Malpua is basically fried pancake dunked in sugar syrup This traditional Indian sweet is crispy from the edges and soft at the center. Learn how to make it at home.
As the season of festival going on, you can try some more Mithai recipes such as – Sandesh, Kalakand, Mango Burfi, Bread Malai Roll, Gulab Jamun, Homemade Balushahi, Rajasthani Mawa Kachori, and Til Mawa Ladoo.
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About This Recipe
Indian festivals are all about sweets! Well, if you are an Indian or if you ever visit an Indian house during festivals, you will always get to taste an array of Indian Mithai, specially decorated to serve to the guests.
While there are many sweets that I make for special occasions or festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Raksha Bandhan, among them, Malpua is a must on my menu.
Crispy fried pancakes dipped in a flavored sugar syrup, this Indian Mithai’s taste is to die for.
Eat these pancakes warm, as they have this crisp, gooey texture when they are hot which will surely please your palate. And let the chilled Rabdi do its magic on top! The combination of Rabdi and Malpua is a bomb, and is very popular in North India, especially in states of Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, and parts of UP, however, each region has some variation to the recipe.
You just can’t go wrong with this Rabdi and Malpua Recipe. This is a perfect dessert recipe for Indian festivals
In Orissa, it is known as Amalu and is served as prasad at Jagannath Puri.
This dessert is,
- Crispy on the edges & soft at the center
- Sweet
- Super addictive
- Just like your favorite restaurant one
- Perfect for festivals
Ingredients
For Malpua – You will need milk, khoya (milk solid), maida (all-purpose flour), fennel seeds, sugar, salt, baking powder, and ghee to make this dessert.
Always use full-fat milk for the best taste and texture. Khoya, you can either make it at home or it is easily available at any Mithai shop or a dairy. If you live in the US, try looking for it in your nearby Indian grocery store. If khoya is not available, you can replace it with 2-3 tbsp milk powder.
I always prefer frying Malpua in ghee, because it adds the best taste. Some people even fry them in oil, but the taste is not as the ghee one. You can also add desiccated coconut to the batter for a different flavor.
For Sugar Syrup – To make the flavored sugar syrup, we will need sugar, water, cardamom, and saffron.
Cardamom adds a beautiful flavor. You can either add in cardamom powder or crushed cardamom seeds in the syrup. Saffron is optional. You can add a pinch of yellow food color to the syrup.
How to make Malpua?
Add sugar, cardamom, saffron and water in a pan.
Cook till the syrup is of one string consistency. Keep aside.
Mix half of the warm milk and khoya in a bowl. Mix till khoya is combined.
Add half of the flour and mix to make a smooth paste.
Add the remaining flour and make a smooth paste.
Now add sugar, fennel seeds, salt and baking powder.
Mix well. Add the remaining milk and mix well.
Keep aside for 10 minutes.
Heat ghee in a shallow pan.
Mix the batter and pour a small ladle full (approximately 2 tbsp) in the hot ghee. (The ghee should not be too hot)
Simmer the heat to low and fry the malpua on both the sides till golden brown.
Remove from ghee and dip in the sugar syrup for 2 minutes. Serve hot as such or with Kesar Rabdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it using sooji, make a batter using the below ingredients. Then follow the same recipe for normal Malpua.
The consistency of the batter should be the same as the normal batter. This recipe is good to make Malpua without khoya if you don’t have khoya at hand.
1 cup Fine Sooji
¼ cup Fresh Cream
½ tsp Fennel Powder
¼ tsp Cardamom Powder
¼ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Powdered Sugar
Milk to make the batter
Mix 1 cup mashed banana, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup milk, ½ tsp cardamom powder, and 1 pinch baking powder in a bowl to make a lump free smooth batter. Now make the Malpua using this batter.
Replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, sugar syrup with jaggery syrup, and shallow fry the Malpua instead of deep-frying them to make them healthier.
Pro Tips by Neha
Make sure the batter is lump-free and smooth. The consistency of the batter must be perfect. For thick fluffy Malpua, keep the batter a little thick. For thin, keep the batter thinner.
If the batter has become too thick, add some milk to it and if it is thin, add some more flour to it.
The ghee for frying should be very moderately hot. Do not fry in very hot ghee otherwise, they will be raw from inside. Always fry the Malpua at low medium heat. A good Malpua is crispy on the edges and soft in the center.
Try to use a shallow non-stick pan for frying.
The sugar syrup should be hot when we soak the Malpua in it. If it has cooled down, keep the pan on low heat to heat it. Adding a few drops of lemon juice to the syrup prevents it from crystallizing.
The consistency of the syrup should be of one string. If it’s thick, Malpua will not absorb it.
You can add a mashed banana to the batter. Adding banana in the batter is more of a Bihari and Oriya thing. In UP & Rajasthan, it’s not added.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious Mithai as a dessert with your festive meals or weekend meals. It can be served as is or topped with Rabdi.
It can also be served to your guests along with some snacks at festivals such as Holi and Diwali.
Storage Suggestions
These taste great when served right out of the frying pan. You can store the batter and sugar syrup in an airtight container and fry only when you want to serve them.
The batter will last in the fridge for about 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container. Also, heat the sugar syrup when you are dipping the Malpuas in the same.
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Recipe Card
Malpua Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cup Milk (Warm)
- ½ cup Khoya (Grated)
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp fennel Seeds (Coarsely Ground)
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Baking Powder
- Ghee for frying
For Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- 2-3 Cardamom (Ground)
- 8-10 strands Saffron
Instructions
- Add sugar, cardamom, saffron and water in a pan.
- Cook till the syrup is of one string consistency.
- Keep aside
- Mix half of the warm milk and khoya in a bowl.
- Mix till khoya is combined.
- Add half of the flour and mix to make a smooth paste.
- Add the remaining flour and make a smooth paste.
- Now add sugar, fennel seeds, salt and baking powder.
- Mix well.
- Add the remaining milk and mix well.
- Keep aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a shallow pan.
- Mix the batter and pour a small ladle full ( approx 2 tbsp ) in the hot ghee. ( The ghee should not be too hot )
- Simmer the heat to low and fry the malpua on both the sides till golden brown.
- Remove from ghee and dip in the sugar syrup for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot as such or with kesar rabdi.
