• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Sweet Simple Masala
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks & Appetizers
    • Chutneys & Dips
    • Soups & Sides
    • Sweets
    • Pasta, Noodles, Rice
    • Sandwiches
    • Drinks
    • Vegetarian
    • Indian
    • Mexican
    • Chicken, eggs, meats
    • Seafood
    • Kid-Friendly
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Indian
  • Mexican
  • Mediterranean
  • Sweets
  • Snacks & Appetizers
  • Kid-Friendly
  • Welcome!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Indian
    • Mexican
    • Mediterranean
    • Sweets
    • Snacks & Appetizers
    • Kid-Friendly
    • Welcome!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Ghughra Sweet Rolls

    Published Nov 13, 2020 This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Indian sweet nutty filling in sweet rolls

    We love sweet rolls, especially these ghughra sweet rolls! We started making cinnamon rolls a few years ago. At first we were soo excited about how amazing they turned out. And for some reason it was a special occasion dish. Then we started craving them more and more, so we just kept experimenting with the doughs and fillings.

    shrikhand icing over Indian sweet bread

    So while we were brainstorming for Diwali treats to make this year, we knew we wanted to stick with something we were already good at. And that's how we started coming up with cinnamon roll variations. We just fell in love with the idea of ghughra sweet rolls since the filling is similar, almost like pecan sticky buns. The filling is nutty and sweet, but also a little floral and earthy because of cardamon and nutmeg spices.

    shrikhand icing on indian cinnamon bread

    What is a Ghughra?

    A Ghughra (also called gujiya or karanji) is a deep fried sweet Gujarati Indian pastry. It is filled with a mixture of sugar, coconut, mixed nuts and semolina flour (also known as rava or sooji). The pastry dough is typically made from all purpose flour. The pastries are fried in ghee so the crust has a nice buttery flavor. Ghughra are typically shaped like half moons, similar to empanadas.

    ghughra sweet rolls

    How to make Ghughra Sweet Rolls

    Here's what I do to make ghughra into a fun Indian fusion recipe:

    1. First, I make a batch of ghughra filling. Toasted almonds, toasted pistachios, shredded coconut, sugar, cardamon, nutmeg! Combine everything together and let it cool, its so delicious on its own and makes the entire house smell amazing. Just make sure you save some for the rolls!
    2. Then I make the yeast dough! It is an easy dough recipe. (I add just a touch of saffron to give it a brighter hue, but that's completely optional.) Roll out the dough, add lots of melted butter and sprinkle over the ghughra filling. You have the most incredible sweet rolls with a ghughra filling: Ghughra Sweet Rolls!
    3. Last step, that is is completely extra and not necessary but I use some store bought shrikhand that I thinned down with a couple of tablespoons of milk. You can pick any flavor you like, but I like to stick with flavors that are already part of this dish, like saffron, almond, pistachio or cardamon.
    nutty sweet bread on plate
    one square of gujiya rolls

    Do not miss the other recipes from my Diwali tea party spread!

    • Rose Tea Cake Cookies
    • Oven Toasted Chivda
    • Coconut Almond Butter Cookies
    pouring shrikhand icing on gujiya filled morning rolls
    Indian sweet nutty filling in sweet rolls

    Ghughra Sweet Rolls

    Yeast sweet roll dough with a ghughra filling. This sweet, nutty, tropical variation on the sweet roll is so delicious and fragrant you'll want to include it your Diwali table every year!
    5 from 39 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Proofing Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 24 rolls
    Calories 225 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Ghughra Filling

    • ¼ cup almonds
    • ¼ cup cashews
    • ¼ cup pistachios
    • ⅓ cup coconut
    • 4 tablespoon semolina
    • 4 tablespoon ghee
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Sweet Roll Dough

    • 2 cups whole milk
    • ½ cup oil
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads optional
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon yeast 1 package
    • 4 cups all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter

    Icing (optional)

    • 1 container of Shrikhand
    • 2-4 tablespoons milk

    Instructions
     

    To make the filling

    • Heat oven to 325°F. Add the almonds, cashews and pistachios to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
    • In a saucepan, heat ghee until melted. Add semolina and toast for 2 minutes. Stir in sugar, shredded coconut, cardamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix and toast for 3 minutes.
    • Pulse the toasted nuts in a food processor. They just need to be roughly chopped, not finely ground into a paste. Add the chopped nuts to the coconut and sugar mixture. Toast this mixture for another 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. This mixture can be made ahead of time and stored in a dry container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

    To make the sweet dough

    • Heat the milk, oil, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Add saffron threads (if using, once its removed from the heat).
    • Set aside and cool to warm. Once the milk mixture feels warm (around 100°F), sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute. Stir in the yeast.
    • In a large mixing bowl, add the flour. Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the flour. Knead to form a dough. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm area for 1 hour to proof.
    • After 1 hour, remove the kitchen towel and add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Knead the dough. Add a little flour if you feel the dough is too tacky to roll out.
    • On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a long rectangle. You're looking for about 30 x 10 inch rectangle.

    Assemble the Rolls

    • Spray a rectangular (9X12) baking pan or 2 circular (9") cake pans or a muffin pan with cooking spray.
    • Melt the butter in a small saucepan, pour the melted butter on the rolled out dough. Spread the butter with a brush to the edges of the dough.
    • Sprinkle the filling over the entire surface of the buttered dough.
    • Beginning at the farthest end (at the long edge), start rolling the edge of the dough towards you. Use both hands and roll as tightly as you can. It is ok if some filling spills out. Pinch the dough to seal once you get to the end.
    • Now cut the log into 1 inch slices. Arrange the roll slices in your baking pan.
    • Cover the pan(s) with a kitchen towel and place the pan in a warm place to proof for 20 minutes.
    • Heat oven to 375°F. Remove the kitchen towel and bake the rolls for 15-18 minutes. You want the rolls to be lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
    • If using shrikhand icing, transfer shrikhand to a small bowl, slowly whisk in milk until the shrikhand comes a pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the rolls while they are still warm for best results!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 172mgPotassium: 100mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword ghughra sweet rolls, diwali desserts, sweet rolls, eggless desserts
    Love this recipe?Mention @sweetsimplemasala or tag #sweetsimplemasala!

    More Recipes

    • chicken tikka masala meatballs
      Chicken Meatball Tikka Masala
    • ginger chili masala omelette egg sandwich
      Ginger Chili Omelette Sandwich
    • blueberry lemon corn cake skillet
      Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Cake (Skillet Recipe)
    • rasmalai fusion cake
      No Bake Rasmalai Cake (with Cake Rusks)

    Subscribe

    for your weekly recipe fix.

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Recipes
      • Breakfast
      • Snacks & Appetizers
      • Chutneys & Dips
      • Soups & Sides
      • Sweets
      • Pasta, Noodles, Rice
      • Sandwiches
      • Drinks
      • Vegetarian
      • Indian
      • Mexican
      • Chicken, eggs, meats
      • Seafood
      • Kid-Friendly

    Find Me on Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter

    Footer

    Get Notified

    New recipes via email

    Hi, I'm Jill

    I love to create recipes that mix together the Indian flavors I grew up eating, American comfort food classics and modern preparations to make meals easily but still full of flavor and spice! More

    My Favorites

    chicken tikka masala meatballs
    ginger chili masala omelette egg sandwich
    blueberry lemon corn cake skillet
    Kale Sausage & White Bean Soup This soup requires Kale Sausage & White Bean Soup
This soup requires very little effort, but contains maximum flavor! It’s so flavorful, you won’t even realize just how good it is for you! 
Full recipe: https://sweetsimplemasala.com/kale-sausage-white-bean-soup/
#soup #beansoup #soupseason #healthydinner #healthyrecipe #healthylunch #homemade #souprecipeshealthy
    DULCE DE LECHE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE MOUSSE (NO BAKE) DULCE DE LECHE BISCOFF CHEESECAKE MOUSSE (NO BAKE)
This no bake dulce de leche biscoff cheesecake mousse is a super simple but decadent dessert that will have you craving more!
Full recipe : https://sweetsimplemasala.com/dulce-de-leche-biscoff-cheesecake/
#nobakedessert #cheesecakerecipe #dulcedeleche #biscoff
    Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Skillet Cake This sweet Blueberry Lemon Cornmeal Skillet Cake
This sweet & light, small batch, cornmeal skillet cake is full of fresh blueberries, lemon zest and a touch of cardamom for extra zing! Blueberry lemon cornmeal cake is full of fresh flavors from the berries and citrus zest but its also super moist from the sour cream in the batter. Not to mention that cooking in a cast iron skillet gives a beautiful, slightly crispy crust!
Full recipe: https://sweetsimplemasala.com/blueberry-lemon-cornmeal-cake/ 
#corncake #skilketcake #skilletdessert #homemadedessert #blueberrycake #lemonblueberry #blueberrylemon
    Tikka Masala Stuffed Shells What do you get when Tikka Masala Stuffed Shells 
What do you get when you combine these two dinnertime favorites: chicken tikka masala and stuffed shells?? Tikka masala stuffed shells!! Jumbo pasta shells filled with Indian spiced ground chicken, creamy cheeses and then coated in a luscious, tikka masala sauce!
Full recipe: https://sweetsimplemasala.com/tikka-masala-stuffed-shells/
#indianfood #tikkamasala #indianfusion #pastarecipe #dinner #stuffedshells
    Instant pot pinto beans -no soaking required! The Instant pot pinto beans -no soaking required!
These Instant Pot pinto beans are so flavor packed and unbelievable easy to make! There’s no need to plan ahead and soak the beans, instead just add all of the ingredients into the cooker and set it. Onions, garlic, jalapeños amp up the flavor of the pinto beans, best served with cilantro and scallions.
Full recipe : https://sweetsimplemasala.com/instant-pot-pinto-beans/
#pintobeans #instantpot #instantpotrecipe #taconight #refriedbeans #tacotuesday #meatlessmonday #riceandbeans #homemadebeans
    No bake rasmalai cake (with cake rusks) This no b No bake rasmalai cake (with cake rusks)
This no bake rasmalai cake is such a fun and flavorful Indian inspired fusion dessert. Cake rusks layered with a rasmalai cream filling and then covered in a cardamom whipped cream. This eggless dessert is not only fun to eat but also fun to make. All the ingredients are layered in a cake pan and chilled, its so easy my kids could make it!
Full recipe:  https://sweetsimplemasala.com/no-bake-rasmalai-cake/
#indianfusiondessert #rasmalaicake #nobakedessert #rasmalai #teatime #chaiandnashto #mithai #indianfood
    Follow Sweet Simple Masala on Instagram

    Copyright © 2023 Sweet Simple Masala on the Foodie Pro Theme