Back
Chirote
5 from 12 votes

Chirote

Chirote is a layered, deep-fried pastry made with a dough of all-purpose flour, sooji, ghee, and water, rolled thin and stacked with a rice flour and ghee paste between layers. The pastry is fried until crisp and golden. It can be dipped in fragrant sugar syrup with rose essence or served dusted with cardamom-spiced powdered sugar, often garnished with pistachios and dried rose petals.

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Rest the Dough
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: chirote
Calories: 282 kcal
Course: Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 8 oz
  • 2 tablespoons sooji
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons ghee melted
  • ½ cup water plus 1 to 2 tablespoons if needed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder Needed only if air frying
  • red food coloring optional
  • neutral cooking oil for frying, generic cooking oil
Paste for layering
  • 3 tablespoons rice flour fine
  • 3 tablespoons ghee room temperature
Sugar Syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon rose essence optional
Chirote without syrup
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Optional Garnish
  • 2 tablespoons pistachios sliced
  • 1 tablespoon dried rose petals

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a bowl, add the flour, sooji, salt, and ghee. (For air frying see notes). Mix well. Slowly add enough water to make a firm dough - similar to puri dough. Cover the dough and keep it aside for an hour.
  2. While the dough is resting, make the paste for layering. In a small bowl, mix rice flour with ghee and reserve.
Rolling Chirote
  1. Knead the dough for a minute and divide it into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball. If using food coloring - add 2 drops of red color each to 2 of the balls and knead them well so the color is distributed evenly on the dough. Next, roll each of the 6 dough balls with a rolling pin into thin 8-inch circles
  2. Take one of the rolled circles and place it on a cutting board. Apply 1 teaspoon of the rice flour paste on the top, spreading it evenly with your fingers or a small silicone spatula. Place a second rolled-out circle over it (use a colored one if you have colored dough) and apply the rice flour paste again. Place the third sheet on top and apply the paste all over.
  3. Starting from the top, make a tight roll of the layered dough circle and form a log. Press from the center to the edges to make it evenly thick and tight.
  4. Repeat the above steps with the remaining 3 sheets of rolled dough.
  5. Next cut each rolled log into half and slice each half into 4 circles. You will have a total of 16 pieces from the two logs.
  6. Take one of the cut pieces and press down on the rolling surface so the layers are in the center. Gently roll it with a rolling pin to make a 3 inch circle, you will have the layers visible as you roll.
Make Sugar Syrup or Powdered Sugar Mixture
Sugar Syrup
  1. In a medium saucepan add sugar and water. Cook on medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Once the syrup comes to a boil turn the heat to low. Add lemon juice and rose syrup. Simmer for 5 to 6 minutes stirring a few times as the syrup cooks into one string consistency.
  3. To check this simply lift the spoon and watch the last few drops of syrup drop out of the spoon. The drop should form a single string. Turn the heat off.
Powdered Sugar Mix
  1. Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder to a bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
Deep Frying (See notes for air frying)
  1. Line a small plate with a paper towel and line a large plate with parchment paper.
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add 2 to 3 rolled discs into the hot oil. Turn the heat to low and fry for 2 to 3 minutes turning them halfway through. Make sure both sides are cooked lightly golden and crispy.
  3. Take out the fried Chirote on the small plate. The paper towel will soak any excess oil from frying.
  4. Using a pair of tongs gently place the chirote in the sugar syrup. Coat both sides with the syrup and then take them out on the plate lined with parchment paper. Garnish with pistachios and rose petals.
  5. If using powdered sugar, place a tablespoon of powdered sugar on a sieve and sift it over hot chirote so that the sugar sticks to it.
  6. Repeat the rolling, frying and sweetening process for the remaining rolled discs.
  7. Allow the chirote to cool down completely and then store in an airtight container for upto a week.

Notes

  • Add baking powder to the dough when air frying to achieve a lighter texture.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F before cooking, then air fry at 330°F followed by 370°F for crisp, golden results.
  • Use one-string sugar syrup at warm temperature with lemon juice to prevent crystallization when dipping the fried pastries.
  • Garnish with pistachios and dried rose petals for texture and aroma, or sprinkle with cardamom powder and sifted powdered sugar if skipping syrup.
  • Measure flour by weighing or sifting for consistent results.
  • Omitting nuts as garnish is fine for allergies or preferences.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1chirote Calories 282kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 27g (9%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Monounsaturated Fat 10g (50%) Trans Fat 0.1g (5%) Cholesterol 12mg (4%) Sodium 38mg (2%) Potassium 22mg (0%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 0.1IU (0%) Vitamin C 0.2mg (0%) Calcium 3mg (0%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 chirote

Amount Per Serving

Calories 282

% Daily Value*

Serving 1chirote
Calories 282kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 27g 9%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 10g 50%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 38mg 2%
Potassium 22mg 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 0.1IU 0%
Vitamin C 0.2mg 0%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.