This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links at no cost to you.
The best homemade Sutarfeni
This is a truly beautiful Indian dessert and a true Rajasthani & Gujarati classic sweet. This unique yet decadent dessert is as delicious as it looks with its fabulous melt-in-the-mouth finish. No wonder it is mostly served during special occasions and Indian festivals! Sutar means “thread” and feni means “fine”. Fine noodles of pastry are swirled together. These are then deep-fried but the pastry retains its white colour. The swirls are doused in a thick sugar syrup and coated with slivers of nuts. You can find sutarfeni flavoured with kewra water or rose water or even with saffron or kesar. This results in golden coloured sutarfeni. Traditionally, the pastry itself is made from scratch and this is certainly how halwai or mithaiwala would make them. Homemade sutarfeni is made with ready-made pastry. It is difficult to find certain traditional Indian sweets in the UK and it is a very long process to make Sutarfeni from scratch at home! Sutarfeni has some resemblance to Kataifi nests or Baklawa as both sweets are made from the same pastry, are soaked in sugar syrup and topped with nuts. The difference is in the flavouring and colour. Sutarfeni remains white in colour and Baklava takes on a rich golden-brown colour. Sutarfeni tends to be flavoured with cardamom only whereas Baklava may also have honey or orange blossom flavours.
Vegan Sutarfeni
It is so simple to make sutarfeni vegan. Simple swap the ghee for coconut oil. Ghee only makes up a small proportion of the ingredients and melted coconut oil or even melted vegan butter will work as a perfect alternative.
Ingredients notes
Kataifi Pastry – Frozen or Fresh. Fresh Kataifi pastry is available in chilled section in middle eastern or Greek grocery stores. Sugar – I recommend that you use regular white sugar here to keep Sutarfeni white in colour. Ghee or unsalted butter (for a vegan option see below in the post). This recipe uses very small amount of ghee. Slivered nuts such as almonds and pistachio. Cardamom powder – cardamom powder in this recipe help to flavour the sugar syrup.
Substitution and variations
Flavours -you may add kewra or rose water/rose syrup in the sugar syrup instead of cardamom flavour. If using rose syrup, then Sutarfeni will be in light pink colour. Toppings – kids might enjoy drizzling some chocolate or caramel sauce. Or sprinkle some funfetti sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli.
Sugar free Sutarfeni
You can make no added sugar Sutarfeni by adding natural sweetener to make the “sugar syrup”. See our No added sugar Badam Katli for more inspiration.
How to eat Sutarfeni
Sutarfeni is enjoyed at festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Teej or even at Karwa chauth. Also Sutarfeni is great for gifting as it has long shelf life. In Mauritius, Sutarfeni given along with other sweets as a thank you token to the guests. It can be enjoyed with hot milk or for an alternative treat, try drizzling with chocolate sauce!
How to make Sutarfeni using Kataifi Pastry
This is a very easy to follow Indian sweet recipe and is great for beginner bakers despite its complicated appearance.
What is Kataifi Pastry?
Kataifi Pastry is used primarily in Middle Eastern recipes. It is a thread-like dough made from shredded filo. Ready-made versions of this dough can be found in the frozen section of many supermarkets. Kataifi is also called Kadaifi.
How to work with Kataifi dough
To achieve perfect results cooking with kataifi dough, there are some pointers to keep in mind. It is important to allow the kataifi dough to thaw fully. I kept the frozen pastry in the fridge overnight before using the next morning. Defrosting in the fridge rather than at room temperature prevents the pastry from becoming watery. Unwrap the kataifi dough from its packaging only when you are ready to use. Kataifi dough dries out quickly so we also had to work quite fast. As we were making the nests, we were covering them with a towel so they do not dry out.
Step by step Method
Make the kataifi nests/swirls
Ensure the kataifi pastry has fully defrosted. Separate the strands into long strips Using your fingers, wrap the kataifi dough gently around your fingers until you reach your desired size. Keep the nests covered whilst you work. We had a spray bottle handy to spray a little water over the pastry to prevent it from drying. Brush the nests with a little melted ghee or coconut oil if vegan.
Air-fried Sutarfeni
Preheat the air-fryer to 145 C. Place parchment paper in the air fryer basket prior to adding the nests. Air fry the kataifi for 3 minutes but turn the sutarfeni after 2 minutes so that it cooks evenly at the base and prevents the top of the pastry from going golden. Remember, we want the pastry to remain white in colour as this is key to sutarfeni. Leave on a cooling rack to cool and meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup. I used (*affiliate) Vortex Dual Drawer 8-in-1 Air Fryer from Instant Pot for this recipe.
Prepare the sugar syrup
For sutarfeni, we need a thick sugar syrup that has been cooled. We used a ratio of 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and want to achieve a 1 thread consistency. For flavouring, we added a pinch of cardamom powder. We added a small squeeze of lemon juice to prevent the syrup from crystalizing. If you have left-over syrup, you could also use it to top Eggless Gulab Jamun Mix Cake
Assemble the sweet
Other Sugar Syrup and Air Fryer Recipes
Find this recipe and 28 other Easy Indian Dessert Recipes that are perfect for Dinner Parties. As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations! Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
Instagram Facebook Pinterest YouTube
Instagram Facebook Pinterest YouTube
