A Diwali favourite, malpua is one of those incredibly decadent sweets that you only really make once every year.
But, when you smell that frying flour, jaggery and fennel mixture – it is truly heaven on Earth.
I first came across Malpua in Rajasthan while my family was travelling in a tour group. I still remember wondering how to make it at home and met with a lot of annoyance from my mother because apparently making it was ‘too difficult’
So began my attempts a few years later to make malpua at home, that was not only delicious but actually very easy to make. There are different variations of Malpua, with the different regions in the Indian subcontinent adding different ingredients. Some parts make malpua using fresh banana or pineapple, while others don’t add any whatsoever. My recipe is a combination of my mother-in-laws recipe, the wonderful recipe by Peter Kuruvita in his book “Lands of the Curry Leaf“ and a lot of research with other desi mothers I have had the privilege to learn from.
What is Malpua?
Malpua is quite simply a sweet pancake. There are many variations to the recipes, but typically the batter is prepared using flour, water, jaggery, fennel, cardamom and saffron. I find the use of brown sugar really deepens the flavour while also allowing the pancake to crisp up while frying in ghee.
This sweet is mostly famous in the Northern and Western regions of India and is often made during Diwali and Holi. It’s the sort of sweet that is served hot with something cold on top and is a total crowd favourite. You often find fresh malpua stations at weddings in India, with large queues waiting.
How to make Malpua?
To make my version of malpua, we first need to thin the yogurt with a little bit of water. The yogurt balances the overall sweetness of the malpua, providing a touch of sour and acts as the leavening agent along with the baking powder. The yogurt is then whisked with the flour, crushed jaggery (always crush this before hand), brown sugar, fennel, cardamom powder, baking powder and saffron. Water helps to combine everything well to a smooth(ish) mixture which then needs to be rested for at least 5 hours, up to 8 hours.
If you plan on making malpua for a dinner party, prepare the batter at least 8 hours before you intend on completing your main course.
After the batter is well rested, but with roughly 20 minutes to spare, it is time to prepare the sugar syrup. If you plan on making this ahead of time, remember to heat up the syrup 5 minutes before dipping any of the fried malpua into it otherwise the syrup will be far too thick to use.
To prepare the sugar syrup, simply heat all the syrup ingredients over a medium high heat. This should take about 15 minutes, until the syrup is thick and can easily be dropped into tap water and retain its shape. Once prepared, set the syrup aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
Now we heat our ghee or vegetable oil ready for frying. Before scooping any batter, mix the batter through to make sure there are no lumps and do a check of the consistency. The batter should be pourable and a texture like thickened cream (not as thick as double cream, and not as thin as custard or milk). Use a ladle to scoop the batter to form a pancake shape in the oil and let the malpua fry for a couple of minutes before gently flipping over. In total the malpua will take about 5 minutes in the oil to become golden brown and crispy.
Once the malpua is cooked, use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove it from the oil and dip into the sugar syrup. Coat the malpua well then side aside on a serving tray or plate to cool.
And now you are ready to serve! I love topped my malpua with chopped pistachios, some rose petals, silver foil, and then a really massive scoop of good quality vanilla bean ice cream (nothing beats it!). Traditionally however, this would be served with some chilled rabri.
Here is my delicous recipe for the perfect malpua. As always, let me know how you go with my recipe and be sure to share your photos with me @theminiaturelife on Instagram.
Malpua
Equipment
- Deep fryer or small pot
- Mixing bowl
- Slotted spoon
- Saucepot
Ingredients
For the Malpua
- 150 g plain flour
- 190 g jaggery, finely crushed or chopped available at South Asian grocers
- 50 g brown sugar
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp whole fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- large pinch of saffron strands
- 125 mL warm milk
- 70 g yogurt
- ½ tsp water at room temperature
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup water at room temperature to make the batter
- ghee or vegetable oil for frying
For the Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4-5 cardamom pods
- ½ tsp rose water OR orange blossom water OR Kewra essence available at supermarkets, fresh food grocers and South Asian grocers
Instructions
- Add the ½ tsp of water to the yogurt and whisk until smooth
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, jaggery, brown sugar, baking powder, fennel seeds, ground cardamom, saffron, milk, whisked yogurt, and salt using a whisk until smooth. There may be a few little lumps of jaggery which is okay – this will dissolve while the batter rests
- Set the bowl aside, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Leave this to rest for 5-8 hours
- With 20 minutes to go for the batter to ret, start preparing the sugar syrup. Simply combine all the ingredients for the syrup into a small saucepot and gently heat over a medium-high heat. Swirl the pot every few minutes
- Continue to mix the syrup mixture until you get a 2 strand consistency. To test, gently cool a small amount of the syrup and use your thumb and index finger to pinch a small amount. Separate your thumb and index finger slowly. If a thin clear strand forms that is roughly 1-2 cm in length the sugar syrup is ready. Alternatively drop a small ball of syrup into tap water. If the ball retains its shape in the water, the syrup is ready for use. Let the syrup cool slightly
- In a small pot or deep fryer heat your ghee or vegetable oil to 160°C/320°F or until a small chunk of bread forms bubbles around it after adding to the oil
- Use a ladle to mix the prepared malpua batter making sure there are no lumps. The mixture should be relatively runny but not milk-like.
- Now, use the ladle to scoop the mixture into the hot oil. Be very careful here as the oil is very hot. I recommend using a pot lid to protect your face while dropping the mixture into the oil
- Let the malpua fry for 2-3 minutes before using a slotted spoon or tongs to flip the malpua over and continue frying until crispy and golden brown
- Remove the malpua and dip into the prepared sugar syrup, then set aside in a plate or serving dish
- Top with chopped nuts, silver foil and some rose petals. Serve hot with some ice cream, custard or rabri
