Khasta Kachori tastes drier, flakier, and more pungently spiced, lacking the cool, creamy, and sweet-tart flavours of this dish's yogurt topping.
  • Same: Both snacks are deep-fried and feature urad dal seasoned with ginger, green chilli, cumin, chilli powder, and asafoetida.
  • Different: Khasta Kachori is fried into a crisp, dry pastry incorporating ground fennel and coriander, whereas this dish softens its fried lentil dumplings in water and covers them with yogurt and sweet chutney.