Shakkar para
(Sweet shakkar para)
Shakkar para is
a popular snack. Shakkar means sugar in Hindi and para is a piece of pastry. To
prepare shakkar para first dough is made by adding oil and water in the all-purpose flour
(maida) and cream of wheat (sooji) then this dough is rolled into a circle then
with the knife the dough is cut into square or diamond shaped then they are
deep fried. After frying these paras are dipped in sugar syrup. Sometimes to in
hence the flavor shakkar paras are coated with coconut and touch of cardamoms.
This is one of those snack you cannot stop munching. Shakkar paras are usually
prepared on special festivals like Holi and Dewali.
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Ingredients for the dough:
1 Cup of all purpose flour (maida) ½ Cup of cream of wheat (sooji) ½ Cup of water 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil Ingredients for syrup: ¾ Cup of sugar or per taste ½ Cup of water 3 Tablespoons coconut powder (optional) ¼ Teaspoon crushed cardamom (optional) Cooking measurement conversion Measurement converter |
Dough for shakkar paras
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Directions for making the dough:
1. In a bowl place all purpose flour, cream of wheat and oil, mix them together.
With the palms knead the flour into oil.
2. Once the flour and oil mix well, add a little water at a time and mix it with flour
in a rotating motion from the center of the bowl to outward until it form a
dough and it cleans the sides of the bowl, knead it for few minutes. The dough
should be firm but smooth.
3. Once the dough become smooth, knead the dough with wet hands make a ball
and cover it with a damp towel and keep it aside for at least 15 minutes.
Food processor or dough maker could be used to make the dough.
1. In a bowl place all purpose flour, cream of wheat and oil, mix them together.
With the palms knead the flour into oil.
2. Once the flour and oil mix well, add a little water at a time and mix it with flour
in a rotating motion from the center of the bowl to outward until it form a
dough and it cleans the sides of the bowl, knead it for few minutes. The dough
should be firm but smooth.
3. Once the dough become smooth, knead the dough with wet hands make a ball
and cover it with a damp towel and keep it aside for at least 15 minutes.
Food processor or dough maker could be used to make the dough.
Directions for making the shakkar paras:
1. Prepare the syrup (See below how to make syrup)
2. Once the dough is ready knead the dough for few minutes to make it smooth
then divide it in to 2 equal parts.
3. Take one part of dough at a time and roll in between your palm and make a ball
then press it with your palms and make it flat and place it on the rolling board.
4. With the rolling pin roll the ball of dough firmly in to a circle and thickness of
salted crackers.
Place the dough on rolling board
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Roll the dough into a circle
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5. Once you roll the dough in a circle then with the fork prick it all over the
surface of the rolled dough, so the paras do not puff when frying.
6. Grease a knife or a pizza cutter wheel, and make the cuts in rolled dough, either diamond shape or square shapes. For diamond shape first cut one side straight lines and flips the plate around about 45 degrees and start cutting diagonally. For square shape cut straight lines both sides. You can cut the paras in your desire shape.
surface of the rolled dough, so the paras do not puff when frying.
6. Grease a knife or a pizza cutter wheel, and make the cuts in rolled dough, either diamond shape or square shapes. For diamond shape first cut one side straight lines and flips the plate around about 45 degrees and start cutting diagonally. For square shape cut straight lines both sides. You can cut the paras in your desire shape.
With a fork prick all
over the rolled dough
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Cut the rolled dough
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7. Heat 3 cups of oil in a frying pan or kadhai on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes
or until oil become hot.
8. To check if the oil is ready drop a small ball of dough in the hot oil, if the dough start sizzling and comes up slowly it means it is the right heat but if it becomes too dark quickly it means oil is too hot, turn the heat down.
or until oil become hot.
8. To check if the oil is ready drop a small ball of dough in the hot oil, if the dough start sizzling and comes up slowly it means it is the right heat but if it becomes too dark quickly it means oil is too hot, turn the heat down.
Heat the oil
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Slide a knife under the paras
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9. Take
a knife and slide under the paras to loosen them, then pick some of the paras
and very gently slip in into hot oil, with a fork separate them so that they do
not stick together, then immediately with the help of pierced spatula start
flickering hot oil over the top of the paras. After few minutes flip the paras
to other side and fry. Keep the heat
down and keep flipping the paras for 7 to 8 minutes or until paras become
golden brown on both the sides.
10. Make sure to place just enough paras so you can turn them over easily when frying.
10. Make sure to place just enough paras so you can turn them over easily when frying.
Gently drop the paras in the hot oil
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Paras are fried they become golden brown
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11. Once both side become golden brown lift the paras with the spatula and shake all the oil out, take them out from the hot oil and place them on a plate over paper towel, so that all the extra oil absorbed by the towel.
12. Turn the heat down and drop another batch of paras after few minutes raise the heat, because oil is hot and you do not want to fry paras quickly. Repeat the process until all the paras are fried.
13. Let the shakkar paras comes to the room temperature and they become crisp.
12. Turn the heat down and drop another batch of paras after few minutes raise the heat, because oil is hot and you do not want to fry paras quickly. Repeat the process until all the paras are fried.
13. Let the shakkar paras comes to the room temperature and they become crisp.
Place the paras over paper towel
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Fried paras
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14. If the syrup cool down then turn on the heat and heat it.
15. Add the paras in the hot syrup and mix making sure all the paras are well coated with the syrup. Turn the stove off. Quickly transfer the paras into a plate and let them cool down. With the fork separate the shakker paras so that they do not stick together.
Add fried paras in the hot syrup
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Mix the paras in the syrup
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Spread the sugar coated paras in the plate
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Coconut coated shakkar paras
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Directions for making the syrup:
1. In a pan add sugar and water and boil on medium heat for 8 to 10 minute or until it become half a string of consistency, means when you touch the syrup between two fingers it makes a half string or it reach to 220 degrees F. on a candy thermometer. Turn the heat off.
2. If adding coconut and cardamom add this time to the syrup and mix.
1. In a pan add sugar and water and boil on medium heat for 8 to 10 minute or until it become half a string of consistency, means when you touch the syrup between two fingers it makes a half string or it reach to 220 degrees F. on a candy thermometer. Turn the heat off.
2. If adding coconut and cardamom add this time to the syrup and mix.
In a pan add sugar and water
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Syrup is ready add cardamoms powder and mix
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Tips:
1. If you find it is hard to loosen the paras and drop them in hot oil then pick the rolling board and take it over the frying pan and then with the knife slide the paras in hot oil, then quickly with the fork separate them so that they do not stick together.
2. Shakker paras should be fried on low heat. If they are fried on high heat they will be soft and will not be crispy
3. Shakker paras can be stored in airtight container.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
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Other recipes:
Namak paras (Crispy salty noodles) Bondi or bondi ladoo
Mathri (Crispy, salty crackers) Besan ladoo (Gram flour ladoo)
Besan Sev (Gram flour noodles) Vermicelli (Sevian kheer)
Namak paras (Crispy salty noodles) Bondi or bondi ladoo
Mathri (Crispy, salty crackers) Besan ladoo (Gram flour ladoo)
Besan Sev (Gram flour noodles) Vermicelli (Sevian kheer)