Sweet Malpua -- sugar uninterrupted

Sweet, soft, layers off goodness. That is what Malpuas are.

I finally gave in and made Malpua this past weekend. How could I let a festival pass by without the food ? And how could just a condensed Milk Cake compensate for "syrup dribbling down your elbows" sweets. Don't you get a kick of licking sugary syrup dribbling down your elbows ? You don't ? Ok I understand, it does get messy and tricky and you need to know the right technique to let it dribble only on the inside and not on the hairy side.

I remember the time I got Rasgullas to work and my inept German boss trying to blend in with the Indian culture (this was way back in India), picked up a rasgulla with his fingers and while trying to pop it in, dribbled syrup all over himself. I left the job soon after.

So anyway, I had this intense feeling of guilt and all because I didn't eat sugary sweets after being doused in color. And that's when I don't even like being doused in color. A large part of my bygone Holi days were spent miserably hiding under the bed and so I really don't want to do that again, the whole color thing that is.

But Malpuas are good, they make you happy, the very thought of eating them makes you happy.So I made some Malpuas, the main excuse being I wanted to carry some for a friend we were visiting after a long time. But you all know that wasn't the real reason, right ?

Malpuas make the world seem perfect though reality might be far from it. So it is really important that you make it. Make it for Ugadi next week or for the Marathi, Kasmiri New Year, come on I insist.

This would be a very typical way a Bong celebrates Holi. Less play, more eat.

There are these delta variations in which you can make Malpuas. I myself had made Pineapple Malpuas long back which was quiet a new twist. But trust me, the original Malpuas with no such fancy addition taste the best. The way my Mom makes it she lets the Malpuas soak in the syrup till they are soft and pillowy. Me, I either brush syrup on them or do a quick dip, because I like the crispiness better. Then again there are the dry kinds called Puas which are not dunked in syrup at all.
This time I added evaporated milk and condensed milk to the batter, but you can just use plain old whole milk and I am quiet certain it will turn out just as good.

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Original Malpuas

Serving Size: This measure makes about 10-12 malpuas
Time taken: Prep time: 15-20 mins minimum; Cook time: 20 mins;
Level of Difficulty: Medium


Make the sugar syrup:

Boil 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water till you get a syrup of one single string consistency. You can flavor the syrup with strands of saffron or with drops of rose water

Make the Malpua:

Make a batter with

1/2 cup All Purpose Flour/Maida,
1/4 cup Semolina/Sooji/Rawa
1 cup of evaporated Milk(almost)
5 tbsp of Condensed Milk
2 tbsp of Sugar
1 tsp of Fennel seeds/saunf/Mouri
Note: Instead of Condensed Milk & Evaporated Milk you can use Whole Milk but then adjust sugar for sweetness

Throw in some golden raisins in the batter and mix.

Let the batter sit for 2-3 hours for best results. At least 20 mins if you are in a rush.

Heat Oil for deep frying in a Kadhai. Note: Shallow frying might work but I have never tried

Give the batter a good mix and pour a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the hot oil to form a circular disc. When the edges turn golden brown, flip and fry till both sides are golden.

Remove with a slotted spoon. Either dunk in sugar syrup or brush both sides generously with the syrup. Note: If you intend to dunk in sugar syrup till malpuas are soaked with the syrup, lessen the sweetness in the batter. I prefer a  quick dunk in the syrup(this is easier). That makes it not very soft but sweet and lightly crisp.

Garnish with slivers of almonds and serve hot. They stay ok for a couple of days when refrigerated but remember to warm before serving.

Get this recipe in my Book coming out soon. Check this blog for further updates. 

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