Sweet Shankarpali

5 from 39 votes

Sweet shankarpali is an Indian sweet snack that is commonly enjoyed during festivals and special occasions. Made from a dough enriched with milk, sugar, and ghee, it is rolled, cut into bite-sized pieces, and deep-fried until golden brown. It has a crispy texture and subtle sweetness and is enjoyed by people of all ages.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Hindu, Vegetarian

Servings: to 10

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Ingredients

5 tablespoon ghee (use store-bought or homemade ghee)
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
1-1¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon semolina
Oil for deep frying

Instructions

Make the dough:

In a saucepan, mix together milk and ghee. Heat on medium flame until the ghee melts.
Remove from heat and mix the sugar, salt, and semolina into it. Let the sugar dissolve completely.
Slowly add the flour to the mixture and knead together into a stiff dough.
It is important not to over-knead dough at this stage. Just bring it together and let it rest (see notes below).
Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Knead the dough again for a couple of minutes. Divide them roughly into 4 equal parts.
Roll out the dough into thick discs.
Cut into small squares using a pizza cutter or knife.
Rest the cut shapes for 15 minutes.

Fry the shankarpali:

Heat oil in a deep frying pan. To check if the oil is ready, drop a small bit of dough into it. It should sizzle immediately and slowly rise to the top. If it does not sizzle and rise, let it heat more.
Once the oil is hot enough, fry the shankarpali in batches on medium heat until they are golden brown.
Drain on a kitchen towel and cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Do not over-knead the dough. This is really important when you are initially mixing the dough. Mix everything to just combine the dough. There will be cracks, and the dough will not be smooth, and that is okay. By being mindful of avoiding excessive kneading, you can achieve the right shankarpali dough, resulting in a crispier and lighter final texture.

Heat the milk just enough to melt the ghee and sugar. Do not bring the milk to a boil.

Roll the dough to an even thickness of about 3-4 mm. If the dough is rolled too thin, the shankarpali will become brittle and break easily. If it's too thick, it may not cook evenly and remain doughy inside.

Avoid overcrowding the frying pan or deep fryer. Fry the shankarpali in small batches, allowing enough space for them to float freely and cook evenly.

Nutrition