Sweet Offering - Nevryo

Up until a few days before Ganesh Chaturthi I was all set to make the traditional modak but then I dropped those plans in favor of these unique 'nevryo'.

Incessant rains, rickety buses and a general risk to life and limb notwithstanding, we would travel from Bombay to visit my grandparents' house in the Konkan, to celebrate the Ganpati festival. After the evening arti at our own home we'd visit the neighbouring houses, relishing the prasad served in every home, joining in their arti and returning home late in the night with our tummies full and our voices hoarse.

I remember eating these sweet potato nevryo on one such visit and the first bite was enough to hook me forever. Nevryo or 'karanji' as they are known in Marathi, are usually made by deep frying crescent shaped turnovers filled with coconut and jaggery. This version (popular in Goa from what I have been told) is made with sweet potato. The nevryo are then lightly roasted on a griddle.

Considering this was my first attempt at making them, the nevryo didn't turn out too badly. Even shaping them wasn't too difficult. Sweet potatoes are often called yams in the U.S. by the way. Weird, I know.
I used white sweet potatoes from the local Chinese market; they turned out to be really fleshy so I didn't need to add even a teaspoon of flour.

RATALA NEVRYO (Sweet Potato Turnovers/ Karanjis)
(adapted from the book 'Ishtann')
Dough -
4-5 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup refined flour (maida)
salt to taste
Filling -
1 1/4 cup grated coconut
3/4 cup jaggery (adjust to taste)
8-10 cashewnuts, broken
a pinch of cardamom powder
salt to taste
ghee

Put potatoes in a stock pot, cover with enough water and cook until done (they should be mushy to the touch). Drain and let cool.

Mix grated coconut, cashew pieces, salt and cardamom powder. Add jaggery and cook on moderate heat until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Keep aside.

Peel potatoes, mash them and form a dough. If you have trouble forming a dough add refined flour (maida) with a spoon just till it can be gathered into a mass (you don't want flour-y nevryo). Flatten into puris/ circles with your fingers. Spoon a little filling on one side and fold over into a crescent. Make ridges with a fork, press lightly and keep aside.

Heat a griddle on moderate heat. Fry the nevryo using ghee until it gets a couple of brown spots here and there. Turn over gently and fry on the other side. Drizzle with ghee and serve hot.