How to Make Shakkarpare Rabri for Diwali

Shakkarpare is a sweet, fried dough dessert commonly found in Indian cuisine. Rabri is a thickened, sweet milk, flavored with nuts, also a staple Indian dessert item. Both are sweet and delicious and used to celebrate the traditional Hindu festival of Diwali, which observes the triumph of good over evil, with the lighting of lamps.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tsp saunf (fennel seed)
• Small mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Board for kneading dough
• 2 cups wheat flour
• More ghee, for frying
• Large saucepan for cooking
• Sharp knife
• Frying pan
• Rolling pin
• 1 cup sugar
• Dry cloth
• Medium-sized bowl for storing
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup almond slivers
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 1 qt. milk
• 2 cups ghee
• 3 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Make Shakkarpare for Diwali

1. Combine all-purpose flour, wheat flour, sugar and fennel seed in the small mixing bowl.

2. Add ghee and mix well. Add small amounts of water if necessary, to get the mixture to a doughy consistency.

3. Knead the dough until soft and well combined.

4. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a large, round disc.

5. Use the knife to cut the dough into small diamond shapes.

6. Use the spatula to place diamond dough pieces onto a dry cloth. Let sit for 1 hour.

7. Deep fry the dough pieces in ghee over medium heat until they turn a golden brown.

8. Place fried dough on a paper towel to drain the oil and cool.

Make Rabri for Diwali

1. Bring 1 qt. of milk to a boil.

2. Continue boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is reduced to about half of its original volume (this could take up to 1 hour).

3. Add the sugar and continue boiling and stirring, scraping the sides every now and then to be sure it is thoroughly combined, until the mixture has been reduced to half its volume again.

4. Let cool and then add the almonds.

5. Refrigerate until chilled.

6. Add pistachios just before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• Ghee is a form of clarified (separated) butter that comes when the milk solids separate from the butter fat. It can be made by boiling butter for 10 to 12 minutes, until the brown milk solids are visible on the bottom.

• Though it is not authentic Indian fare, a vanilla bean can be added to the milk as well, when making Shakkarpare Rabri.

• Only real butter should be used to make ghee.

Resources

• More about celebrating Diwali