SWEET SQUARES
Almost all the yummy treats or snacks that are available on the Indian Sub continent are fried. Every Indian home you will find jars or tins of these snacks ready anytime. I too love these snacks or farsan as they are called. However they are very high in calories and as a result we have to eat them with caution. However, many a times you will hear people say that 1 – 2 tbsp of the snack does not satisfy them and before they know it they have had a whole bowlful of the snack. One of the snacks I really like is sakarpara. Sakar means sugar and para is diamond. So its basically diamond shaped sweet dough fried. However, there is no hard and fast rule on the shape. I prefer to cut them into squares. I tried baking sakarpara instead of frying them. The first time I tried out the recipe, the sakarparas were a bit hard. So second time round added baking powder and they turned out really crunchy and yummy. Try out the recipe. Kids too love sakarpara. By baking them you are providing them a non fried snack.
BAKED SAKARPARA
1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour)
2 tbsp butter
4 -5 tbsp powdered sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder (elachi)
½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3-4 tbsp cold milk
a little extra flour for rolling
a little extra butter for greasing
- Sieve flour, sugar, cardamom powder and baking powder together into a bowl.
- Add sesame seeds and mix.
- Rub the butter into the flour using your finger tips.
- Add cold milk and form a dough. The dough should not be sticky.
- Cover the dough with cling film or a lid and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease baking trays with butter.
- Using a bit of flour roll the dough till it is about 0.5 mm thick.
- Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares (1”) or diamond shapes.
- Place the cut shapes on the greased tray.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Keep an eye as the sakarpara tends to brown quickly.
- Once they are light golden brown, remove the sakarpara from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
- Store them in an airtight container.
- I added just 4 tbsp of sugar. If you like sweeter sakarpara then add 5 tbsp.
- When you roll out the dough the edges will be a bit cracked. Cut off the cracked edges and re roll into circles or shape it into squares.
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