Shakarpara is a traditional Indian snack, often enjoyed during special festivals like Diwali, Holi. You’ll need only 4 ingredients, flour, semolina, sweetener (sugar or jaggery), and ghee. A stiff dough is made, rolled, and cut into small bite-sized pieces. These are deep-fried and turn out crispy, crunchy, and flaky with a touch of sweetness.

In Maharashtra, these are called shankarpali. In Gujarat, these are known as Shakkar Para.

Shakarpara served in a plate with diya in the background.

My Shakarpara Recipe!

The traditional version calls for all-purpose flour (maida) and sugar. But here, I’ve used whole wheat flour instead of maida and jaggery instead of sugar. Some people even call it gurpara when jaggery is used.

Because I’ve used healthier ingredients and they’re not overly sweet, I sometimes make these shakarpara on regular days for my kids’ snack box.

There is another version of shakarpara where the deep-fried pieces are dipped in sugar syrup. This version is more popular in North India and is sweeter than this shankarpali recipe.

These sweet shankarpali are so tasty that you can’t stop munching! I like to eat them just as they are, but my husband prefers them with tea. According to him, nothing beats a bowl of shakarpara and a hot cup of tea.

Ingredient Notes

Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make this shakarpara recipe.

Shakarpara ingredients in bowls with labels.

Whole wheat flour (atta): Regular chapati atta is used here.
Semolina (Sooji or Rava): It adds a crunch to shakarpara.
Jaggery: I have used jaggery powder. But you can use normal jaggery as well. You can use any jaggery as long as it is melted in the water.
Ghee: It adds a flaky texture to shakarpara. Do not reduce the amount of ghee otherwise pare will turn out hard like a rock.
Salt: A pinch of salt will enhance the flavor of shakarpara.

How To Make Shakarpara? (Photos With Tips)

Prep: Melt Jaggery & Cool:

Add jaggery into the water and microwave it until jaggery is melted. You can do this step in a saucepan on a stovetop.
Let the jaggery water cool down.

Collage of 2 images showing melting jaggery in water.

1) Mix Flour & Ghee (Moyan):

In a KitchenAid stand mixer bowl, add atta, sooji, salt, and ghee.
Use the dough attachment.
Turn on the mixer with low speed and let it run for 3 minutes. Ghee will get mixed into the flour.
If you see any large clumps of ghee then break them using a spatula.
You can do the same step using your fingertips if not using a stand mixer.

TIP: Adding ghee to the flour is called ‘moyan’ or ‘moyen’ in Indian language. The proportion of ghee and flour has to be right to get the flaky texture of shakarpara.
– If you press the flour-ghee mixture into your feast, it comes together like a crumbly mixture. That is perfect. If it doesn’t come together meaning you have added less ghee than required.

Collage of 4 images showing mixing ghee into flour using stand mixer.

2) Knead Into The Dough:

Keep the mixer running on LOW and drizzle the jaggery water from all sides. Gradually, it will start to clump together like a dough.
Once all the water is added, stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Run it again on low-medium until it forms a dough ball.
Gather and smooth out the dough using your hand. The shakarpara dough should be semi-stiff (not loose or soft like roti, or chapati).

TIPS:
– Do not dump all the jaggery water at once. Add gradually, from all sides while the mixer is running.
– Because this shakarpara dough should be tight (semi-stiff), you need to stop the mixer halfway through to scrape the sides and bottom.
– It may not come together like a smooth dough ball, that is fine. Because it is a stiff dough, it may clump up in 2-3 parts. Gather with your hands and make a dough ball.

Collage of 6 images showing kneading the dough using stand mixer.

3) Roll & Cut Shakarpara:

Divide the dough into two or three parts. Make a flattened disc and start rolling.
Roll into a ¼ – inch thickness.
Cut into small bite-sized square or diamond shapes using a knife or pizza cutter.

Collage of 6 images showing rolling shakkar para dough and cutting into pieces.

4) Deep Fry Shakarpara:

Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying on medium heat.
Once hot, lower the heat to low, and add a few shakarpara at a time (don’t dump them all together otherwise they will stick to each other).
Fry on low-medium heat until golden brown and crispy.
Remove shakarpara using a slotted spatula by draining excess oil and transfer to a plate. While the first batch is frying, roll the next dough ball, cut it, and keep it ready for the next frying batch.

TIPS:
– How to check the oil is ready for frying? Add a tiny piece into the oil, it stays at the bottom of the kadai for a few seconds and then comes on top surface. This is the perfect temperature of oil for frying shakarpara. If that piece is coming on top immediately meaning the oil is a little more hot than required. This much hot oil is good for frying pakora but not for crispy snacks.
– Always fry shankarpali on low-medium heat. Keep adjusting the gas flame as required to maintain the oil temperature. If fried on medium or high heat then they get brown quickly and stay raw and soft from inside.

Collage of 4 images showing deep frying shakarpara and removed to a plate.

Storage: Let the fried shakarpara cool down completely. Then store in an airtight container. It stays fresh for up to 2 months (if it lasts that long 😉).

Check Out Other Diwali Snacks

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below. If you’re sharing it on your Instagram then don’t forget to tag me @spice.up.the.curry