Thursday, March 11, 2010

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.



Read more...







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. 


Yes, I am on Twitter. I really don't know what worldly wisdom I can impart in 140 characters but follow me will you ? "Followers" makes me think I am like the Osho or something and does boost up my otherwise low self esteem. So humor me.

50 comments:

  1. Sandeepa, I was thinking of Bhapa Doi or is it Mishti Doi and now you have me drooling over Malpuas. Why not both you say?

    You have finally joined the twitterati eh?

    ReplyDelete
  2. ooo they look lovely! I've seen recipes for malpua and wanted to make them for ages

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have had Malpuas once..but they were more yellowy than this[food colour,I suppose]..nevertheless I loved it.I like it a li'l crispy too:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah, so some concession to social networking, is it? I'm going to follow you if I can remember my login and password.

    I love malpua - guess I first saw it in some ceremony-related feast - they are called malpuri back home! I think I first saw it only in my twenties.

    ReplyDelete
  5. malpoa gulo phataphati dekhte hoyechhe. khete kemon hoychhe seta na khawale bolbo na :).....

    ReplyDelete
  6. I had these for the first time at a Rajasthani resort close to Hyderabad many yrs ago. They were bring them hot off the pan, and it was d.i.v.i.n.e! I tried them later at other sweet shops but no one gets it right! :( May be I should drop by your place :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow!!! These malpuas look divine:) Beautiful clicksSandeepa:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your malpuas look so professional, Sandeepa. I spent Holi all my life like you did - hiding from friends who threatened to douse me in colour if I stepped out:).

    The vessel I used to serve mezhukuvaratti is a brass katori. It is a miniature version of a typical Kerala cooking vessel known as 'uruli', as it conducts heat evenly and cools slowly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. If we are going all the way, why not fry them in ghee instead of oil? Jokes apart, I have had these during weddings and festivities but I am partial to rasgullas and gulab jamuns. That being said, your malpuas look more appetizing versions of what I have seen. :)
    And yes, I will follow you on twitter if like Sra I can remember my login and password.

    ReplyDelete
  10. i have been hooked to this dessert, gonna give it a try for sure. looks very good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Sandeepa, Interestingly I put my Mouri in the syrup. That is the way my Ma used to do it. Should try your way too.

    Another crazy idea of Malpuas- Once I did not have Maida in the pantry so substituted it with Pancake mix. They turned out just fine. A little less crisp though. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hairy side ... LOL. I sometimes add ripe bananas and grated coconut into the batter ... and I don't even dunk them into the syrup .. love them crispy. :-)
    So is Facebook the next stop? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Indo

    I am thinking you and the kids might like this one better. My non-Bong friends from South love these

    Maninas

    See now you only need an excuse to make them

    Divya

    I have rarely had store bought malpuas and then these are easy to make

    Sra & Jaya

    What is this ? I try be a natty social networker like you guys and then you make me feel like a dinosaur :( I join twiiter at a time when every one else has forgotten their twitter login !!! WT... ?

    Kuntala
    Chole esho bolbo na, keno na asle sudhu subway khaoabo

    Priya

    Rajasthani resort in Hyderabad...what has the world come to !!! Try them, I am sure you yourself will get it right

    Rachana

    Thanks :)

    Harini

    Thanks for getting back. I love the "uruli" concept

    Jaya

    See what I said to you & Sra

    ReplyDelete
  14. TS

    Thanks

    Anu

    Thank You

    Shreya's Mom

    Mouri batter e na syrup e, ki ba eshe jai, khelei holo :-)
    I have a almost filled box of Bisquik, maybe i will use that

    Sharmila

    D is adbhut, doesn't like the "kala" taste too much. I recently had Malpoa with bananas that someone sent over
    Are na, Twitter o bad dite hobey mone hoche ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. ahh finally someone stepping in Social networking! What about FB??? create a Fan page. My twitter psswrd is lost somewhere.....
    Never tasted Malpua personnaly my little family doesn't like much syrup (like rasgul, jamun, etc...) weird huh?
    But I love ur plate and presentation!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, that looks ridiculously good, your pics sent shivers down my spine.

    Like you, I spent Holi cowering under my bed :D

    ReplyDelete
  17. ebar monay hochey amake banate hobe... na dekhle shob craving bondho kora jaye, kintu ei bhabhe tempt korar kono maaney achey?

    let me see what u are doing in twitter..LOL I am in twitter too, but a silent one.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sandeepa, I am a huge fan of all Bengali sweets. Mishti doi, rosgollahs, malpuas...(although mine arent so perfect), malpuas are still in my draft. Wish to try again, to perfect the recipe.:)

    Thats hilarious German boss trying to blend in - syrup squirt...lol.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This looks incredible. I wish I could taste some!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I remember eating these in Hyd at a wedding. So yum!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I never knew malpua was so simple ! In these typical marwadi marriages they serve huge number of malpuas ...

    ReplyDelete
  22. In Bangladesh we have another version of this, called poa pitha. we mix rice floer and little semolina and "gur". Ours have to fluff when its put in the oil(otherways its not "poa pitha", ma says so). it looks like...kind of a small bowl hihihi. the texture is a little crispy at the borders and little soft at the middle.and we escape the sugar syrap part. By the way, its my favourite pitha.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for the comment Sandeepa and I have bookmarked u're pineapple malpuas for the weekend which you have now changed to these sugary lick-till-the-elbow malpuas. I think this wins the race. Yes, my camera is not with me and that had added a delay in blogging. But I can't wait to cook my favorites until it arrives right so made rasagullas last week. And thse malpuas this weekend. We are swimming in sugar syrup ;)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Beautiful pics, Sandeepa. After reading your post, I am craving malpuas even though I have never had them before.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Sugar uninterrupted! Yes, that's a nice way to describe them. :)

    We don't celebrate holi so I could never understand the fun in throwing colours on everyone else and getting "dirty" (do I sound weird?). My daughter would spend her toddler years hiding under her bed on holi! :)

    Btw, I'm now following you, and hopefully your self esteem's up a few notches. :D

    ReplyDelete
  26. *sigh* Boondi laddus on one blog, malpuas on another... you guys with your beautiful sweets and photos are NOT helping! :( Wish there was a good sweetshop nearby - but the closest one is like 5000 miles away!

    ReplyDelete
  27. first the cake and now this.... you got me drooling over those perfect Malpuas.lovely picture.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Cham

    No syrup :( that's bad. I love syrupy stuff

    Nupur

    Awww "shiver" as in "scary shiver" ;-)

    Soma

    Tomar sasu ma rajasthan er na ? Ora mone hoy aro bhalo pua banay, tai na ?

    Malar

    Yeha let me know when you have perfected the recipe, there are so many little variations to this

    Anh
    :)

    Nags

    Yeah Yumm

    Kanchan

    They ARE simple. never been to a Marwari wedding

    Dora

    Poa Pitha , don't think have heard that one. There is one called Gokul Pitha which is similar but we have to roll out the dough

    Nirmala
    Waiting to see your rasgullas.

    Jayashree

    They are easy, try a few :)

    Aparna

    Thank God !! at last I got someone who remembers their login ;-)

    Shyam

    Do you think I would have made them if a sweet shop was nearby ? Wouldn't I just pop over and get me some :-)

    Sayantani
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a timely post...thank you so much!! Turns out I need to bring dessert to a potluck this weekend and I had just begun contemplating Malpuas. Had made them years ago and turns out I hadn't written any proportions down in my extremely abbreviated recipe note...you saved me!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Yummy malpuas; our version is without the syrup, but I wouldn't mind some :-)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh those malpuas....I can go down on my knees to eat one more!
    BTW, where's the rabdi?

    ReplyDelete
  32. Have you eaten adhirsam? - it looks like a malpua and I will not make comparisons on which is better because that is futile. Both have to be enjoyed for their own goodness and boy are they good!!

    I have never tried making either - the malpuas you have made look absolutely scrumptious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Lusciously decadent! Rich colors!
    I wouldn't want to be interrupted, either. ; )

    ReplyDelete
  34. Made these malpuas yesterday and they turned out too good. Thanks for sharing it. And nice presentation.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love all syrup-y sweets, mmmm, I love anything with sugar & ghee I suppose, hahahaah

    your Malpuas look perfect!! hope your friend relished it heartily!!!

    ReplyDelete
  36. wow...yum is the word./..i like malpua so much...iam married to a bengali..so i can take wonderful recipes from here and make his day.. he loves bengali food..

    vist my blog for some good interior information in india. .

    ReplyDelete
  37. J

    Did you make them ?

    Sunita

    Do you have the non-syrup recipe ? I want to make those one of these days

    Meeso

    Thanks :)

    Aqua
    The rabri is usualy served with the non-syrupy malpuals. But Gawd how I love Rabri

    Miri

    Hadn't heard about adhirsam, then googled. Looks like it is similar to what Dora says is made in Bangladesh(see her comment). Also it seems to be harder to make than malpua

    Susan
    :)

    SRC

    Thanks for letting me know

    Akal

    You are in for luck then :) You like all yummy things

    Deepa Raman
    Thanks for visiting. I will drop by

    ReplyDelete
  38. Sandeepa, Here's an update... the Malpuas were a super duper hit...so thanks again!! I basically followed your proportions but gave them a quick dunk in the syrup instead. Also added cashew and coconut bits to the batter in addition to raisins just because I remember my mom does:)

    ReplyDelete
  39. J

    Even I do a quick dunk, will update the post.

    And my Mom adds cashews, I never did.
    Glad that you liked them

    ReplyDelete
  40. Dear sandeepa

    Egg muffin khaoar ag-e , malpoa khete elam..miss hoe- giye chhilo
    I like this simple malpoa version, but I use normal whole milk only..but will try this one ASAP I am back
    Bhalo theko
    ushnishda

    ReplyDelete
  41. Well I have made the malpua and enjoyed them immensely thank you very much.But now what shall I do with the rest of the condensed milk from the can?Another sweet maybe? Right then!
    Thank you again.

    ReplyDelete
  42. UshnishDa
    Ok :) I want to see your version too

    Poornima

    Come on, condensed milk leftover is a bliss. I would eat it with bread, make marie biscuit sandwiches or just lick clean ;-) Your daughter should must like C.Milk, does she ?

    BTW it stays well in the refrigerator, pour it out in a storage container

    ReplyDelete
  43. U r a sweetheart Sandipa.....the malpuas were awesome...thanks for ur wonderful recipes :)love u !!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Fell upon this while searching for a similar dish called "paala puri" (telugu dessert), since I have to make it tomorrow for navratri.
    This is slightly different though, apparently I have to make puris and then dip them into milk/sugar mix and then remove them..

    Either way it's all the same once they go inside :-)

    happy Durga Puja Sangeeta! Hope you get to read this!

    ReplyDelete
  45. I tried out your recipe and the malpuas were aweome. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hey Sandeepa, where's the recipe gone? I so wanted to make malpuas for Holi tomorrow

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your Comments. I hope you will be nice and not Spam.