Malpuas – soft, rich deep-fried Indian pancakes

As promised, I am back from a hiatus. Had a nice vacation at home and this recipe of a sweet called Malpua is going to mark the beginning of a series of recipes, all by my mother. Every time I visit home, I am reminded of at least a couple of delicacies, that were fairly common at home but have been forgotten by me over time.

Malpua is a very old and traditional sweet preparation. It is very common to see temples where Malpuas are served as prasad. My mother mentioned the other day that Malpuas and doodhpaak is a favourite combination for some people. The ingredients that go into making Malpuas are very easily available in any Indian household and theoretically, the recipe too is quite simple. If you haven’t got a chance to ever have Malpuas, I suggest you eat it somewhere first and then give the recipe a shot. Malpuas are pure indulgence, so dont look at the dripping ghee and enjoy the bliss!

Malpuas (makes 10-12)

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour – 1 cup
2. Jaggery – 3/4 cup, finely grated
3. Pepper corns – 1 tsp
4. Fennel seeds – 2 tsp
5. Ghee, for deep frying

Method of preparation

1. Take the wheat flour, add finely grated jaggery to it and make a batter that is slightly watery than that of dosa.
2. Add pepper corns, fennel seeds and set it aside for 10 mins. Check if the jaggery has dissolved completely.
3. Take enough ghee in a thick bottomed, flat frying pan (as shown in the pictures) and heat it.
4. After the ghee is hot, take the batter in a small katori/bowl and pour it quickly into the frying pan, from about a foot’s height. As you pour the batter, it will automatically take a roughly round shape and develop small holes in it.
5. Fry one malpua at a time, each malpua of the size of a puri or a small fulka roti. Fry both the sides till the edges turn reddish and a little crisp.

Malpuas are ready to be gobbled. You can serve them with basundi or doodhpaak or rabdi, the traditional way. However, they taste equally good by themselves. If you face problems with the malpuas being too thick or too hard, the key trick is getting the consistency of the batter right. Also make sure that there is enough ghee for deep frying.