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Gojha
Sweet coconut half-moon pastries
Gojha: Trinidad's crimped half-moon pastries filled with spiced sweet coconut
When Divali comes to Trinidad, Hindu families light rows of clay deyas along bamboo frames, and the kitchen fills up with sweets to share with neighbours of every faith: kurma, parsad, barfi and gojha. Gojha are the Caribbean cousin of the North Indian gujiya: a short dough rolled thin, filled with grated coconut cooked with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, folded into half-moons, crimped and fried golden; the same tray reappears at Phagwah, the spring colour festival. Common mistake: frying in oil that is too hot, which browns the outside while the pastry stays raw; keep the oil at about 170 °C and fry until the bubbles slow and the gojha are evenly golden. Chef's tip: seal the edges with a dab of water and crimp them tightly, or the filling leaks and spits in the oil.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz buttercold, cubed
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup milkabout
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz fresh grated coconut
- 2 ⅞ oz brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp raisins
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For frying
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Cook 5 ½ oz fresh grated coconut with 2 ⅞ oz brown sugar in a pan over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until sticky and nearly dry. Stir in ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground ginger, 2 tbsp raisins and ½ tsp vanilla extract and cool.
10 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz plain flour, ½ tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt and rub in 1 ¾ oz butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Add ½ cup milk gradually to make a firm dough. Rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
18 minStep 3: Roll the dough 2 mm thin and cut 10 cm circles. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling on one half, wet the edge, fold over and press, then crimp with a fork or by pinching.
15 minStep 4: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 350°F. Fry the gojha a few at a time for 3–4 minutes, turning, until evenly golden and the bubbling slows.
15 minStep 5: Drain on paper and cool completely. Store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 19 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gojha take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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