Shakkar Pare also known as Shakkarpara is sweet, crunchy, flaky and melt in mouth festive sweet snack. Shakkarpare are mostly made during Diwali, Holi and other Indian festivals. Made with just 4 easily available ingredients, these shakkar pare are deliciously addictive munching snack.
About This Recipe
Being a food blogger, shakkar and namak pare are no new to me, but I never tasted or thought of trying these at home. My friend Rimi makes awesomely delicious pare and she makes these often during festivals. One Diwali, before lockdown (Oh God! It is sounding like Before Christ (BC) and After Christ (AC)) she made and bought pare along with other festive treats. We at home just loved these crunchy and sweet little bites. Don’t know why, but I always thought making pare is a huge task, but my friend gave me this very simple and easy recipe.
Of many things I learnt during lockdown, making and storing up of jar snacks is one of them. Before lockdown, I rarely use to make jar snacks. Sandwiches, sundals, cut fruits, chips, cakes, puffs, etc; use to be our evening snacks. When we started depending on online stores for daily needs, the need for necessary items was priority. In the process, I cut down all these extras and then started making snacks at home.
In my quest to find easy, simple and long shelf-life snacks, I started making namak pare, namkeen kaju pare, shakkar pare, chakkali, ribbon murukku, khajoor, boondi, chivda, etc; You may be wondering, the list of savory jar snacks is more than that of sweet ones. We at home normally prefer savory snack with our evening chai. You can always find a jar of savory snacks at my home. As lil’M has grown fonder for these shakkar pare, I started making a batch of these along with namak pare.
Shakkarpare | Shakarpara | Khurma
Whether you’re a seasoned chef looking to perfect your recipe or a newcomer eager to explore the world of Indian sweets, Shakarpare offers a delightful fusion of taste and tradition. Discover the timeless delight of Shakarpare, a beloved Indian sweet snack that transcends generations and occasions. Shakarpare offers a delightful fusion of taste and tradition. Explore the enchanting world of Shakarpare and unlock the secrets to creating this sweet, crispy treat that’s perfect for celebrations, festivals, or simply satisfying your sweet tooth. These are typically made with basic ingredients that you can find in most Indian kitchens.
What is Shakkar Para?
As I said, shakkarpara or shakkar pare is a delicious crunchy sugar-coated mini diamond shaped bites made with flour. These are traditionally made with all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, ghee and pinch of salt. These deep-fried sweet bites are highly addictive and a make a great jar sweet snack recipe. Shakkarpare are also best homemade edible gift your loved ones.
Other Names of Shakkar Pare
You will be amazed to know, these humble, sweet and cute looking diamond shaped nimki or bites are called by different names in different parts of India. Thanks to our Indian diaspora, shakkarpare are world famous Diwali Treats these days.
Shakkarpara – Gujrati
Shankarpali– Marathi| Andhra
Shankarapoli– Kannada
Shakerpara– Bengali
Shakarpare – Urdu | Hindi
Khurma– Nepali
Khurma or Laktho – Bihar, Jharkhand & Uttar Pradesh
Shakkar Pare Recipe Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour | Maida: This is the main ingredient in making these shakkarpare. I have seen on internet; people substitute all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or atta. Shakkarpare made with atta are called atta shakkarpare.
Ghee: Use pure ghee to make shakkarpare. I used desi ghee in making these pare. You can use oil too, but surely there will be difference in taste. Some people use dalda (vanaspati) too.
Granulated Sugar: This is nothing but normal sugar (cheeni). Some people use gur (jaggery) instead of sugar. Shakkarpare made with gur are called gur pare.
Cardamom Powder: Brings in nice aroma in sugar syrup and flavours shakkarpare.
Tips To Make Crunchy & Flaky Shakkarpare
About the Dough:
Do not knead the dough more, it should be hard, not soft like roti dough.
Resting the dough for 20-30 minutes will make the dough softer. So, don’t knead the dough soft in the first step.
Shape of Shakkarpare:
Traditional and authentic shape of shakkarpare is diamond shape. Some people cut these into squares, rectangles, flowers, leaves, etc.
About the Oil:
If the oil is very hot, the shakkarpare will not get cooked from inside and they turn soggy on cooling.
If the oil is not hot enough, then shakkarpare will absorb the oil and will turn oily on cooling.
Always remember, oil should be of medium hot while frying pare.
About Sugar Syrup:
Sugar syrup should be of one string consistency. Measuring one string consistency is very easy.
Carefully take a drop of sugar syrup between yourforefinger and thumb.
Single thread (ek taar) is formed when forefinger and thumbare pulled apart, then it is called one string consistency.
Variations in Shakkar Pare Recipe
Like many different names, there are many different variations in making shakkarpara recipe. Few of them are,
Some knead dough with milk instead of water.
Powdered sugar or granulated sugar is directly added while kneading the dough.
In one more variation, pare or nimki are tossed by adding powdered sugar and cardamom powder. This variation is mildly sweet.
For 1 cup of flour, 1-2 tbsp. of Soji or fine Bombay rava is also added to the flour before kneading it.
You can see in my pictures, there are two different varieties of shakar pare on plate. One I have tossed in white granulated sugar and other I have tossed in organic brown sugar.
Yield: 150g
Shakkarpara Recipe
Shakkar Pare also known as Shakkarpara is sweet, crunchy, flaky and melt in mouth festive sweet snack. Shakkarpare are mostly made during Diwali, Holi and other Indian festivals. Made with just 4 easily available ingredients, these shakkar pare are deliciously addictive munching snack.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour | Maida
- 4 tbsp. Ghee | Oil
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- Salt, pinch
- Oil for deep frying
- Water, as required
To Make Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¾ cup Water
- ½ tbsp. Cardamom powder
Instructions
How to make Sugar Coated Shakarpara
Making Dough:
- Melt ghee and keep aside. If using oil, then heat till lukewarm.
- Sieve the flour for 2-3 times in a wide bowl.
- To the flour, add lukewarm ghee (or oil) and salt.
- Using your fingers, gently combine the ingredients.
- At this stage, the dough should look like breadcrumbs.
- Now by adding little by little water, knead the dough.
- Smear the dough with ½ tbsp. of oil and cover it with a damp cloth.
- Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Shaping Shakkarpare:
- After 30 minutes, remove the damp cloth and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 3-4 balls. Keep them covered.
- Grease the rolling surface with tbsp. of ghee or oil.
- Take a dough ball and roll into an evenly thick 2mm size round.
- Using sharp knife or pizza cutter or karanji cutter, make crisscross or
horizontal-vertical cuts on the dough to get diamond or square shape. - Carefully remove these pieces and set aside.
- Repeat and complete till the rolled dough is complete.
Deep Frying Shakkarpara:
- In the meantime, heat oil on medium high flame.
- To check whether the oil is hot enough to fry, add tiny ball of dough to it. If
the ball sizzles and raises up, then the oil is very hot, our pare will not be
cooked from inside. - So, reduce the flame and wait for few minutes, till oil cools down a little. Ensure oil should be hot but not piping hot while frying pare.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame and start adding pare (diamond or square shaped dough). Wait for 30-45 seconds.
- You can fry in batches, depending on the size of vessel in which you are frying these pare.
- The pare will start to float on top. Now on low flame, using a slotted spoon gently tap the oil for 2-3 times.
- Doing this will loosen up the pare, if they have sticked to each other.
- Keep turning until all of them turn nice light golden brown on all the sides.
- Carefully, remove on a kitchen plate lined with tissue paper. Set aside and continue till all the kneaded dough is complete.
Making Sugar Syrup For Shakkarpare
- To make sugar syrup add sugar and waterto a thick bottom (wide mouthed) vessel.
- Add cardamom powder to it and on mediumflame, stir till sugar gets dissolved.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes on low flame until you get 1 string consistency.
Adding Pare To Sugar Syrup
- Once the sugar syrup reaches one string consistency, turn off the flame and quickly add fried pare to it.
- Toss well and using a wooden spatula carefully stir, till all pare are completely coated with sugar syrup.
- (Be careful and fast, as sugar syrup will start to crystallise very soon)
- Turn on the flame and on low flame stir for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn off the flame, remove them in a plate.
- Leave these to come down to room temperature. Tada our shakkarpare are ready to serve, munch or to gift.
- Once shakkarpare are completely cool, store them in a clean and dry moisture-free air-tight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 116Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 0gSugar: 15gProtein: 1g
