AI-generated image
Shankarpali
शंकरपाळी: crisp diamond-shaped fried biscuits of flour, ghee, milk and sugar
Every Maharashtrian Diwali faral box has a pile of shankarpali: small diamond-shaped biscuits, flaky and crisp, sweet with sugar dissolved in warm milk and ghee. Families make large batches in the week before Diwali alongside chakli and karanji, and the tin is raided until Tulsi Vivah. The common mistake is frying too hot, which browns them outside before the layers crisp, so they soften within a day; fry slowly until pale golden. Chef's tip: dissolve the sugar fully in the warm milk and ghee before adding flour, or sugar crystals burn in the oil as dark specks.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the dough
- ½ cup milk
- 2 ⅛ oz ghee
- 3 ½ oz sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 10 ½ oz plain flour (maida)plus a little for dusting
- 1 tbsp fine semolina
To fry
- 2 ½ cups neutral oil or ghee for deep-frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 2: Add 1 tbsp fine semolina and 10 ½ oz plain flour (maida) gradually and knead to a firm, smooth dough. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
35 minStep 3: Divide into 4, roll each to 4 mm thick, and cut into 2 cm diamonds with a pastry wheel.
15 minStep 4: Heat 2 ½ cups neutral oil or ghee for deep-frying in a kadhai or deep pan, filling it no more than a third of the way, to 300°F; a pinch of dough or batter dropped in should rise in about 5 seconds with steady small bubbles. Never leave the hot fat unattended.
6 minStep 5: Fry a handful at a time over medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until pale golden and the bubbling slows almost to nothing.
20 minStep 6: Drain on paper and cool completely before storing airtight for up to 3 weeks.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shankarpali take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Sabudana khichdi
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Bagara baingan
Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi wedding dish of small aubergines cooked whole in a dark, tangy gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame, dried coconut and tamarind. Unlike a Gujarati stuffed brinjal, the aubergines here are only quartered at the base and fried until silky, then left to soak up a thin-but-rich sauce that is finished with a tempering, the 'baghar' that gives the dish its name. It's sour, nutty and gently spiced, and is served with biryani, bagara rice or plain rice. Chef's tip: choose small, glossy purple aubergines that feel heavy for their size; soft, light ones are full of seeds and turn mushy before the gravy has a chance to cling.