Shankarpalli aka shakarpare, are sweet maida biscuits also called as sweet diamond biscuits are a popular Indian snack item prepared during Diwali & Holi….Well, not just during festivals but also as a tea time snack, kids love them and are quite addictive. I made a batch for Sid… who loves to eat these #nomnom after school. Here’s how we make it at home… this recipe is adapted from here there is also another version of this Diamond maida biscuits which I ‘ve shared before… try the one you like!
These are thick cut shakar pare… so (ghee:water:sugar) ratio stays equal to keep the soft crunch intact. Use only double refined all purpose flour / pastry flour / maida for this recipe. Unbleached all purpose works but texture will differ and the quantity of flour will vary.
Ingredients
- Maida – 2 & 3/4 cups (extra for dusting) (see notes)
- Salt – a pinch
- Baking soda – a pinch
- Sugar – 1/2 cup
- Ghee – 1/2 cup
- Hot Water – 1/2 cup
- Oil – 3 cups (for deep frying)
Lets see how to make this sweet Shankarpali….
First heat up some water… we need hot water. Then mix it with sugar & ghee.
The ghee will melt the sugar will dissolve in water as you keep mixing. It will turn up to a thick paste.
Sieve maida with baking soda and salt. Add that slowly to the paste and start making a dough.
The dough will be very soft…. will looks ticky as you knead. Keep adding maida little by little until the dough becomes form. (It should not stick when touched, but baby butt soft 😀 ) Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Roll it out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Dust maida over the board and also over the rolling pin and roll it out like a big thick chapati. Cut them into little cubes using a knife or pizza cutter.
Meanwhile heat up oil in a kadai. We are going to check whether the oil is heated to the right temperature…
Test a small piece… drop it in oil and see whether it stays firm and rushes to bottom and swims back up to the top with the same force. If it comes out like this… you are all set to fry the rest. If it breaks add in more flour and knead again. If it becomes dark then your oil is too hot…bring the temperature down and then repeat the test.
Deep fry them in small batches over medium flame until golden.
Low medium flame is the the key here… frying longer over this temperature will cook and brown them evenly. Place the fried once on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Cool them completely and check for taste the texture.
Store in an airtight box for few weeks… if they can last 😛
Notes
- Makes 1 kilo or 1000 grams
- Maida is double refined.. so use either refined bleached all purpose or pastry flour of this recipe. You can still use unbleched flour or wheat flour but taste and texture will differ.
- You may add milk instead of water but shelf life will be very less.
- Always check the oil temperature before frying. If its too hot the outer layer will brown fast and inner will be half cooked. If the oil is not hot enough the biscuit will melt as soon as you drop.
- using a good quality maida matters… double refined preferred.
- The biscuits will be brown up quickly, keep turning them often and always ensure you fry them over medium flame to cook them even.
- Let cool them completely before you test the taste. They may be soft as soon they come out of the oil and will firm up once cooled completely.
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