Sutarfeni

Sutarfeni is a sweet from western India in which dough drawn out as fine as thread is gathered into a round shape. It is associated with Gujarat and Rajasthan and is also popular in Mumbai’s sweet shops. Pale threads are layered over one another many times, and the sweet is finished with sugar, cardamom, saffron and nuts.

It is dough, not pulled sugar, that becomes thread

The threads of sutarfeni are made from a dough kneaded from wheat flour or similar. Working fat into the dough, stretching it and resting it are repeated, dividing it into extremely fine strands. Ghee not only adds flavor but also keeps the thinned layers of dough from merging back together.

The threaded dough is gathered into rings or nest shapes of roughly one portion each and fried in ghee. Some methods also soak it in syrup; draining off the oil and sweetening are separate steps. In the method used at one Mumbai workshop, flour and ghee are applied each time the dough is stretched, and it is rested and then stretched again. The fried rings are left to drain overnight, and the next day syrup placed beneath them is poured over them from above again and again, with the excess running back into the tray. From kneading to letting the syrup soak in, the work is finished over several days. However, the number of days and the way the dough is rested are not common to all workshops.

Thread-like sweets also differ

In soan papdi, which looks similar, cooked sugar is pulled and combined with roasted flour and other ingredients to create a fibrous texture. Because sutarfeni makes the dough itself fine, the two start from different points even though both are “thread sweets.”

In addition, among the thin, noodle-like foods sold under the name feni, some are eaten by adding them to milk. Sutarfeni is also eaten with milk, but some is sold to be eaten as a sweet as it is, with nuts and sweetening added. Even when the names are similar, the sweetening and the state of preparation before the food is served at the table are not the same.

Almond milk being poured over feni at a street stall in Bengaluru. Photo: Harikrishnan N, 2020. Original image used (source, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Days for eating it differ by community

Records from Mumbai makers include examples of sutarfeni given as a Parsi New Year gift and eaten by Muslims during Ramadan and at Fatiha gatherings in remembrance of the deceased. At a Fatiha, people pray for the deceased and share sutarfeni. While it is a sweet bought in everyday life, it is also tied to the calendars of families and communities.

Quality is distinguished not only by the fineness of the threads but also by their softness after frying and the way they come apart when milk is added. Some sellers emphasize a light texture, while some artisans prioritize softness. The way of frying and sweetening also creates differences in how the threads come apart.

Glossary