Spicy shankarpali, are diamond-shaped, savory Indian snacks made from flour and basic spices. This crunchy snack is a favorite and usually made for Diwali celebrations and pair perfect with chai. Vegan Recipe!!
In a mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour (maida) followed by cumin seeds, salt, tutrmeric and red chilli powder. Mix well
Heat some oil in a pan and add it to this flour mixture.
Mix well to incorporate such that it forms a crumbly mix and holds shape.
Add water (little at a time) as needed and knead into a stiff dough.
Cover with a wet cloth or paper towel and allow to rest for 10 mins.
Once rested, knead again and divide it into two portions.
To roll and shape
Take one portion, smooth it out and roll it into a thin circle (about 7-8 inch in diameter). Thinner the better. Makes them really crunchy.
Using a knife or pizza cutter make vertical lines 1 inch apart and then horizontal (at a slight angle) to get a diamond shape.
Separate them and carefully transfer onto a parchment-lined plate to prevent sticking.
You can make all these together and then fry or fry in batches.
For frying
To deep fry these shankarpali, heat sufficient oil in a pan or wok on medium heat.
Test oil by adding one small dough. It should rise up slowly if it doesn’t then heat it more.
If it turns brown too quickly then reduce the heat and let the oil cool and bit and test again.
Once the oil is ready, carefully add the diamond cuts one after another into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd them.
Fry on medium heat turning intermittently until golden and crispy.
Do not fry on low heat will cause them to harden and high heat will cause them to burn without cooking the inside.
Drain using a slotted spatula and transfer onto a paper-lined plate.
Crispy savory spicy shankarpali is ready!! Allow to cool completely and then store airtight jar at room temp. They last easily for 3-4 weeks when stored right.
Notes
Tips for crispy tikhat (spicy) ShankarpaliDough:
Knead the dough stiff (firm) smooth dough since the soft dough will soak more oil while frying.
Add hot fats (oil, ghee) to the flour and incorporate it before kneading.
Don't skip the cumin seeds, they had a nice crunch and flavor. In addition, ajwain (carom seeds) can be added too.
For spicier shankarpali, add some more chili powder.
Keep the dough and uncooked shankarpali covered at all times with a wet cloth to prevent them from drying.
You can use all wheat flour (atta) in place of all-purpose flour (maida) in a 1:1 ratio or use a mix of both (50:50). But note that the texture and flavor will vary with wheat flour. They will be more denser.
Shaping:
I prefer rolling these tikhat shankarpali thin compared to the god (sweet) shankarpali. I find they turn nice and crunchy when rolled thin.
When rolled uniformly they will even puff up when frying.
Shankarpali is traditionally cut in diamond shape but feel free to experiment and make some fun shapes, especially for kids.
Frying:
Fry on medium to medium-low heat.
Frying at a high temperature will cause the outside to brown quickly and the inside to remain uncooked resulting in unpleasant results like crunchy on out and soft inside.
Similarly, frying at low temperatures will turn them hard not crispy.
Always test the oil temperature before frying the next batch.