Shankarpali
Indian sweet snack
title: "Shankarpali" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indian-cuisine", "indian-fast-food", "deep-fried-foods", "indo-caribbean-cuisine", "trinidad-and-tobago-cuisine"] description: "Indian sweet snack" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankarpali" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian sweet snack ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Shankarpali |
| image | File:Shankarpali sweets mithai Western India 2012.jpg |
| alternate_name | Shakkarpara, Khurma, Kurma, Laktho, Murali, Lakdi Mithai |
| country | India |
| region | Maharashtra |
| national_cuisine | Indian |
| course | Snack |
| main_ingredient | Milk, sugar, ghee (or butter), maida, semolina |
| variations | Khurma |
| :: |
| name = Shankarpali | image = File:Shankarpali sweets mithai Western India 2012.jpg | caption = | alternate_name = Shakkarpara, Khurma, Kurma, Laktho, Murali, Lakdi Mithai | country = India | region = Maharashtra | national_cuisine = Indian | creator = | course = Snack | served = | main_ingredient = Milk, sugar, ghee (or butter), maida, semolina | variations = Khurma | calories = | other = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Savory_shankarpali.jpg" caption="Savory shankarpali in a bowl" alt="Savory shankarpali"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Home_made_Chin-chin.jpg" caption="Home made chin-chin" alt="Chin-chin"] ::
Shankarpali, shakkarpara, murali, khurma, kurma, laktho, lakdi mithai, or just simply mithai is an Indian sweet snack made from a dough of sugar, ghee (or butter), maida flour, and semolina. Although the dish originates out of the Marathi cuisine of Maharashtra, the name is derived from the Persian word, Shekarpareh. Shankarpali is eaten all over India, especially in Uttar Pradesh.
Shankarpali's variant known as khurma or laktho is also eaten in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is also eaten by the Indian diaspora in Fiji, Guyana, Mauritius, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. It is traditionally eaten on Diwali and can be sweet, sour or spicy depending upon how it is made.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Sakkarapara_-Gujarati_Snack-_2.jpg"] ::
It is a popular snack amongst the Maharashtrian, Gujarati and Kannadiga community in India and has a long shelf-life. It is widely available in shops; people usually purchase ready-made shankarpali during the year and only prepare it at home during Diwali. This provides a livelihood for women who produce it throughout the year and market it.
Names
- Gujarati: shakkarpara (શક્કરપારા)
- Marathi: shankarpali (शंकरपाळी)
- Kannada: shankarapali/shankarapoli (ಶಂಕರಪಾಳಿ/ಶಂಕರಪೋಳಿ)
- Bengali: nimki (নিমকি)
- Punjabi: shakkarpara (ਸ਼ੱਕਰਪਾਰਾ/شکر پارا)
- Hindi-Urdu: shakarpare/khurma (शुक्र पारे/شکر پارے)/(खुरमा/خرمہ)
- Nepali: khurma (खुर्मा)
- Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Maithili, and Magahi: khurma (खुरमा)
- Fiji Hindi: lakdi mithai (लकड़ी मिठाई)
- Guyanese Hindustani: mithai (मिठाई/مٹھائی)
- Trinidadian Hindustani: khurma (खुरमा/خرمہ)
References
References
- Sacharoff, Shanta. (1996). "Flavors of India: Vegetarian Indian Cuisine". Book Publishing Company.
- "Thekua to Parwal Ki Mithai: 11 Must-Try Sweet Delicacies from Bihar".
- (5 December 2016). "Lakdi Mithai - Fiji Indian Recipe".
- (12 November 2012). "Kurma (Crunchy Mithai)".
- (20 September 2008). "A Crunchy, Flaky Kurma".
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