If you are Maharashtrian, you must have had the sweetened snack during breakfast. In Maharastra, shakarapara is commonly known as shankarpali. Shakarpara is the Maharashtrian traditional style of Shakara para is usually made during the festival seasons like Diwali and Janmashtami. It is a crunchy and flaky deeply-fried snack that is best served as a tea time snack. Shakarpara can be made sweet as well as spicy as per the wish of makers. For the sweet version, the less sweetened wheat dough is rolled and divided and made into diamond or square shapes. Then we deep fry it till crispy. For crisp Shakarpara, the wheat dough is rolled out and made as slim as it can be. For making it slightly soft, thicker with a chewy texture, this dough is fried at low flame to ensure that the pieces are cooked thoroughly. Lastly, it is sprayed with cinnamon sugar. Shakarapara can be served as a tea time snack, or it can be packed in the children’s snack box. If anyone of you missing the taste of this snack, then it is easy to make this snack. Even if the Shankarpali mix is readily available in the supermarket or retail store, no amount of readily available Shankarpali mix can substitute the taste of homely made Shankarpali snack of Maharashtrian style.
Preparation Time
It takes about 10 minutes to mix the dough using whole wheat flour and the sugar-water mix, including rolling and pressing the dough into diamond or square pieces. Also, it takes about 90 minutes to cook it under the low or medium flame. Overall, It takes about 100 minutes to prepare the Shakarapara of Maharashtrian style.
Ingredients To Make Shakarapara
– 1 cup of water
– 1/4 cup of water
– 2 and 1/2 cup of Vivatta Maida or Whole wheat flour can be used
– 1/4 teaspoon of salt for taste
– 1/4 cup of Ghee
– Cooking Oil needed for deep frying
– Four tablespoons for powdered sugar
– One teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder (Dalchini)
Steps To Make Shakarapara Recipe
- Firstly, we need to heat the water with sugar in a saucepan till it dissolves. Take the pan away from the heat and cool it slightly.
- Filter the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix with it ghee, till it becomes coarse crumbs. Next, steadily add the previous made sugar and water mixture into the flour.
- Mix and form the flour into a firm but spongy dough. Then, keep it covered in a cool place for 30 minutes.
- Place the frying pan on the gas burner and add oil on it and heat it. Next, cut the dough into 3 to 4 parts. Roll and press each portion into a thin (about 7 to 8 inches) circle. The thickness depends on the maker.
- Make each part into square or diamond shape using a pizza cutter, knife, or a Shakarapara cutter specially designed for it.
- Place the shakarapara pieces on the frying pan and heat it on low or medium heat till it turns into a golden or crisp color.
- Take a small bowl and mix cinnamon and powdered sugar. While the Shakarapara is still hot, apply on its cinnamon sugar.
- Next, cool it thoroughly and store it in an airtight container.
- Lastly, serve the Shakarapara for tea time, or it can be packed in your children’s tiffin box.
- Notes to remember while preparing
- The dough should be blended well, and it needs to be soft and smooth. Also, while rolling and pressing the dough to apply some flour evenly to ensure that the dough will not stick to the base or roller. While making shankarpali, dalda ghee or oil can be used as per your wish. In the end, after it is the fried place it on a plate at room temperature. If you stored it in an airtight container, it should last for more than ten days. If it is refrigerated, it can last for a month.
