Spicy Shankarapoli
Shankarapoli is a popular tea time snack and is a favorite among kids. Usually it is a sweet item. I learned the sweet version from my co-sister, Ratna Chandrashekar. I have modified it to make the sweet-spicy combo, and it tastes great. It turns out well always. However, as it is not a nutrient rich food, need to watch out on the portions. It can be stored for a few weeks at room temperature. I always make it on request from friends, usually to be sent to their children staying abroad and hence have not experimented using whole wheat flour or a combo of maida and atta; plan to try it and share the outcome as soon as possible. Till then, try this and enjoy.
Category: Snack item
Ingredients:
Maida : 600-800 g
Milk – 1 cup (~175mL)
Refined oil : 3/4th measure (~125 mL)
Sugar - 1 cup - ~175 mL (about 180 g)
Egg – 1 (or additional 1 tsp baking powder)
Baking powder : a pinch
Jeera powder : 1/2 tsp
Table salt : 1/2 tsp
Coarsely grind :
Green chillies (4-6) or Red chilli powder (to taste)
Copra : 1 cup pieces (1/4 copra)
Curry leaves : 1 cup
Method:
Take milk in a large bowl, add sugar powder and dissolve it. Then add egg, oil, baking powder and mix well with a egg beater. Add the ground mixture. Add maida in batches and make a thick dough. Roll it like chapati with a rolling pin, cut it in to squares or diamond shape, poke each piece with a fork, to avoid them puffing up (as shown in the photo) and deep fry on medium heat till golden color. You could fry the entire batch of about 25 squares in one go, it takes about 5-6 min/batch.
I have tried the spicy version without sugar, but it is not as crispy as the above recipe.
Variation : To make sweet version, do not add copra, chillies and jeera. Add few drops of vanilla essence and follow the rest of the procedure.
Preparation Time : ~ 10 min to make the dough. Frying takes about 1.5 hrs for the above quantity (of about 12-13 batches)
INFORMATION
Vegan - Can be (if egg is not used)
Gluten Free - NO
Glycemic Index (GI) is the rate of release of glucose in to blood stream, GI of glucose equal to 100
Maida = 71 GI (whole wheat flour = 69); Sugar (99% sucrose) = 65 GI; Oils/fats = no GI score
CALORIES :
20 g (~5 squares) = approx 140 Cal (1 g maida has ~ 4 cal and 1 g oil is 9 cal)
NUTRITIVE VALUE :
Compared to the whole wheat flour, Maida is low in protein (gluten) and fiber due to bran removal during milling. It is mostly the endosperm part of the grain. Maida contains* : Protein 10.62% (13.2%), Carbohydrates 76.6%, Fat 0.86%, Fiber 0.35% (10.7%)
* whole wheat flour figures are in brackets
Health Information
Maida/refined flour is not a healthy food, as it is low in fiber and is processed (bleaching). Hence foods made with maida should be consumed in moderation and supplemented with vegetables and fruits.
ORIGIN :
Wheat (Triticum aestivum or vulgare) belongs to the grass family Poaceae, which includes other cereals like rice, ragi, millets, etc. Genetic analysis of wild einkorn wheat suggests its origin to the Karacadag Mountains in SE Turkey. The first bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) with sufficient gluten for yeasted breads has been identified in samples from a granary dating to about 1350 BCE at Assiros in Macedonia. Maida flour is very popular in India, Pakistan and other Central Asian and South Asian countries. It is very similar to U.S. cake flour (and not the all purpose flour).
WATER FOOTPRINT (is litres of water needed to produce the food) :
Wheat starch (equivalent to maida) is 1436 L/Kg ; Refined sugar is 1782 L/Kg
DID YOU KNOW :
Maida is made from the endosperm and it is developed from the starchy white part of the grain. The bran is separated from the germ and endosperm which is then refined by passing through a sieve of 80 mesh per inch (31 mesh per cms). Although naturally yellowish due to pigments present in wheat, maida is typically bleached using bleaching agents such as allaxon, which is reported to be a health risk. However, it is debatable according to some reports.
REFERENCES :
https://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report47-WaterFootprintCrops-Vol1.pdf https://www.yara.co.uk/crop-nutrition/wheat/wheat-historical-development
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic-index-and-glycemic-load-for-100-foods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat#Origin_and_history
https://bakerpedia.com/ingredients/maida-flour/
https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/20-healthy-flours/