Soan Papdi

Soan Papdi is a popular Indian dessert, usually cube-shaped and with a crisp and flaky texture. Known by different names like Patisa, San Papri, Sohan Papdi and Shon papdi, this confectionery is made with all-purpose flour, gram flour, sugar, and water, and topped with roasted pistachios or almonds, crushed rose petals, and green cardamom powder.

Soan Papdi closely resembles Pismaniye, a type of candy floss popular in Turkey. Pismaniye is made from roasted flour and butter, which is then combined with sugar and garnished with pistachios. What differentiates the taste of Soan Papdi from Pismaniye is the latter’s signature nuttiness, that is achieved with the addition of roasted pistachios and flour.

Soan Papdi may have a connection to another much older sweet known as Patisa. A barfi or fudge made with Bhuna besan (roasted gram flour), ghee, and sugar, Patisa is denser in texture than Soan Papdi. On the other hand, Mysore Pak, also made with besan, is a softer and more moist version of Soan Papdi. To make Mysore Pak, the flour is more thoroughly roasted till it becomes dark and caramelised, as opposed to the subtle yellow Soan Papdi.

To lend Soan Papdi its characteristic light mouthfeel, the mixture is painstakingly kneaded and aerated. Moreover, the addition of the all-purpose flour ensures that the sweet does not become too rich, unlike other Indian sweets made entirely of besan. Its texture is similar to that of the monsoon-favourite Rajasthani sweet Feni.

According to legend, Soan Papdi first appeared in Maharashtra and then spread to Gujarat, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Its possible genesis was in Uttar Pradesh, but now this delicate and flaky confection is sold in nearly all sweetmeat shops across the country.