Shankarpali is a sweet, crispy, and flaky diamond-shaped, addictive fried snack recipe. It uses two basic ingredients: flour and sugar. One of the tastiest Indian tea time snack also popular during Diwali.
Shakarpara
Shankarpali is known by different names, such as shakkarpara, murali, khurma, Mangalorean sweet tukdi, lakdi mithai, etc. The name is derived from the Persian word Shekarpareh, which means sweet pastry. This snack is very popular in Maharastra, Karnataka, and Gujarat and is served as an evening tea-time snack. It is specially made during festivals like Diwali. But let me tell you, no Indian festival or occasion is complete without this. It is super simple to make with basic ingredients and also one of the Indian snacks that has a long shelf life.
Don't miss out on the best Diwali snacks and evening Indian snack recipes.
Ingredients
Ghee: Adds the flavor and gives flakiness.
Flour: Traditionally, this sweet snack is made using all-purpose flour (maida). Feel free to use wheat flour (atta); it will be a little denser.
Sugar: Add sugar based on how sweet or mild you like the sweet to be.
Check out the recipe card for the full list of the ingredients.
Step-by-step instructions
Make the dough
- Add ghee, salt, sugar, and water to a pot.
- Mix and heat until sugar dissolves. Switch off the flame and keep this aside.
- When the syrup above is warm, not hot, add the flour in increments and knead to form a non-sticky dough. (1 ¾ cups of flour will sometimes be sufficient, so do not add all at once.)
- Knead further to form a soft and smooth dough.
- Cover and keep this aside for 5 minutes.
Shape diamond biscuits
- Divide the dough into two equal balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten it, not too thick or too thin.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1 inch part vertically and then horizontally to get the diamond shapes.
- Separate the shankarpali and transfer it to the plate.
- Repeat the process for the remaining dough ball.
Fry the shakkarpara
- Heat oil in a pan for frying on medium flame.
- When the oil is hot, add one by one pieces made. Do not overcrowd the pan. The flame should always be medium.
- Keep stirring and frying until crisp and golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer it to a paper towel. Repeat the frying for the remaining shakarpara.
- Once cooled completely, store in an airtight conatiner. Serve and enjoy.
Tips
- The dough should not be dry or have a high water content. Only smooth and soft dough will give you crispy, flaky shankarpali.
- Shankarpali can also be made with wheat flour or atta or an equal combination of both.
- Rolling too thin will easily burn while frying, and if made too thick, it will remain undercooked from the inside.
- Do not fry at high heat. It will turn brown but remain uncooked.
- To make this snack vegan, use oil instead of ghee.
Recipe FAQs
Shararpara are diamond-shaped bite-size sweet treats.
You can add cinnmoan, cardamom or coconut for sweet version. This can also be made spicy with cumin seeds and chile powder. In that case skip the sugar.
Shankarpali can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Yes. For a healthier option, you can bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness, or air fry at 370 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. The texture, in this case, may vary, but it will still taste delicious.
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More Indian Snacks Recipes
Recipe card
Shankarpali | Shakarpara
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ to 2 cups All purpose flour Maida
- ¼ cup Ghee melted or butter
- 2 Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup Sugar You can add ¼ cup for mild sweetness and ½ cup for sweet recipe
- ⅓ cup Water
- Oil for frying
Instructions
Make the dough
- Add ghee, salt, sugar, and water to a pot.¼ cup Ghee, 2 Pinch of salt, ⅓ cup Sugar, ⅓ cup Water
- Mix and heat until sugar dissolves. Switch off the flame and keep this aside.
- When the syrup above is warm, not hot, add the flour in increments and knead to form a non-sticky dough. (1 ¾ cups of flour will sometimes be sufficient, so do not add all at once.)1 ½ to 2 cups All purpose flour
- Knead further to form a soft and smooth dough.
- Cover and keep this aside for 5 minutes.
Cut them into diamond shapes
- Divide the dough into two equal balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten it, not too thick or too thin.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1 inch part vertically and then horizontally to get the diamond shapes.
- Separate the shankarpali and transfer it to the plate.
- Repeat the process for the remaining dough ball.
Fry the shankarpali
- Heat oil in a pan for frying on medium flame.Oil for frying
- When the oil is hot, add one by one pieces made. Do not overcrowd the pan. The flame should always be medium.
- Keep stirring and frying until crisp and golden brown on all sides.
- Transfer it to a paper towel. Repeat the frying for the remaining shakarpara.
- Once cooled completely, store in an airtight conatiner. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- The dough should not be dry or have a high water content. Only smooth and soft dough will give you crispy, flaky shankarpali.
- Shankarpali can also be made with wheat flour or atta or an equal combination of both.
- Rolling too thin will easily burn while frying, and if made too thick, it will remain undercooked from the inside.
- Do not fry at high heat. It will turn brown but remain uncooked.
- To make this snack vegan, use oil instead of ghee.
Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this shankarpali or shakkarpara recipe in April 2016. It has now been modified in Aug 2024 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Anu @ SinisterSpoon
Loved the photography. I've tried the fried ones that my Bihari cook calls 'katua namkeen' and the round version called mathri. Would love to try this baked version sometime!
Kushi
Thank you Anu 🙂