FOOD SPECIAL............ Clones and cousins of the shakkarpara

Clones and cousins of the shakkarpara

Sweet or slightly salted, with cardamoms throw in sometimes or maybe sesame seeds, kneaded with sugar or just dipped in syrup… the humble shakkarpara, shankarpali to some, is the Diwali delicacy with myriad variants depending on the region.  The various regional avatars of the deep fried delicacy

The shakkarpara or shankarpali is among those traditional Diwali eats that has myriad regional avatars. Depending on the region, the sweetened/salty dough is rolled out and cut into little quadrilaterals (rhombi or trapeziums for the geometrically inclined) and deep fried. Some believe it came to India in the medieval era with invaders who came through Persia, Sind and Balochistan (where pistachio powder gives it a distinct flavour), others suggest a South East Asian provenance given that variants are found in north Thailand, Cambodia and Bali (with eggs giving the dough a smoother consistency). Though migrations and relocations have created several cross influences making these Diwali delicacies easily available across the country, these were regional exclusives not very long ago. Here are some variants: Jammu and Kashmir The flour, semolina and sugar goodie with a hint of freshly ground cardamom, cinnamon, or rarely even nutmeg, kneaded with milk and full fat cream and deep fried till crisp golden brown in generous amounts of ghee, has many takers. Even the memory of the lingering aroma of this delicacy from a Kashmiri Pandit friend’s home makes me salivate. Punjab, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh The shakkarpara here takes in flour and sugar. Freshly ground cardamom (rose essence is making a quiet entry too, rue tradtionalists) and kneaded together with milk (a Punjabi friend suggests kneading it in a vessel in which milk has been repeatedly boiled. “The cream at the bottom of the dish gets fully integrated with the dough, giving it a creamy, melt-in-the-mouth goodness,” she suggests). These versions also keep the dough quite thick, so the fried end product looks a little like golden brown boxes of goodness. Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh Here the sugar doesn’t go into the dough. Once the non-sweet shakkarparas are fried brown, they are dropped into one-string consistency syrup, allowing them to be coated. Assam, Bengal and Odisha The shakkarparas here have one big difference. Once the slightly salty dough is rolled out, white sesame seeds or poppy seeds are sprinkled before a final go with the rolling pin to embed them. It is then cut and deep fried into biscuit crispness. These are then tossed in powdered sugar while still hot and stored away when cold. Gujarat and Maharashtra The shakkarparas, called shankarpali in the regions, are often thinner and longer. A special, serrated cutting wheel mounted on the back of a spoon helps get beautiful jagged borders on the dough made of fine refined wheat flour. While Saurashtra and western and northern Maharashtrra use more milk, other regions use only ghee, water and sugar for the dough to make the taste distinctly different. Goa, Karnataka and coastal Maharashtra This region which has always preferred the fiery hot and savoury over sweet has variations of the savoury shankarpali. Instead of sugar, add salt; replace the cardamom with cumin seeds. As we move into western Maharashtra, a dash of coriander and chilli powder can also be found, giving shankarpalis a distinct bite, colour and flavour. This excellent accompaniment with chai, is consumed in huge amounts during this festive season.

Yogesh Pawar  DNA8NOV15