Well, finally we are in the time of lock down, where everyone of us are learning to manage our life with limited resources. So, with this limited resource, I have tried my hand to prepare our all time favourite and ever delicious, sweet Malpuas.
Although the requirement to limit my resource for preparing these malpuas come mostly from the fact, that during the period of lock down there is a prevailing problem of limited supplies in shops, super markets, online stores etc., and also due to uncertainty, the use of available resources should be confined to bare necessities. Thus, for this recipe, as I could not find Khoya in shops, I made Khoya at home, and as oil is an essential commodity, I fried the malpuas with less oil instead of deep frying them. And I dropped the idea of including saffron in this recipe. These steps not only helped me in saving the essentials, but also partially added to the health quotient (less oil instead of deep frying, and using home-made khoya instead of store bought khoya)
I know its very difficult to think health, think basic, when it comes to our beloved malpua. Because, for us when it comes to malpua, it means abundance. Abundance of emotion, abundance of taste, abundance of satiation and anything that comes to our mind when we peacefully take that bite of this light yellowish and golden looking pancake into our mouth, and the feeling of almost experiencing heaven while conquering the crispy edges, and the soft center slowly melts inside our mouth.
So, what, if the time is getting tougher day by day? So, what, if there are uncertainties going around? So, what, if the days are gloomy? Does it mean that we have to give up on our hopes and these little delights? ABSOLUTELY NOT! As they say, ‘this too shall pass’. So why not pass and defeat this tough time with these not so sinful sweet indulgence Malpuas, and quietly slip away for a while from the world of ever depressing numbers currently floating around.
Click here to get your hands on more sweet indulgences.
Recipe: Malpua
Preparation Time: Approximately 1 hour (includes preparation of Khoya and Sugar Syrup) Frying Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) Equipment used: A mixing bowl, an aluminium kadai, a non-stick skillet pan, a scoop spoon, a turner, a vessel to prepare sugar syrup Yield: 16 malpuas
For Sugar Syrup:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 1 & 1/3 cup sugar
- Quarter teaspoon crushed green cardamom pods
Method:
- Boil water and sugar, till the sugar completely dissolves in water and the syrup changes colour
- Remove from heat and add the crushed green cardamom pods
Boil water & sugar.
Add Crushed cardamom pods once the sugar completely dissolves and the syrup changes colour.
For Khoya:
Ingredients:
- 200 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Method:
- Bring 200 ml milk to boil
- Reduce the flame to simmer the milk on sim while stirring occasionally
- As the moisture starts evaporating, increase the frequency of stirring to scrap the milk solids from sides and add to the milk
- Add sugar when 80% of moisture evaporates
- Remove from heat when the milk completely turns to milk solid or khoya
Bring milk to boil.
Simmer the milk on sim stirring occasionally.
Add sugar when 80% of moisture evaporates.
Remove from heat when milk changes to khoya.
For Malpua
Ingredients:
- 1 and ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups milk
- 200 ml milk turned to khoya (as per above mentioned Ingredients and method)
- 1 tablespoon semolina
- ½ cup refined oil
- 1/8 cup almond chopped for garnishing (optional)
Method:
- Barring refined oil and almond, mix the above-mentioned ingredients in a mixing bowl
- Heat a skillet pan, and add little oil with a spoon from the ½ cup refined oil mentioned in the ‘Ingredients’ section
- Scoop around ½ scoop batter into the pan
- Flip the malpua or pan cake when bubbles form and the edges turn golden brown
- Add little oil around the malpua with a spoon and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes till the malpua turns golden brown
- Remove from heat and add the malpua to the sugar syrup
- Repeat the process for the rest of the batter
- For garnishing, soak the almond for a while and chop and spread them on malpuas
Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, milk, khoya and semolina
Heat a skillet pan.
Heat a spoonful of oil.
Scoop around ½ scoop batter into the pan.
Flip the malpua or pan cake when bubbles form and the edges turn golden brown
Cook the other side for 2-3 minutes by adding little oil, till the malpua turns golden brown. Remove from heat and add the malpua to the sugar syrup
Tips:
- You can use readily available cardamom powder or cardamom pods instead of crushed cabaking powder+rdamom pods
- Cook on sim in case you are using non-stick pan
- You can store and re-use the left-over oil
- You can increase the consistency of sugar syrup by adding more sugar and reducing the quantity of water
- Always serve and relish malpuas hot
