Shakkarpare/Ghughuti /शक्करपारे/घुघुती (Wheat Flour Cryspies)

Ghughut /Shakkarpare 

Shakkarpare are made in Uttarakhand for Sankranti, in the month of January along withTil ke laddu.Shakkarpare are known as khajure or ghugute in Kumaon Uttarakhand India. In Maharashtra they are called Shankarpadi. In Kumaon, for small children mothers make varied shapes from the dough along with the regular rectangular shape and fry them, and then they are threaded along with Til laddu and seasonal fruits to make a garland. In the morning of Sankranti children, after taking bath put that garland around their neck and offer Khajure to crow singing "Kale kavva kale ghughutiki mala khale" . After offering to crow they merrily eat them as and when it pleases them. Shakkarpare make very tasty and filling eats along with tea. Since they are made of whole wheat flour and jaggery so are very nutritious also.

Preparation Time: 20 min.

Cooking Time: 30min.

Servings: 10 large servings

IngredientsRequired For Shakkarpare/Khajure

• 250 gm. Wheat flour
• 25 gm. semolina (suji)

• 75 gm. Jaggery

• 1TeaspoonSesame seeds(Til)(black/white any) 

• 1/4 Teaspoon Cardamom Powder

• 50 gm. Clarified butter (Ghee)

• Water for making the dough

• Oil for frying

 Direction for Making Shakkarpare/Khajure

• Take 20 – 30 ml water in a thick bottom pan and heat it.

• Break the jaggery into small pieces and add it to hot water.

• Heat the mixture on low flame with continuous stirring till all jaggery dissolves.

• Remove the pan from gas and allow the mixture to cool.

• Take wheat flour, semolina in a bowl and add sesame seeds, cardamom powder and mix nicely.

• Add ghee in little amounts and mix with fingers thoroughly.

• The mixture should look like bread crumbs.

• Add jaggery syrup in little amounts and knead.

• Add little water in required amount to make the dough.

• The dough should be very firm.

Dough for shakkarpare

• Cover and keep aside for 5- 10 min.

• Heat the oil in a wok on high flame.

• While oil is heating make divide the dough into four equal parts.

• Make a ball out one portion.

Ball of dough for rolling

• Roll the dough to 1-2mm. thick round shape.

Rolled ball of dough ready for cutting

•   Take a knife and cut rectangular/diamond shape pieces from it of the size you want.

Diamond shape shakkarpare cut from rolled ball of dough

• When the oil is smoking hot reduce the flame and put the rectangular dough pieces in it for frying.

Shakkapare being fried

• Fry on low flame with gentle stirring till they are golden brown.
• Take them out on a paper to cool so that excess of oil gets soaked in paper

Shakkarpare Being Cooled on Paper to Soak Excess oil

• Repeat the same with rest of the dough portion.

• Lo! and behold shakkarpare are ready. So why wait, enjoy eating them with family and friends.

Ghughut (Shakkarpare)

Tips:

• Do not keep on boiling the water once the jaggery is dissolved completely.

• Do not fry the shakkarpare to dark color as they have hot oil in them and once taken out will always turn a shade darker.

• Make sure the dough is pliable but firm if it will not be firm shakkarpare will not be crisp and if the dough is not pliable then rolling will not be possible.
• To make Mala (garland) for children shakkarpare should be fried less crisp or hole should be make before frying so that needle with thread can go easily.

Suggested Variations:  

• Instead of whole wheat flour refined flour can be taken .
• You can also try half refined flour and half whole wheat flour for making the dough along with suji.,

• Instead of jaggery sugar can be taken.

• For frying instead of oil ghee (clarified butter) can be taken.

• Poppy seeds can be added to the flour instead of sesame seeds.
  Happy Sankranti and Kale-Kawwa :)