Malpua

“Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

Malpua

Make this iftar extra special by including delicious malpuas on the menu.

Part One-Story 

Malpua, a sweet deep-fried pancake dipped in sugar syrup, is one of India's most popular and oldest desserts, having been around for thousands of years. Malpuas are essentially consumed on special and festive occasions.

Malpuas got the first mentioning in the oldest Veda, the 'Rigveda,' approximately 5000 years ago. The dish was known as 'Apupa' during the Vedic era, and it was made with barley flour and shaped into flat cakes that were fried in ghee and then dipped into honey before serving. 

According to works of literature from the second century CE, apupa was made with wheat flour, milk, clarified butter, sugar, and the spices cardamom, pepper, and ginger, as well as other ingredients. 

Apupa evolved into Malpua as a result of cultural influences and scientific experiments over time. Malpua with egg and mawa became a favourite in Islamic cuisines. In recent times, Malpuas prepared with a base of refined flour are served as a dessert or snack. 

In some parts, the batter for Malpua is prepared by mashing ripe bananas or coconut, then adding flour and water or milk into it.

Malpuas taste the best when served hot with some toppings of rabdi or fresh cream.

Part Two-Recipe 

I make small Malpuas like my Mom, her malpuas were used to be awesome! Then I top it with Rabri and thandai powder. This malpua is topped with khoya mixed chashni and sprinkled with thandai powder.

Malpua Ingredients:

*1 cup aata/wholewheat flour

*2 tablespoon sugar

*1 teaspoon fennel seeds (Saunf)

*1 cup milk

*Green cardamom powder-1 tsp.

*Ghee/Oil for frying

Syrup

*1 cup & 2 tablespoon sugar ( I already had some chashni from another dessert 

*1 cup water

*2 green cardamom pods, smashed to reveal the seeds (or ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder)

*1 pinch saffron strands (optional)

*Chopped almonds and pistachios to garnish (optional)

Method:

*Whisk together the whole wheat flour, sugar and fennel seeds. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously to achieve a smooth batter, without lumps. Add Take care not to overmix. Let the batter rest for at least 4 hours. 

*Add the sugar, water, smashed cardamom pods and saffron strands to a saucepan, stir and put on high heat. Take care not to stir while it is bubbling away or else the syrup will crystallise. 

*Let the syrup cook till it thickens. Turn off the heat but keep the syrup on the stove to keep it warm.

*Fill a frying pan with about ½ inch of ghee/oil (enough to cover the base of the pan) and let it heat up.

 *Take a small ladle of the batter, pour in the middle of the hot oil and spread it around till it achieves a circular shape. 

*Let cook on one side till golden brown (the edges turning brown and crispy is your indication to flip), flip and cook the other side till golden brown as well. 

*Remove from ghee/oil, let drain on a paper towel for just a few seconds and immediately transfer to the syrup.

Serve the malpuas warm, with the syrup drizzled on top and garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios.

**Note:

I mixed about 2 tbsp. Of khoya in the chashni or syrup and garnished with thandai masala, rose petals and some chopped pistachios. 

If you don't want to add syrup, you can just serve the fried malpuas as such, only thing you have to do is just increase the amount of sugar in the batter.