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Lakri mithai
Sugar-coated spiced dough sticks
Lakri: Indo-Fijian crisp spiced dough sticks coated in white set sugar for Diwali
Diwali is a public holiday in Fiji, and Indo-Fijian families spend the week before it frying sweets by the tin to share with friends and neighbours; lakri, 'wooden sticks', is the one children reach for first. Short sticks of dough flavoured with ginger and cardamom are fried until hard and crisp, then tossed in a sugar syrup cooked until it seizes, so each stick is coated in a dry, frosty white crust. Common mistake: tossing too early or too late; cook the syrup to the soft-ball stage, when a drop in cold water forms a soft ball, then keep stirring the sticks off the heat until the syrup turns white and grainy and clings. Chef's tip: let the fried sticks cool completely before coating, so they stay crunchy under the sugar.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the sticks
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup waterabout
- 3 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor frying
For the coating
- 9 oz sugar
- ½ cup water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp ground green cardamom and ½ tsp baking powder and rub in 3 tbsp ghee until it clumps. Add ½ cup water gradually and knead to a stiff dough. Rest for 15 minutes.
18 minStep 2: Roll the dough 8 mm thick and cut into sticks 1 cm wide and 6 cm long.
8 minStep 3: Heat 3 ¼ cups vegetable oil to 325°F and fry the sticks in batches for 6–7 minutes, turning, until golden and hard. Drain and cool completely.
20 minStep 4: Boil 9 oz sugar and ½ cup water in a wide pan for 8–10 minutes until it reaches soft-ball stage (250°F).
10 minStep 5: Take off the heat, add the sticks and stir and toss continuously for 3–4 minutes until the syrup turns white and dry and coats every stick. Spread out to cool and store airtight.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lakri mithai take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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