Shakarpara Recipe | Khurma | Shakkarpare

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Here’s one of our favorite recipes of an Indian sweet snack, the Shakarpara or Khurma. Shakkarpare (in plural) is one of the quintessential Diwali treats that can be found in almost every corner of the Indian subcontinent. Though with different regional names, this snack is usually diamond-shaped, crunchy, flaky and fried flour cookies coated with crystallized sugar. Try my authentic Punjabi recipe of this scrumptious snack that you can literally munch on, any time!

shakkarpara served in a wooden bowl with text layovers.

What is Shakkarpara

In India, Shakarpara is one of those snacks, which is quite ubiquitous during the Diwali festive season. It is not only popular in North Indian and Gujarati cuisines, but is also a common feature in weddings and special occasions in other parts of the country.

The various Indian regional versions are shankarpali (Maharashtra), shankarapoli/shankarapali (Karnataka), shakerpara (West Bengal) and khurma (Bihar/Nepal).

Not just these, this particular snack is also famous outside India like Fiji (where it is called lakdi mithai), Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, Guyana, etc.

According to many food historians, the origin of Shakarpare can be said to be in ‘shekarpareh,’ which is a sweet pastry snack from the Iranian cuisine.

The main ingredients of Shakarpare include a dough made of either all-purpose flour (maida) or whole wheat flour (atta), ghee and sugar. Some people may also add a bit of semolina (suji/rava) and some flavorings.

Just like my Shakarpara recipe, which is made with atta and has a saffron flavored sugar syrup too. This sweet snack is usually deep-fried. However, these days you may air-fry them too.

More On My Recipe

At home, I usually make Shankarpali during the festival of Diwali. The method of making this Maharashtrian version is different than the preparation of Shakkarpare.

What makes Shankarpali snack distinct is that in it, the sweet dough is not coated with sugar syrup. On the other hand, Shakkarpara or Khurma is made with an unsweetened dough and once fried, it is coated with sugar syrup. So, the taste and texture of both these versions are completely different.

The initial part of making the dough for Shakkarpare, and frying is easy. However, you need to pay attention while making the sugar syrup. It should be of the right consistency, which is of 2 or 3 threads.

Also, this recipe uses sugar, but you can also use jaggery and turn it into gudpare. The same amount of jaggery can be added.

Making any sweet or savory for Diwali is a time-consuming task. So, make sure to complete all your chores before dedicating the time in the preparation of these sweets and savories.

From 240 grams (2 cups) of whole wheat flour, I got 450 grams of Shakarpara. A little less than ½ a kilogram. The recipe can be scaled by doubling or tripling the quantities.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Shakkarpara

Make this special sweet snack easily in your kitchen, with my step-by-step pictures and detailed instructions.

Make Dough

1. Take 2 cups (240 grams) whole wheat flour (atta) in a mixing bowl or pan. Add 2 tablespoons ghee.

The ghee should be at room temperature and in a semi-solid state. Instead of atta, you can use take all-purpose flour (maida). Instead of ghee, you can use oil.

whole wheat flour and softened ghee added in a mixing bowl for making shakkarpare.

2. With your fingertips, mix the ghee with the flour very well.

ghee mixed with the flour well.

3. When you press the flour-ghee mixture in your palm, you should get a flour lump like shown in the picture below. The mixture should be able to hold itself together without falling apart.

flour lump made from the flour-ghee mixture.

4. Now, add water in parts. Depending on the quality of flour, you can add less or more water. I added ½ cup water.

adding water in parts.

5. Begin to knead the dough. Add water as required. If you use all-purpose flour (maida), you will need less water.

kneading dough for shakkarpare.

6. Knead to a firm semi-soft dough. Neither too soft, nor too hard. The dough should be not soft like the dough we make for chapatis or roti.

prepared dough for shakkarpare.

7. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Cover with a lid.

dough divided into 3 equal parts.

8. Take one part and roll into a thick paratha of 7 to 8 inches in diameter.

one dough part rolled into thick paratha.

9. With a knife make squares or diamond shapes on the rolled dough, by slicing criss cross or vertically-horizontally.

making diamonds using a knife on the rolled dough paratha.

Make Khurma

10. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Test the oil temperature by adding a small piece of the dough in the pan. This small piece of dough should come up gradually and quickly on the surface.

If it comes slowly, the oil has a lower temperature and if it comes up too quickly, the oil has high temperature. I fried on medium heat. You can regulate the heat while frying, by increasing or decreasing it.

heating oil in a pan for deep frying shakkarpare.

11. Gently, slid the cut diamonds from the dough, in the medium hot oil.

frying shakkarpare in hot oil.

12. Depending on the size of the pan, you can add more or less. But make sure that there is some space while frying them.

frying shakkarpare in hot oil.

13. When the Shakkarpare are crisp and light golden, turn over and fry.

frying shakkarpare by turning them.

14. Keep on frying them and turning, as and when needed for even frying.

frying shakkarpare in hot oil.

15. Fry till all of them turn golden.

frying shakkarpare till golden.

16. Remove with a slotted spoon and place Shakkarpare on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.

fried shakkarpara placed on kitchen paper towels.

17. Continue to prepare and fry them as mentioned in the above steps. When you begin frying the last batch, you can start preparing the sugar syrup.

Let all the Shakkarpare cool completely to room temperature, before you add them in the sugar syrup.

fried shakkarpara.

Make Sugar Syrup

18. Take 1 cup sugar (150 grams) in another kadai or pan.

sugar added to another pan for making sugar syrup for shakkarpara.

19. Add ½ cup water.

water added to sugar.

20. Keep the pan on low to medium heat. Stir, so that the sugar dissolves.

stirring sugar in the water.

21. Continue cooking the sugar syrup till it starts bubbling and getting sticky. You can add some saffron strands in the sugar syrup, to get orange or yellow colored Shakarpara.

sugar syrup bubbling the pan for shakkarpara.

22. Simmer till you get a 2 to 3 thread consistency in the sugar syrup. To check the consistency, take a bit of the syrup in a spoon.

Let it become warm and then take the syrup between your forefinger and thumb. Press and separate the fingers.

You should see 2 to 3 thread consistency in the sugar syrup. The sugar syrup is quite hot and can burn your fingers. So, let it become warm or cool down, before you test.

sugar syrup bubbling the pan for shakkarpara.

Coat Shakkarpare With Sugar Syrup

23. Switch off the heat as soon as the sugar syrup achieves a 2 to 3 thread consistency in it. Quickly, add all the Shakkarpare in the syrup.

The sugar syrup has to reach 2 to 3 thread consistency, otherwise the Shakarpara or Khurma will become soggy, as they will absorb the sugar syrup.

fried shakkarpara added to the prepared sugar syrup.

24. Briskly stir and toss well, so that all the Shakkarpare are coated with the sugar syrup.

tossing to coat the shakkarpara well with the sugar syrup.

25. The sugar syrup crystallizes soon.

shakkarpara coated with sugar syrup.

26. So, mix very well and be quick.

shakkarpara coated with sugar syrup.

27. Take Shakkarpara on a plate and allow them to cool to room temperature. The sugar syrup will crystallize on cooling.

sugar syrup crystalizing on shakkarpara.

28. Once cooled, store Shakkarpare or Khurma in an air-tight box or jar at room temperature. These stay good for a month.

shakkarpara kept in a jar.

29. Serve Shakkarpare with tea or have them as a snack any time of day.

shakkarpara served in a wooden bowl.

Expert Tips

  1. You can make this snack with all-purpose flour (maida) in place of whole wheat flour (atta). In place of ghee, you can use oil.
  2. Once you press the flour-ghee mixture in your palm, you should get a flour lump. Which means that the mixture should be able to hold itself together and not fall apart.
  3. Fry the shakkarpare on medium heat. Frying on a high heat will make them brown too fast leaving the inside dough undercooked. When frying on a low heat the shakkarpare will absorb more oil.
  4. The quantity of water that goes in the dough will depend on the quality of flour. If you are making the recipe with all-purpose flour, you will need less water.
  5. You should knead a firm and semi-soft dough. It should not be soft like a chapati dough.
  6. Make gudpare with the same recipe. Add same quantity of jaggery, in place of sugar.
  7. The sugar syrup should be cooked till it achieves a 2 or 3 thread consistency. If not, then the Khurma will turn soggy as it will absorb the syrup. Adding some saffron in the sugar syrup will give nice yellow or orange colored Shakkarpare.
  8. You can store the Khurma in air-tight containers for a few months.

More Diwali Sweets To Try!

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shakkar pare recipe, shakkar para recipe

Shakarpara Recipe | Khurma | Shakkarpare

Shakkarpara or Khurma is a diamond-shaped, crunchy, flaky and fried flour cookies coated with crystallized sugar. Try my authentic Punjabi recipe of this scrumptious Shakkarpare snack that you can literally munch on, any time!
4.95 from 19 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Cuisine North Indian
Course Snacks, Sweets
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 450 grams
Units

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 240 grams whole wheat flour (atta) or 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons Ghee
  • ½ cup water or add as required

For sugar syrup

  • 1 cup sugar – 150 grams, can also use 1 cup grated or powdered jaggery
  • ½ cup water
  • 10 to 12 saffron strands (kesar), optional

Other ingredients

  • oil – as required for deep frying

Instructions
 

Making Shakarpara Dough

  • Take whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl or pan. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee. The ghee should be at room temperature and in a semi solid state. Instead of whole wheat flour you can also take all purpose flour and oil instead of ghee.
  • With your fingertips, mix the ghee with the flour very well.
  • When you press the flour and ghee mixture in your palm, you should get a flour lump like shown in the picture below. The mixture should be able to hold itself together without falling apart.
  • Now add water in parts. Depending on the quality of flour, you can add less or more water. I added ½ cup water.
  • Begin to knead the dough. Add water as required. If you use all-purpose flour, you will need less water.
  • Knead to a firm semi soft dough. Neither too soft nor too hard. The dough should be not soft like the dough we make for chapatis.
  • Divide the dough into three equal parts. Cover with a lid.
  • Take one part and roll into a thick paratha of 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
  • With a knife make squares or diamond shapes on the rolled dough, by slicing criss cross or vertically-horizontally.

Frying Shakkarpare

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Test the oil temperature by adding a small piece of the dough in the pan.
    This small piece of the dough should come up gradually and quickly on the surface.
    If it comes slowly, the oil has a lower temperature and if it comes up too quickly, the oil has high temperature.
    I fried on medium heat. You can regulate the heat while frying by increasing or decreasing it.
  • Slid the cut diamond shaped dough in the medium hot oil.
  • Depending on the pan size, you can add more or less. But do make sure that there is some space while frying them.
  • When the shakkarpara are crisp and light golden, turn over and fry.
  • Keep on frying them and turning as and when needed for even frying.
  • Fry till all of them turn golden.
  • Remove with a slotted spoon and drain shakkar pare on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil.
  • Continue to prepare the shakkarpara and fry them as mentioned in the above steps.
  • When you are begin frying the last batch, you can start preparing the sugar syrup.
    Let all the shakkarpara come to room temperature, before you add them in the sugar syrup.

Making sugar syrup

  • Take 1 cup sugar in another kadai or pan. Add ½ cup water.
  • Keep the pan on a low to medium heat. Stir so that the sugar dissolves.
  • Continue cooking the sugar syrup till it starts bubbling and getting sticky. A suggestion here is to add some saffron strands in sugar syrup to get orange or yellow colored shakkarpara.
  • Simmer till you get a 2 to 3 thread consistency in the syrup. To check the consistency, take a bit of the syrup in a spoon.
    Let it become warm and then take the syrup between your forefinger and thumb. Press and separate the fingers. You should see two to three threads in the sugar syrup.
  • Once the two to three thread consistency is reached, quickly add all the shakkarpara in the syrup.
  • Briskly stir and toss well, so that all the shakkarpara are coated with the sugar syrup.
  • The sugar syrup crystallizes soon, so mix very well and be quick.
  • Now take all the shakkarpara in a plate and allow them to come at room temperature. The sugar syrup will crystallize on cooling.
  • Once all of them cool down, store shakkarpara in an air-tight box or jar. These stay good for a few months.

Notes

  • The dough has to be semi-soft. Do not make it soft like a roti or naan dough.
  • Fry on medium to medium-hight heat. On a high heat, the shakarpara will cook faster from outside but the inside dough can be undercooked. On a low heat, the shakkarpare will absorb more oil. 
  • Instead of sugar, you can use jaggery and make gudpare. You will need to cook the jaggery syrup to a 2 to 3 string consistency. Use 1 cup of jaggery powder or grated/finely chopped jaggery. 
  • The recipe can be scaled easily to make a small or a large batch of shakkarpare.
  • Note that the approximate nutrition info is for the entire lot of shakkarpare made from this recipe.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Shakarpara Recipe | Khurma | Shakkarpare
Amount Per Serving (1 small bowl)
Calories 276 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 116mg3%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 2IU0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Vitamin E 2mg13%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
Calcium 13mg1%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 13µg3%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 41mg10%
Phosphorus 107mg11%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Shakarpara recipe post from the archives first published in October 2015 has been updated and republished on 11 September 2022.

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Meet Dassana

Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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42 Comments

  1. I tried your tomato ketchup….I ddnt strain it at all…cause it was not coming through my strainer..is there any prob if we don’t strain it..?

    1. if you grind very well, then no problem. the straining is to get rid of unground fine particles of seeds. they do come in the way of the smooth consistency of the sauce. you can use a juice strainer, which we use for straining juices.

  2. Thank u so much for this wonderful recipe dassana ! Tried this out for Diwali today and it came out perfect ! Last week I even tried your recipe for walnut dates coffee cake and everybody just loved it !! Had one question, can we add sugar powder to the atta itself while preparing the dough instead of dipping them in sugar syrup later ?5 stars

    1. yes you can do that. that one is another version of shakkarpare. thanks for the feedback on both the recipes of shakkar pare and walnut coffee cake. wish you happy diwali.

  3. Goin to try today. Nice recipe. Needed something fr diwali snack. All your recipes are explained thoroughly, which makes thm easy to try. Step by step photos help a lot..gives confidence.
    Thanku 🙂4 stars

      1. Super!! My hubby and my kiddo loves these shakkar pare..and he brings them often from store. So..i tried them at home..He loved it..and i recvd “these are much better than store brought” as compliment from him.Thanks to you..keep up ur good work ☺

        1. thank you shruti and nice to know. homemade sweets if made well are always better than store brought sweets.