These delicious & perfectly individually sized Gujiya bites are stuffed with dried fruits and nuts and are naturally sweetened. Yes no sugar added and loaded with good fat. Don't worry the good fat won't make you fat, when consumed in moderation.
Diwali, the festival of lights is less than a week away. Apparently this year Diwali is just a day before Halloween. So apparently the great paradox is that back home in India, everybody celebrates the festival of lights while here in America, people celebrate Halloween. Ever thought about the fact that they are two sides of the same coin? They are both Fall festivals, when days tend to be shorter and the sun sets earlier. So while it gets dark, Halloween symbolizes darkness and on the other hand Diwali symbolizes the fact that we need more light now than summer. What do you think? Any thoughts? Would love to hear from you.
So guess what, here in the US, the Indian diaspora celebrate both Diwali and Halloween. The confusion this time of the year is wether to decorate the house for Diwali or for Halloween. So this year we decided to decorate our outdoors for Halloween while indoors our decor is for Diwali. Ofcourse we did put up our Diwali lights outdoor which luckily also go well for Halloween. So while I am making Diwali treats, I am also buying my goodies for trick-or-treat. 
After the Samosas, it's was time to make some Gujiyas, also known as ghughra, karanji, karachika & karjikayi. Typically it is a flaky puff with a sweet stuffing. Some make it with khoya or mava, while some make it semolina. As a kid I loved relishing khoya gujiays, as it was often made during Diwali and Holi. However, ever since I moved to the US, I often made Semolina / Sooji Gujiyas too. Making the Semolina Gujiya makes life a lot more simpler. However this year I wanted to make something different so under my sister's MIL's assistance, we made this baked, bite size dry fruit gujiyas, that are naturally sweetened. These are perfect for portion control, not fried but baked and loaded with good fats. According to this article by Dr. Mark Hyman, eating fat doesn't make you fat. Obviously moderation counts too, so these small bites of deliciousness are a great way to keep a watch on yourself during the festive season. Super easy to make with easily available ingredients at home and barely takes any time. Infact I know for a fact that almost every household celebrating Diwali is loaded with these ingredients during this time of the year. Although in the past I have made a Healthy Fudge Cake using a similar ingredients, I have to admit that the flavors in this mixture are much richer and intense.
So do you have a favorite recipe using dried fruits & nuts? I love using these healthy ingredients. Apart from the 10 minute Healthy Fudge Cake ,I have made No Cook Date & Nut Snack Balls, Modaks, Loaf Cake and trust me we still don't get bored of these ingredients. Check out the recipe below and if you like it, don't forget to share with someone you love :)
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Gujiya Bites
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup dates
- 1/8 cup almonds
- 1/8 cup cashews
- 1/8 cup pistachios
- 1/8 cup walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 15 raisins to garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 teaspoon milk
- 15 mini fillo shells
Instructions
- In a small bowl soak the saffron strands in luke warm milk.
- Deseed the dates. I used very soft Mejdool dates
- ], however if the dates
- are not soft and moist, soak them in milk for about 20-10 minutes and then use them. Deconstruct the soften dates.
- Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios & walnuts in a mixer and pulse them.
- Remove the crushed mixture in a mixing bowl and add the dates, nutmeg powder , cardamom powder & saffron milk.
- Mix well.
- Bake the mini fillo shells as per the instructions on the package.
- Scoop out a teaspoon of the mixture into each fillo shell and garnish with a raisin or a nut of your choice.
- The bite size Gujiyas are ready to be served.
- If you have extra mixture remaining,your can store it in an airtight container in a refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Dry Fruit Gujiya Bites
Ingredients
Instructions
In a small bowl soak the saffron strands in luke warm milk.
Deseed the dates. I used very soft , however if the dates are not soft and moist, soak them in milk for about 20-10 minutes and then use them. Deconstruct the soften dates.
Add the almonds, cashews, pistachios & walnuts in a mixer and pulse them.
Remove the crushed mixture in a mixing bowl and add the dates, nutmeg powder, cardamom powder& saffron milk.
Mix well.
Bake the mini fillo shells as per the instructions on the package.
Scoop out a teaspoon of the mixture into each fillo shell and garnish with a raisin or a nut of your choice.
The bite size Gujiyas are ready to be served.
If you have extra mixture remaining,your can store it in an airtight container in a refrigerator for about 2 weeks.
Tinkerbell says
Hi, they look very inviting and the best part is no sugar :). I want to try this recipe but I could not make out the quantity of the nuts and dates in the ingredient list. Could you please explian that? Thanks!
Amy says
I cannot find the Fillo shells where I live. Is it going to be the same to use phyllo Doug sheets & bake them as cups?
Soma says
Wow what a healthy and innovative way to enjoy gujiyas ?????
Denni says
this recipe sound so delicious and is quite easy to make ! I will try it out
Kristine Nicole Alessandra VA says
I love these delicious little pastry bites! This would make for a great dessert. I need to make this soon, so I am saving your recipe and gathering the ingredients I need.
London Mumma says
I am a major indian food lover, I have yet to have one of its sweet treats, and these nice and good fat bites, look truly amazing.
Kirsten Heath Mua says
This looks so good! I've been looking for guilt free snacks and I'm definitely going to try these out!
Ana De Jesus says
I have a bit of a sweet tooth and an eye for good deserts and I can say that this has my seal of approval. It looks so tasty x
Marina Rosie says
These look so so good, like seriously scrumptious. I love the cashew on top! xx
Lots of love,
Marina Rosie xx
http://marinawriteslife.blogspot.fr/
Tam Gamble says
These look delicious. It is good to see people promoting good fats as well. So often you hear the word fats and you automatically feel that something must be bad for you.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Thanks Tam.
I couldn't agree more, the word 'fat' freaks out people. However I see a gradual change where more and more people are know starting to understand more about the food they eat and how it can benefit them. Although that population isn't a whole lot but I am glad the awareness in spreading.
Enricoh Alfonzo says
OMG!! these look so epically delicious and mouth watering. i'll take 50 lol.
this recipe is awesome especially with the fruits
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Enricoh,
Be our guest :) Fillo cups are such a great option for bite size treats. I use them all the time.
Christina Aliperti says
These look so good! I love all the flavors and the bites are so adorable. I must try this!
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Thank you Christina.
We would love to know your thoughts when you get around trying them. Don't forget to tag us and keep us posted.
Olivia Mesquita says
These look delicious! We have lots of nuts and dates around the house, and I think these would be a great use for them. Thank you for sharing :)
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Olivia,
That would be an awesome idea. Sometimes just making simple things fancy changes the whole perception of relishing it.
Irene says
These look so very delicious :-)
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Thanks Irene, they totally are, no doubt about it.
R U S S says
Gujiya is something new to me, so I had to Google what it is. Well, it is always nice to learn about new things ( recipes ) and cultures from other bloggers. I like how you decided to have something Halloween outside your home and something Diwali inside. We don't celebrate Diwali here in my country, but people are pretty big on Halloween.
I really find the Gujiya Bites recipe interesting and I'd definitely try this one at home.
TheBellyRulesTheMind says
Russ,
I guess we are all evolving to be global citizens, embracing food, cultures and festivals from across the globe. Atleast I can say so for my family. We not only celebrate the our festivals but have embraced a lot of them from other other cultures too. I would love for my child to grow up appreciating and respecting other beliefs and cultures too.
BTW when you do get around trying the gujiya, don't forget to let us know your thoughts on it. Would love to hear back from you.
Anosa says
These look absolutely delicious so yummy looking
Jojo Vito says
I love all the ingredients you used in this recipe..look so yummy!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
I love this delicious treat! All those nuts and dried fruits are definitely calling my name! I will try my best to make some of these. I am no baking guru, so wish me luck! :)
Channel Marie Imperial says
I haven't tried Gujiya Bites yet! There's also a Diwali celebration in one of the hotels in Cebu and I hope they serve it there! :-)
Stephanie Pass says
These look so good and healthy! Definitely a great snack for lots of protein!
Ave says
Your Gujiya bites look really delicious! I'm a big fan of dried fruits and nuts, so I'm sure I'd love this treat. I don't know much about Diwali, so I'll have to find more information about this festival. It sounds like a lot of fun.
Heather says
That looks delicious. I love that they are served in those little wanton wrapper things. Yum!
Bill S says
These sound really good! I love finding new ways to get protein in my diet.
Liz Mays says
I like the little punch of protein these have inside. They sound fabulous!
chei says
is.oh looks so yummy! I should try this
Jennifer says
It looks like a tasty treat. I like that you are combining both cultures for Diwali and Halloween. I am not familiar with Diwali, but I have been following your Instagram and I love learning more about your culture!
Melanie Smith says
It looks so yummy! Good idea for a party or a family reunion.
Amber Myers says
Mmm, these look so tasty! I love all the nuts.