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Shufta
شُفتہ (shufta): Kashmiri festive sweet of fried paneer, dried fruit and nuts in saffron-cardamom syrup
Shufta is the sweet that ends a Kashmiri wedding feast or an Eid lunch in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad, a glossy jumble of golden fried paneer, almonds, walnuts, dates, apricots and raisins bound in a thick syrup scented with saffron and cardamom. A pinch of black pepper and dry ginger runs through the sweetness, which is very old Kashmiri habit and keeps it from being cloying, and the paneer stays soft inside its crisp skin. It is eaten in small spoonfuls, warm or at room temperature, sometimes alongside kahwa. Cooking the syrup too far is the mistake to avoid, because once it reaches a hard thread it sets like toffee around the fruit as it cools. Chef's tip: use paneer that has been pressed for an hour so it fries golden without breaking; shop-bought paneer is acid-set and needs no rennet check.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the fruit and paneer
- 7 oz paneerpressed and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 ¾ oz blanched almondshalved
- 1 ⅜ oz walnut halvesbroken
- 1 ⅜ oz cashews
- 2 ⅛ oz dried apricotsquartered
- 6 datespitted and quartered
- 1 ⅜ oz raisins
- 2 tbsp dried coconut slivers (optional)
For the syrup
- 5 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pinch saffronsoaked in 1 tbsp warm water
- 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 /4 tsp ground dry ginger (sonth)
- 1 /4 tsp black pepperfinely ground
- 1 tsp rose water (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 2: In the same ghee fry 1 ¾ oz blanched almonds, 1 ⅜ oz walnut halves and 1 ⅜ oz cashews for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden, then add 2 ⅛ oz dried apricots, 6 dates, 1 ⅜ oz raisins and 2 tbsp dried coconut slivers and stir for 1 minute until the raisins plump; take off the heat.
3 minStep 4: Boil without stirring for 4–5 minutes until the syrup is slightly sticky and forms a single soft thread when pressed between finger and thumb once a drop has cooled.
5 minStep 5: Stir in 1 /2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 /4 tsp ground dry ginger (sonth) and 1 /4 tsp black pepper, then add the fried fruit, nuts and paneer.
2 minStep 6: Toss over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until everything is glazed and the syrup clings, then sprinkle with 1 tsp rose water. Serve warm or at room temperature.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shufta take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of paneer?
- Firm tofu, pressed and cubed (vegan; season it well).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
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