Cinnamon Sugar Shakarpara
Oct 27, 2023
Add cinnamon to your regular shakapare and make these Cinnamon Sugar Shakar Para! These are crunchy, made in the air fryer and perfect for snacking.
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If you love cinnamon sugar as much as I do, then you are going to love these Cinnamon Sugar Shakarpara. Move over the regular shakapara and give this cinnamon-y version a try this festive season. They are sweet, spiced, crispy and perfect to be added to your Diwali box.
You can deep fry them but I like air frying them. They are highly addictive and you can’t stop snacking on these.
Diwali is incomplete without making a batch or namak para and shakarpara. And while I make the regular shakarpara all the time, I thought why not add cinnamon to it this time. I am a huge cinnamon fan especially in desserts like cinnamon bundt cake or crepes and cinnamon sugar is one of my favorite toppings to sprinkle over muffins, toast, ice creams. The addition of cinnamon to shakarpara makes it aromatic and gives it that sweet yet spicy and earthy flavor.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Flour: I have use regular flour in these shakarpara so that they remain light. You can replace it with whole wheat but know that it will make them desner.
Cinnamon: since these are cinnamon sugar shakapara, make sure to use a good quality cinnamon powder. You can use anywhere between 1 to 1&1/2 teaspoon cinnamon depending on how much you love cinnamon.
Ghee/oil: for the “moyen” in the recipe (so that it remains soft even after frying), you can use either ghee or oil.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Shakarpara
- Put a small pot on medium heat and add 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoons water to it. Then add 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (67 to 100 grams, adjust to taste) and stir.
- Stir until the sugar melts and then remove the pot from heat. There’s no need to boil the mixture.
- To a paraat or large bowl add 2 cups of all purpose flour (260 grams), pinch of salt and 1 to 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (to taste). Mix everything together with a wire whisk.
- Then add 4 tablespoons of melted ghee or oil to the flour mix.
- Incorporate the ghee/oil into the flour mix by rubbing the mixture between your palms for 2 minutes.
- Now, pour the prepared water and sugar solution into the flour mix.
- Knead to bring the dough together. If you need extra water while kneading, add 1 tablespoon at a time. I didn’t add any extra water at this point.
- Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, divide it into 2 parts. Start rolling one part of the dough while keeping the other covered. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin.
- Then cut it into any shape you like. I cut them into square shapes using a fluted pastry wheel. Roll and cut all the dough similarly. Once you have cut all the shakarpara, keep them covered with a cloth or else the dough will dry out.
- Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Arrange the cinnamon sugar shakarpara in a single layer. Spray with an oil spray.
- Air fry at 370 F degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and golden brown in color. Every air fryer is different so start checking around the 8 minute mark. I had to air fry in 2 batches since my air fryer isn’t big enough to accommodate it all in one go. Let them cool completely at room temperature.
Storage
Once the cinnamon sugar shakarpara has completely cooled down, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Make sure the lid is tight enough else they might lose the crispiness. Consume the shakarpara within 10 days for best flavor.
Can We Make This Without Cinnamon?
Of course, you can make this without cinnamon. It will just be plain shakarpara then. If that’s what you want to make, just skip the cinnamon powder. Rest of the recipe remains the same.
Baking in The Oven
If you want to bake these in the oven, preheat your oven at 375 F degrees and then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with oil and then bake at 375 F degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping them once in between.
Manali’s Expert Tips
- Make sure that the ghee/oil is well incorporated into the flour. Rub the mixture between your palms for 2 minutes. This ensures that they remain soft from inside and not get super hard after frying.
- You can definitely deep fry these. If you want to deep fry this cinnamon sugar shakarpara, heat oil in a kadai on low heat and fry on low heat without over crowing the kadai. Don’t fry on high heat, otherwise they won’t turn crispy.
- While air frying them, arrange the cinnamon sugar shakarpara in a single layer. You would need to air fry in batches but don’t overcrowd or place one shakarpara over another while air frying.
- Use oil in place of ghee to make this vegan.
More Indian Desserts with Cinnamon
Since I love cinnamon so much, over the years I have created some more cinnamon based Indian desserts.
This Salted Caramel Cinnamon Burfi combines two of my favorite things- cinnamon and salted caramel sauce.
Chocolate and cinnamon is another favorite combo and it pairs beautifully together in these Chocolate Cinnamon Gujiya.
Cinnamon Sugar Shakarapara
Ingredients
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon water 60 ml + 15 ml, + more as needed
- ⅓-½ cup granulated white sugar 67 to 100 grams, adjust sweetness to taste
- 2 cups all purpose flour 260 grams
- pinch salt
- 1 & ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder use only 1 teaspoon if you prefer less cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons ghee melted, 60 ml or use oil
Instructions
- Add water and sugar to a pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then remove the pot from heat. Don't boil the solution.
- Meanwhile, take a large bowl or plate and add the flour, salt and cinnamon powder to it. Mix everything using a wire whisk.
- Add the melted ghee or oil and mix it with the flour by rubbing the flour between your palms for 1 to 2 minutes. This makes sure that the ghee incorporates well with the flour.
- Then pour the sugar-water solution into the flour and start mixing with your hands. Knead to a smooth dough. You might need some extra water while kneading. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Once 30 minutes are up, give the dough a quick knead and then divide it into 2 parts. Roll one part of the dough to 1/4 inch thickness while keeping the other part covered with a cloth so that it doesn't dry out. Cut into small squares or any shape that you like. Roll and cut all the dough similarly.
- Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Then arrange the cinnamon sugar shakarpara in a single layer and spray with an oil spray. Air fry at 370 F degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and golden brown in color. Every air fryer is different so start checking around the 8 minute mark. You would need to air fry in batches.
- Let them cool completely and them store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Make sure to keep the unrolled dough covered with a cloth else it dries out. Also keep the rolled and cut shakarpara covered until they are ready to be air fried.
- The amount of cinnamon in the recipe can be adjusted to taste. Add an additional 1/4 teaspoon if you love cinnamon and vice versa use only 1 teaspoon if you don’t prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor.
- Use oil in place of ghee to make this recipe vegan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi,
Can you make these with jaggery.
I haven’t tried with jaggery, but you can