Shakarpara recipe. Sweet shakarpara is a popular dry jar snacks made during festive occasions like Diwali and Janmashtami . Also, they make up for a great tea time snack or tiffin snack. Shakarpara and Namakpara are a famous savoury snack which you can either prepare by deep-frying or baking. These sweet biscuits are popularly known as shankarpali in Maharashtra, shakarpara in Gujarat, kalakala in Tamil Nadu, sweet tukdi in North India and teepi maida biscuits in Andhra Pradesh.

There are two ways to prepare the sweet shakarpara. You can either add sugar or jaggery in the dough or sugar coat the shankarpali after frying. Here we are using the first method, for that we will be first preparing a sugar mixture.

So we will start with preparing a sugar water mixture in a deep non-stick pan and pour milk, add sugar, ghee. If the quantity of ghee is less in the dough then the sweet shakarpara will turn hard instead of getting flaky and crispy. You can also use soft butter or oil as substitute but, ghee imparts a beautiful flavor. Mix well until sugar dissolves. Remove and let it cook.

Further, we will prepare the dough for shakarpara. Sift whole wheat flour in a bowl, breaks down the lumps from flour, remove impurities and adds in volume to the flour by aeration. Add salt and milk sugar mixture. Knead into a firm dough. If the dough is soft then the shankarpali will get soft and not crunchy. If the dough is too soft, add more atta and if the dough is too stiff, add a tbsp or two of water and knead for a couple of minutes before you start rolling. Further, divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Take a portion and cover the other to prevent from drying. Roll out a portion. Cut them into diamonds and prick each diamond with a fork. This prevents the sweet shakarpara from puffing up. Separate them and fry in ghee till golden brown and drain on absorbent paper. Cool them completely and store sweet shakarparas in an air-tight container.

A traditional tea-time snack often made during festive occasions, shankarpali is – much to the joy of amateurs – also very easy to make! Maharashtrian shankarpali is often had by Maharashtrians for breakfast by dipping theshankarpali in tea.

While there are several ways of making this mildly-sweet snack, this recipe is one of the easiest to follow. Remember to fry shankarpali over a slow flame so that the insides get properly cooked.

Is Shakarpara healthy?

No this is not healthy. shakarpara is deep fried. 

What's good in the Shakarpara.

Whole Wheat flour : Whole wheat flour is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food.  Whole wheat flour is rich in Phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially increase red blood cells. See detailed 11 benefits of whole wheat flour and why it's good for you.

Ghee : Other than calories and fats, the only nutrients that ghee is rich in are the vitamins – all of which are fat-soluble. All the 3 vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin K) are antioxidants which have a role in removing free radicals from the body and protecting our cell as well as help in maintaining skin health and glow. Ghee is an excellent, high-quality selection medium of cooking because of its high smoke point. As compared to most oils and butter, ghee can handle a smoke point of 230°C, 450°F, thus its less prone to oxidant and destruction of nutrients. Yes, ghee does contain cholesterol, but some amount of cholesterol is needed by the body. Cholesterol has some functions to play too. It is necessary for hormone production, brain function, cell health and lubricating the joints. It is, in reality, a high quality fat for the body and brain. Ghee is loaded with fats but that’s medium chain fatty acids (MCT) which aid in weight loss. Ghee is healthy for daibetics in small amounts. Learn to easily make your ghee at home which is free of preservatives. See benefits of ghee. 

Milk and Low Fat Milk : 1 cup of milk provides 70% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Calcium. Milk promotes strong bones. The Calcium in Milk helps to protect your teeth against gum disease and keeps your jaw bone strong and healthy. Milk is low in carbs and therefore does not raise blood glucose levels. However diabetics must consider including low fat milk as advised by their dietitian only so as to avoid any fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Protein is another key nutrient which milk is rich in - 8.6 g from a cup. So all those looking to build protein stores can add milk and its products like curd and paneer to their diet. One cup of Milk gives 10 grams of carbs.  Low fat milk has lower fat and the same benefits of milk. 

What's bad in shakarpara.

Deep fried foods : This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. Processed food, Deep Fried Foods also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process. Most diseases from heart, to cardio vascular, diabetes, parkinsons, alzheimer, cancer and obesity result when the cells get inflamed and then they don't function correctly. Inflammation in the arteries can cause heart attacks. So your diet should contain foods that fight inflammation in the body. That's how your body gets healthier by eating the right stuff. 

Sugar : Sugar used in the recipe is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and overweight individuals eat Shakarpara ?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss.  Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. 

Can healthy individuals eat Shakarpara ?

No, it's not healthy. This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health.

Here are some Healthy Indian snack options.

You can have Baked Samosa with mixed sprouts, Matarsutir Kachori,  Oats Moong Dal Tikki, Baked methi muthia recipe,  Zunka recipe, moong dal dhokla recipe,  bajra carrot onion uttapam recipe , baked palak jowar murukku, mini jowar pancakes, oats upma, baked sev , baked whole wheat puris, paneer pudina tikki or buckwheat pancake as one healthy recipe option. 

Baked Samosa with Mixed Sprouts, Healthy Snack