I love spending the Christmas season at home in Goa for so many reasons. It’s the time when friends and family abroad come home, the kids go carol-singing in the evenings, and everyone sets up their own Nativity scene (called cribs) with little statues. The sweet aroma in the air has me guessing what all the neigbours are cooking for lunch or what sweets have just come out of the oven next door.
I find small things like these reassuring. Food traditions, local festivities, the sights and smells that this time of year brings, remain untouched.
Stable.
A feeling that lacks in many other aspect of our 21st century lives.
I came home from Mumbai yesterday to find Mum cooking up a Neureo storm in the kitchen. No Christmas is complete without these stuffed, deep-fried dumplings of deliciousness. Made with flour and ghee with a variety of stuffing, these Empenada look-a-likes are swapped between families and friends on Christmas on decorative trays filled with a variety of Goan sweets.
NEUREO RECIPE
Mum’s Neureos are like any other. They’re crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth good, so it’s no wonder she had to literally make a basket full of them.
The most popular ones are stuffed with either freshly grated coconut or rava.
OUTER SHELL:
1 1/2 kg flour
A few pinches of salt
200 gms of ghee
100 gms of cornflour
COCONUT STUFFING:
1 1/2 kg sugar
1 cup water
4 freshly grated coconuts
100 gms of cashew nuts
100 gms raisins
100 gms roasted sesame seeds
6 tbsp ghee
6 powdered cardamoms
oil for frying
Mix flour, salt and ghee with just enough water to knead into a soft dough. Keep aside.
Heat sugar and water to make a syrup. To this, add grated coconuts, ghee and nuts. When the mixture has thickened, add raisins and cardamom powder. Remove from the fire after the mixture has turned quite dry. Cool and keep aside.
Divide the dough into small balls and roll out into thin rounds. Put a spoonful of the coconut filling on each round, wet the edges and press down to create a half moon shape. Trim the edges with a cutter and deep fry in hot oil.
RAVA FILLING:
If you want variety, make the rava filled ones too!
1 1/2 kg rava
100 grams roasted sesame seeds
100 gms cashew nuts
100 gms raisins
4 dry grated coconuts
6 powdered cardamoms.
6 tbsp powdered sugar
In ghee, fry the rava till fluffy and done. Add dried grated coconuts and mix well.
Then add cashew nuts, raisins, cardamom powder, sesame seeds and mix.
Lastly, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Keep to cool and mix every 5-10 minutes so that it doesn’t harden.
Place a spoonful of the mixture in the outer shell (recipe above) and deep fry.
If you haven’t made Christmas sweets yet, make sure you try this out. Don’t forget to share your pictures with me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And while you’re at it, subscribe to my blog too!
Much love! Cya next time