shakkar para

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour, maida)
• 1/4 cup fine sooji (semolina flour)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 cup water (use water as a guide line)

For syrup:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely grounded cardamom
• 3 tablespoons coconut powder

Method:

1. Mix flour, sooji, and oil in a bowl and make a stiff dough adding water slowly as needed. Knead it well. Dough also can be made using food processor.
2. Cover the dough and set aside for 15 minutes or more.
3. Divide dough in two equal parts.
4. Take each part of the dough and make a flat ball shape. Roll them into 8-inch circles and thickness of salted crackers.
5. Prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, so the paras do not puff when frying.
6. Cut each of the rolled dough into about 1 inch square. Note: you can cut them in your desire shape.
7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
8. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, just put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly.
9. Make sure to place just enough shakkar paras to cover top of the oil in frying pan. Fry the shakkar paras until both sides are a light golden-brown.
10. Let the shakkar paras comes to the room temperature and they should be crisp.

Making Sugar Syrup:

1. Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. When the syrup comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar.
3. Let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency or 220 degrees F. on a candy thermometer. Close the heat.
4. Add coconut powder and cardamom to the syrup mix it well.
5. Put all the paras to the syrup and mix it quickly, making sure all the paras are coated with syrup.
6. Take them out on a greased tray, making sure that paras are not clumped together.
7. Allow them to cool.
8. Shakkar paras can be stored for several weeks in airtight container.