Indian fusion recipe for distinctive dessert canapes, rich with the exquisite taste of the traditional karanji, and with no added sugar!



For many of us Indian Americans, the festive party season begins with Diwali and ends after the New Year parties. Diwali parties have the special snacks that are mostly deep fried and then there are the sweets and of course the heavy dinners too. And year after year many of us complain about gaining weight at these parties. We want all the taste but none of the humongous calories of our favorite foods, right?
Karanjis are one of the favorite faral snacks. They are like sweet empanadas stuffed with a traditional coconut, poppy seed and sugar stuffing and then deep fried…..you get the picture 🙂 So these Karanji Canapes are my humble effort to capture all that exquisite flavor into bite size dessert canapes. So we can party on guilt free, people!
The delish aroma and taste of the karanjis takes me back to my childhood home. As kids, we would wait for our three week Diwali vacation to begin. My Aai (mom) would be busy getting the house cleaned first and then the faral making would begin. Faral consists of an array of traditional snacks and sweets that are made for Diwali. As we came home from school, these heavenly aromas greeted us day after day. Much has changed now in India and these traditional snacks and sweets are available year round in the food stores. So the faral snacks are not a huge attraction to kids growing up these days.
In my mind however, the wafting aromas of that homemade faral, made with the traditional family recipes, signify that Diwali is coming. So for my children growing up in America, I have tried to recreate that magic of Diwali. With all the effort that goes into making these snacks and sweets, I make them only once a year, so faral is a very special Diwali treat for them as well.
The Karanji Canapes are a breeze to make and they pack in a punch of that authentic karanji taste. And all with just 10 minutes of baking!
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Ingredients To make the Exquisite Karanji Canapes-Exquisite Karanji Canapes
Do check out my Diwali collection for healthier recipes for many of the other Diwali snacks and sweets.

It also has the recipe for the colorful Crispy Caranjis with the Ooey Gooey Good Coconut Filling
Karanjis made as tea time snacks can be savory like this one below with the Indian spiced green pea filling.

Caranji/ Karanji is also known as Ghugra and Gujjiya in other states of India. It is fascinating to me to note the variations in the recipes of both the cover and the filling. Do check out these recipes shared by some of my talented blogger friends-



Enjoy the festivities folks!
Love,
❤
Sandhya
Fabulous canapes! Beautiful presentation !!
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Thanks so much Megala!
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Wow Sandhya canapes looks fantastic..what a beautiful and tasty fusion…presentation and pics just loved it. Thanks for including my recipe too…
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Thanks Ruchi. it was a pleasure to include your recipe.
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😍😍😍😍
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Looks nice! Wow! 🙂
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Thanks so much!
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Reblogged this on frankensportblog.
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Thanks again!
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Those filo shells are so handy for quick sweet or even savory little bites. Now, I have an Indian version… I also posted a recipe fusing two cuisines – Kerala and Atlanta, Georgia. Fun to do and the best of both worlds.
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Judi the Kerala and Atlanta fusion sounds so fascinating. I have to check it out!
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Thanks so much Judi. A follower on FB wrote to me that she is going to make these for her Christmas party. They already have the red and green decorations too!
Wow! I have to check out your Kerala and Atlanta fusion recipe- sounds so yummy. What did you name it? Yes it is fun to make and combine best of both worlds.
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They would definitely make a pretty holiday appetizer with the green pistachios and cherries 🙂 I have most of the ingredients now too!
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You’ve presented them beautifully Sandhya, and indeed, it would make a wonderful Christmas treat 🙂
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Love your stories. Sometimes I can almost smell an Indian kitchen.
Tracey
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Thank you so much Tracey. I love reading about your Baja kitchen, getting fresh veggies at the market etc… too.
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innovative recipe
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Thanks so much Astha!
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These look fantastic with crispy edge and rich filling..Yummy …
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Thanks Swapna .They did taste awesome. I was very happy with the flavor and texture both.
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Looks great……..love to taste it 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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Loved the concept & the canapes look beautiful. As a child, I always would look forward to Maharashtrian aunties who got me faral for Diwali & in exchange we would give them our south indian varities. Celebrations are a great way to bond !! Food always connects, I truly believe this.
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I am laughing as i am reading your comment because I would wait for the Manglorean aunty to send her faral 🙂 I agree whole heartedly about food connecting us all.
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Ha Ha… So true right? Thanks a lot dear!
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I adore your presentation Sandhya, and those fork imprints are awesome. I love the idea of the invisible fork because you don’t need it…how creative! I love these little canapes, they look so perfect and delicious! Wonderful recipe! I hope you have been doing well!
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Thanks so much dear Antonia. I am truly flattered by your compliments! I have been doing well. Thanks so much for asking. How are you doing?
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I am glad to hear it! I’ve been doing well too, just such a busy time of year. I hope you enjoy all of the wonderful celebrations and have a great weekend!
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Thanks so much Antonia. Hope you and your family are all better now. The cough and cold we have here this season seems to linger for a couple of weeks 😦
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Same here, I am better, but can’t get rid of it entirely. Thank you and have a great weekend!
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Thanks Antonia!
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Beautiful Recipe ! Great efforts you have taken . WISH YOU HAPPY DIWALI IN ADVANCE.
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Happy Diwali to you too!
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