Wishing all my readers and friends a Happy and Prosperous Deepavali/Diwali. I do Hope everybody made lot savory snacks as well as sweets and bought new clothes. 

Diwali/Deepavali/ festival of lights are unique among all the festivals, and I loved it so much while growing up. I miss those firecrackers, my mom’s cooking and all that crazy ads on TV and Radio about the sales going on for Deepavali. As this year’s Diwali is falling on a weekday, there is not much celebration except I made Shanakarpali, Mysore pak, Ukkaraiand mixture. I bought new clothes for my princess and prince, as she is going to school and hubby is working not planned to have elaborate breakfast which is must on Diwali day.  As usual, convey my Diwali wishes to dad in India.  Our Diwali celebrations are little dampened by the lingering cold in the household.

Diwali day usually started with very early morning bath (usually sesame oil is used in hair and body) followed by wearing new dress and lighting fire crackers and going to temples. Having an elaborate breakfast, with idly (steamed rice cake) and all kind of savories and sweets which mom made for Diwali.

After marriage when I visited Mumbai my hubby’s home, there they are painting the house, making rangoli, decorating house with lights, lilting diyas (small earthen lamps) and doing God Lakshmi Pooja. Of course there are lot of sweets and snacks they call it Faral like Shakarpali, Karanji, Rava ladoo and savories like Chakali, Chiwida etc.

This time for Deepavali/Diwali I planned to make karanji and shankarpali, but due to me being under the weather, I had to stick to my usual Diwali dishes made only shankarpali. These are small cute fried beauties, crisp, but not hard. They remind me of diamond cut cookies from my home State, Kerala. Shankarpali is easy to put together, as it doesn’t require dunking the fried goodies into sugar syrup like diamond cuts or shakar pare of northern India.

You need All-purpose flour, semolina, sugar, baking soda and milk to form the dough. Then cut the dough into slightly thick pieces and fry them in oil until it is crisp. They are delicious and addictive, are not overly sweetened. It is a very good snack while watching a movie or to have with tea or coffee.

Here comes the recipe. 

Mix all purpose flour, semolina, ghee, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in medium bowl.

In microwave safe bowl heat milk, water and sugar brings to a boil. Add this boiled milk into the flour mix to form smooth dough.

Spread the dough into 20 inch length and 15 inch wide rectangle.  Using a pizza cutter cut into strips first and then into 1 inch pieces with ½ inches thick.

Heat oil in thick bottom pan and fry these small pieces until it become golden brown and cooked well. 

Drain them into kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

It should crisp but not hard.

Enjoy as much you wish.

                                                                       Print  Recipe

Shankarpali /Sweet fried cookies

Prep Time    10 minutes

Cook Time    35 minutes

Serves    4-5

Ingredients:

1 C    All purpose flour/Maida

1/4 Cup Semolina/Rava   

2 ½ tablespoon  Granulated Sugar   

1/8 cup  Water

1/4 cup Milk

1 tablespoon Ghee

1/8 teaspoon Baking soda

1/8 teaspoon  salt

2 nos Cardamom

4 Cup  Canola Oil ( for frying)

Steps:

Mix all purpose flour, semolina, ghee, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a  medium bowl.

In a microwave safe bowl heat milk, water and sugar brings to a boil. Add this boiled milk into the flour mix to form smooth dough.

Spread the dough into 20 inch length and 15 inch wide rectangle.  Using a pizza cutter cut into strips first and then into 1 inch long diamond shaped  pieces with ½ inch thick.

Heat oil in thick bottom pan when it reaches hot ( 350F) add pieces of dough  fry these small pieces until it become golden brown and cooked well. It takes about 9 minutes to cook one batch.

Drain them into kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

It should crisp but not hard.

Variations:

• If you you can increase the amount of sugar to make it more sweeter.

I am linking this delicious sweet to Hearth and Soul  Blog Hop hosted here.