Deewale, also known as meethi mathri (sugar-coated shortbread), is traditionally made to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. Deewale is a crunchy shortbread coated with so much sugar, even a major sweet tooth will be content eating it.
My mother used to make deewale, namkeen mathri (savory shortbread), papri (savory cracker) and a lot more goodies every year for Diwali. To keep this tradition alive, I try to make all of these treats every single year for Diwali.
Servings: 20-25 deewale
Ingredients:
For mathri (shortbread):
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup semolina
1/3 cup lukewarm water (see notes)
3 tablespoons melted ghee (warm)
pinch of salt
oil for frying
For sugar coating:
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
For garnishing (optional):
2 teaspoons cardamom powder
4 tablespoons grated coconut
4 tablespoons slivered almonds/pistachios
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, semolina, and salt.
Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and pour melted, warm ghee in it.
Rub the ghee into the flour mixture using your fingers.
Add lukewarm water gradually and form it into a hard dough.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Once rested, divide the dough into 20-25 equal parts.
Roll the divided pieces one by one into small balls.
Roll out the balls into 2-inch diameter disks. (see notes)
Prick each mathri 5-6 times with fork to prevent it from inflating during frying.
Heat oil in a kadai (wok or heavy bottom saucepan) and fry mathris over medium low heat, flipping each mathri over frequently. Fry mathris until golden brown.
Remove them onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
For the sugar syrup, add water and sugar into a saucepan and bring it to a boil on medium high heat.
Let the sugar simmer for 6-7 minutes until a thick consistency is reached.
Dunk 3-4 fried mathris at a time in the syrup and coat them well.
Place the sugar coated deewale on a wire rack or a greased tray and sprinkle the garnish of your choice.
Let them dry for an hour or two (see notes).
Store them in an airtight container and enjoy.
Notes:
Instead of rolling each mathri out individually, you can split the dough into quarters, roll the quarters out, and cut mathris from the dough with a cookie cutter.
Soak the mathris in sugar syrup for 10-20 seconds only.
You will have to work a little fast as sugar syrup tends to get thick quickly.
If you wish to garnish these, you will have to do it while the syrup is wet.
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