Baked Whole Wheat Pastry Bites (Shakkar Pare)
Looking for last-minute ideas for something to make this Holi? How about some baked shakkar pare? These sweet and crispy pastry bites are a popular snack during the Indian festive season. Traditionally, shakkar pare are deep fried then dunked into sugar syrup. For my version, I baked them in an oven and dusted them with some powdered sugar upon cooling. They are easy to make and slightly healthier than the regular kind (of course, you can always deep fry them if you want). They are also excellent served alongside masala chai. You may want to double the batch because they won’t last long.
Recipe
Baked Wholewheat Pastry Bites
(Makes 3-4 servings)
Ingredients
1 cup finely ground whole wheat flour (chakki atta)
1 tbsp fine semolina (chiroti rawa/sooji)
pinch of salt
1/8 tsp crushed fennel seeds (saunf)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom (elaichi)
2 tbsp melted ghee, more for brushing
1/4 -1/3 cup powdered sugar (if you prefer them less sweet, add 1/4 cup or else add 1/3 cup), more for sprinkling
1/4 cup hot milk
Method
In a bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, semolina, fennel seeds, ground cardamom and salt. Add 2 tbsp melted ghee and use your fingers to lightly work it into the flour.
Heat the milk and stir in the powdered sugar until it dissolves. Add it into the flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time, and mix well to form a stiff dough. Knead the dough for two minutes, then cover and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with a Silpat or parchment paper.
Grease a rolling pin and board with some melted ghee. Knead the dough once more and divide it into four equal portions. Roll each portion into a rectangle about 3mm thick. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut it into medium-sized diamond or square shapes. Gently scrape off the pieces using a metal spatula and spread them on the lined baking tray. Brush them lightly with some more melted ghee and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rotate the baking tray around and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the shakkar paras are golden brown.
Remove the tray from the oven and brush the shakkar paras lightly with melted ghee once again. Transfer them onto a plate and cool completely.
Dust them with some powdered sugar and serve with masala chai. The shakkar pare can be stored in an airtight container for upto a week.
