Shankarpali is a popular Indian festive snack made with all-purpose flour, sugar and butter or ghee. The dough is rolled, cut into small pieces and deep fried until crisp. Learn how to make this mildly sweet snack with step by step pictures, quick video recipe, expert tips and tricks for getting perfect results.
This sweet is easy to prepare in bulk and share with friends family during festival time like Diwali festival as well as Ganesh Chaturthi.
Check out my namak para and similar diamond cuts snack made at my home, in this website.
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As a south Indian, I used to eat mixture that has small squares of a mildly sweet biscuit and wondered if anyone can make it at home.
Used to think it is a baked item when I was not aware of what it is. Even before exploring the blogging world, had no idea about it.
Later I knew the small sweet squares are maida biscuits and even tried once. But without knowing proper method, I didn't get it right.
Though there are few different methods and names, I loved this simple recipe, as the measurements were easy to remember.
So followed the same and tried. It turned out really good. We all loved it. With simply available ingredients in our kitchen, turns out to be a great snack.
Since today is Holi festival, thought of sharing this easy Shankarpali recipe with simple ingredients available at home.
About Shankarpali
Shankarpali (शंकरपाळी) is a traditional Indian sweet deep fried snack made from a simple dough of flour, sugar and far such as ghee or butter. It is also called by different names in other parts of Indian like Shakarpara/ shakkarpare, Shankarapoli in Karnataka. The dough is rolled, cut into small squares or diamond shapes and deep-fried until crisp. Made usually during Diwali and is also an important part of the Maharashtrian festival faral, the usual set of sweets, desserts and snacks homecooks make.
There isn't one single recipe that every Maharashtrian family follows. Home recipes differ in their use of Maida, rava, ghee, milk and sugar and even the thickness, sweetness can vary. A traditional Maharashtrian-style sweet version commonly uses maida with ghee, sugar and milk. Some recipes include fine rava for a slightly different bite. Shankarpali is also be made savory.
SHankarpali Ingredients
See the recipe car for full list and exact measurements. Here are the simple easily available ingredients.
- All purpose flour - Maida gives it's light and crispy texture.
- Butter - Adds soft crisp texture and mild flavour which goes well in this recipe.
- Sugar - White sugar works best in this, adding mild sweetness in the dough.
- Cooking soda - Is optional but I add for a light and airy texture, ensuring the inside gets cooked well.
- Oil - To deep fry.
See the recipe car for full list and exact measurements.
Step by step images
Let's see how to make shankarpali with step by step pictures.
1. Firstly, take butter, sugar, hot water, pinch of salt and cooking soda in a mixing bowl. Then stir well until sugar is dissolved.
2. After that, add maida little by little to make a non sticky dough.
3. You may not need all the 2 cups. 2-3 tablespoon might be left.
4. Knead furthermore to make a smooth, soft dough. How much ever you knead, that smooth and pliable the dough will become.
5. Then, keep aside for 5 minutes minimum to 30 minutes maximum, covered.
6. After the dough rest, knead again after 5 minutes to make a smooth dough.
7. Then divide into two and spread each portion into thick round.
8. After that, cut out the edges using a knife or pizza cutter to get uniform shankarpali.
9. Then, remove the trimmed edges (save and include in another batch).
10. After that, cut into strips like this (say a finger width size).
11. Then cut into cute little squares.
12. Make sure it is uniform size more or less.
13. After that, heat oil in a kadai/ pan and slide the cut squares slowly to hot oil in batches.
14. Then put the flame to medium heat or low and let the shankarpali cook in low flame.
16. Finally, once golden brown, using a slotted spoon, drain from oil over paper towel to get rid of excess oil and repeat the same for all the dough.
Top tips
- Sugar in this snack is supposed to be mild. You can add according to your preference, but note that adding more sugar makes this harder. So you can add less, but not more in this shankarpali recipe I have given.
- The dough should not have excess water content (sticky), so add maida accordingly.
- Let all the cut tiny squares be in more or less equal size, for even cooking.
- The Shankarpali gets deep in color even after taking out from oil. So take out accordingly.
- When hot, it is slightly soft in the middle, but later will become crisp. But make sure to cook for long time in low flame to ensure the inside also gets cooked.
- If you cook quickly in high heat, it gets browned quickly, later the undercooked inside of the Shankarpali will turn hard when cooled down.
- Do not add more cooking soda or butter. If both these ingredients are more and water is less, the Shankarpali will dissolve in oil.
- Take note, while dropping the shankarpali in oil, oil should be hot. At no point, oil should fuming hot.
My notes
You can coat the shakkar para in sugar syrup or sugar powder for extra sweetness.
You can also air fry shankarpali to cut the calories from deep frying.
Ask AI to give Air fryer version of the recipe:
Substitutions & Variations
You can try with 50 percent atta (wheat flour) and 50 percent maida or even entirely atta too. But the texture and taste varies.
To make it vegan, skip butter and use just oil.
Use 2 powdered cardamoms in the dough for a sweet aroma.
FAQ
According to Wikipedia, it is a word derived from Shekarpareh.
Shankarpali is popular in North India majorly, yet loved in south India as well.
Shelf life
Cool down completely to bring to room temperature. It stays good upto two weeks in an airtight container in shelf. If you want to store longer, you can refrigerate which can double the life.
Recipe card
Crispy Shankarpali Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Maida All purpose flour / not fully needed
- ¼ cup Butter melted form
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Water hot
- 1 pinch Cooking soda
- 1 pinch Salt
- Oil to deep-fry
Instructions
- Firstly, take butter, sugar, hot water, salt and cooking soda in a mixing bowl. Then stir well until sugar is dissolved.
- After that, add maida little by little to make a non sticky dough.
- You may not need all the 2 cups. 2-3 tablespoon might be left.
- Knead furthermore to make a smooth dough. How much ever you knead, that smooth and pliable the dough will become.
- Then, keep aside for 5 minutes minimum to 30 minutes maximum, covered.
- After that, knead again after 5 minutes to make a smooth dough.
- Then divide into two and spread each ball into thick round.
- After that, cut out the edges to get uniform shankarpali.
- Then, remove the trimmed edges (save and include in another batch).
- After that, cut into strips like this (say a finger width size).
- Then cut into cute little squares.
- Make sure it is uniform size more or less.
- After that, heat oil and slide the cut squares slowly to hot oil in batches.
- Then put the flame to low and let the shankarpali cook in low flame.
- Finally drain over paper towel and repeat the same for all the dough.
Video
Notes
- The dough should not have more water content, so add maida accordingly.
- When hot, the Shankarpali is slightly soft in the middle, but later it will become crisp. But make sure to cook for long time in low flame to ensure the inside also gets cooked.
- Do not add more cooking soda or butter. If both these ingredients are more and water is less, the Shankarpali will dissolve in oil.
Nathara nandu says
Thank u raks, i was really waiting for this recipe, right in time....
Unknown says
Hi Raks akka. Can this be made in a spicy version.?
Raks Kitchen says
Sure, its called namak pare.
Unknown says
Hi,
Can we do this by baking the dough after we cut it? Or only deep frying works?
Raks Kitchen says
PLease google for baked version, I remember seeing some.