Malpua is a traditional Indian sweet of sweetened pancakes. They are quite different from your regular pancakes though. Fluffy and crispy at the edges these cardamom and fennel scented pancakes are coated with sugar syrup, topped with nuts and sometimes served with thickened sweetened milk – which we call rabri.

Ingredients

For Malpua Batter

• 1 cup all-purpose flour – 125 grams

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds – kept whole or crushed

• 3 to 4 green cardamoms – crushed or ⅓ teaspoon cardamom powder

• 3 pinches baking soda or ⅛ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup water or add as required

• 3 tablespoons Khoya (mawa or dried evaporated milk solids) – 50 grams khoya or 3 tablespoons of whole milk powder or dairy whitener

• 3 tablespoons Curd (yoghurt)

• 4 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) – for frying

For Sugar Syrup

• ½ cup sugar

• ¼ cup water

For Rabdi

• 25 litres of whole milk or about 5 cups

• 5 to 3 tablespoons sugar or add as required

• 5 to 6 green cardamoms – crushed or ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

• 2 pinches saffron strands

• 1 teaspoon rose water or kewra water (pandanus water)

• 2 tablespoons almonds – blanched and sliced

• 2 tablespoons pistachios – blanched and sliced

Instructions

Making Malpua Batter

• In a mixing bowl take the all-purpose flour, fennel seeds and cardamom powder. Mix the dry ingredients well.

• Add the khoya and curd (yoghurt). Please use fresh yoghurt. Instead of khoya, you can also use milk powder.

• Add water and begin to stir to a thick or medium-thick flowing batter without lumps.

• Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile when the batter is resting blanch the almonds and pistachios in hot water. Keep them soaked in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Then peel and slice them. Keep aside.

Making Sugar Syrup

• In a pan take sugar and water. Stir so that the sugar dissolves. On low heat simmer this mixture.

• You need to have a ½ string or 1 string consistency in the sugar syrup. If you cannot achieve these string consistencies then just make a sticky syrup.

• The sugar needs to be kept warm. For this keep the sugar syrup in a hot water bath so that it stays warm throughout and does not crystallize. Meaning you have to keep the sugar syrup pan on a bowl or another pan filled with hot water. The hot water should touch the base of the pan containing the sugar syrup.

Making Malpua

• Heat ghee in a frying pan or skillet.

• When the ghee is heating up add baking soda to the batter.

• Stir to combine so that the baking soda is mixed evenly with the batter.

• Lower the heat. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons or a ladle of the batter and gently pour it onto the hot ghee. Spread the batter lightly with the back of the spoon. Make 2 to 4 malpua depending on the size of the frying pan.

• Fry on low to medium heat. When one side is lightly golden and crisp, gently turn over and fry the second side until crisp and lightly golden.

• Fry until both sides are golden flipping the malpua as needed a couple of times.

• Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Coating Malpua With Sugar Syrup

• Then immediately place them in the warm sugar syrup. Gently coat the malpua with the sugar syrup with a spoon or small tongs.

• Immediately remove them and place them on a serving tray or plate. Prepare all malpua this way and coat them with the sugar syrup.

• Pour some rabri on top. Garnish with chopped almonds and pistachios. Serve the malpua with rabri hot. You can also just serve them coated with the sugar syrup and garnished with the blanched nuts.

Source: vegrecipesofindia.com

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