🎉 Festive Snacks · Diwali
Shankarpali
Maharashtra's sweet fried diamond biscuit — maida, ghee and sugar. Simple, addictive, lasts two weeks.
Maharashtra's sweet fried diamond biscuit — maida, ghee and sugar. Simple, addictive, lasts two weeks.
Shankarpali are Maharashtra's Diwali diamond biscuits — maida dough sweetened with sugar and fried until golden. They are crispy, slightly sweet and completely addictive. The dough must be firm — a soft dough produces oily, soft shankarpali. The frying temperature must be low — high heat browns before the centre crisps.
Mix maida, ghee, sugar and cardamom. Add milk gradually to make a firm, smooth dough — firmer than roti. Rest 20 minutes.
Firm dough means less water — less water means less steam during frying and a crispier result. The ghee coats flour particles, inhibiting gluten and producing a crumbly, short texture.
Roll dough 4mm thick. Cut into diamonds with a knife. Deep fry at 150–160°C in batches, turning regularly, for 5–6 minutes until golden.
Low temperature (150–160°C) allows even heat penetration through the 4mm thickness before the exterior over-browns. Shankarpali require patience — rushing the temperature produces pale inside, dark outside.