Steps to make the Filling:

1. Chop a handful of walnuts.  Finely dice quarter of copra and wash and dry a handful of raisins. 2. Make khoa/ mawa by drying milk in a thick bottom pan. Add sugar to sweeten the khoa. You can even use market khoa. I have used home made sweetened khoa.

3. In a Kadhai add 2 spoons of ghee. Lightly sauté the dried fruits and then add the sweetened khoa to it. Mix well to get a semi solid consistency. Let this mixture cool.

Steps to Make the Dough:
1. Take 250 gms of refined flour (maida). Mix 50-60 gms of ghee. Rub it in thoroughly.

2. Add a little water to make a tight dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for atleast 30 mins.

Steps to make the specific shape from dough and how to fill the perukia:

1. Make small round balls and then roll them to make thin small puris.

2. Take a Puri on your flat palm and then put a dash of water on the outer rim of half the Puri.

3. Now put a spoonful of mawa filling on the centre of this Puri. Keep it in an elongated form.

4. Now slowly close the two halves of the Puri. Start from lower end and make the wet side stick to the dry side. Press the sides to close the filling. You will get a semicircle.

5. Now from the top end start closing the sides. By using your forefinger and thumb press a small area of rim and bring it inwards to get small curves. This way you will ensure that the filling does not come out when frying.

6. Keep these uncooked perukias covered with a wet muslin cloth till you fry them.

7. Now heat oil in a Kadhai. Once oil is hot, reduce the flame to sim and add a few perukias. Turn them slowly and ensure all sides are cooked. You want a light brown colour. Do not increase the flame. Once ready take them out and let them cool. Keep them in an airtight container. They last for around 10 days or even more.

The filling can vary as per taste. You can add some rawa/ sooji fried in some ghee to which you can add some mewa and khoa.

Another filling can be chopped walnut with brown/ white sugar.

The age old art of making home made perukias is getting lost. I hope this post will help those who have interest in wanting to make this delicious festive sweet.