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Sutarfeni
સૂતરફેણી: fine threads of pulled caramelised sugar worked into ghee-roasted flour, Khambhat's Diwali sweet
Sutarfeni, cotton-thread sweet, is made by Khambhat and Ahmedabad halwais for Diwali: a hot sugar caramel is pulled into a ring, dragged again and again through ghee-roasted flour until it separates into hundreds of silky threads, then loosely nested with pistachio and cardamom. It is a two-person job at home and needs patience, but the melt-in-the-mouth result is worth one afternoon a year. The usual mistake is letting the sugar cool too far before pulling, so it snaps into brittle shards instead of stretching. Chef's tip: wear clean, well-greased food-safe gloves, work in a warm kitchen, and keep a tray in a barely warm oven to soften the sugar again if it stiffens.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the flour
- 5 ½ oz ghee
- 5 ½ oz plain flour (maida)
- 1 oz gram flour (besan)
For the sugar
- 10 ½ oz sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp ghee for the gloves and tray
To finish
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ⅞ oz pistachiosfinely chopped
- ¼ tsp saffron threads (optional)crumbled
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Roast 5 ½ oz plain flour (maida) and 1 oz gram flour (besan) in 5 ½ oz ghee in a wide pan over low heat, stirring, for 15–20 minutes until pale gold and sandy-smelling. Spread on a large tray and keep it warm in a 140°F oven.
20 minStep 2: Grease a marble slab or steel tray with some of the 2 tbsp ghee for the gloves and tray. Put 10 ½ oz sugar, ½ cup water and 1 tsp lemon juice in a heavy pan, dissolve on medium heat, then boil without stirring until it reaches the hard-ball stage (250°F): a drop in cold water forms a firm ball that holds its shape.
15 minStep 3: Pour the syrup onto the greased tray and let it cool for 2–3 minutes. Fold the edges into the centre with a greased steel spatula until you can just handle it. The sugar is very hot; work with greased food-safe gloves.
4 minStep 4: Pull the sugar between your hands, fold and pull again, 15–20 times, until it turns opaque and pale gold. Shape into a thick ring.
6 minStep 5: Lay the ring in the warm flour. With a partner holding the other side, stretch the ring to twice its size, twist it into a figure of eight, fold back into a ring and coat in flour again. Repeat 20–25 times until the sugar separates into fine, silky threads.
15 minStep 6: Sprinkle 1 tsp ground cardamom, ⅞ oz pistachios and ¼ tsp saffron threads over, toss lightly and gather the threads into loose nests or press gently into a lined box.
5 minStep 7: Cool completely and keep airtight in a dry place for up to 2 weeks; humidity makes sutarfeni sticky.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sutarfeni take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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