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Jaipuri malpua
Fennel-scented, lacy-edged sweet pancakes (मालपुआ) fried in ghee, soaked in saffron syrup and topped with rabri
Jaipur's old-city sweet shops fry malpua in wide pans of ghee from winter through Holi and Teej, and serve them stacked in a bowl with thick rabri. The batter is made with milk, a little khoya and crushed fennel, so each pancake turns soft and spongy in the middle with crisp, lacy brown edges, then soaks up a saffron-cardamom syrup. Some families also make them as an offering on Holi morning. The usual mistake is skipping the rest: unrested batter spreads unevenly and stays flat and chewy. Chef's tip: pour the batter into the centre of the pan from close above so it spreads by itself; this is how the lacy edges form.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
For the syrup
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk the 2 ⅛ oz khoya (mawa) with half the 1 cup milk until smooth, then whisk in the 4 oz plain flour (maida), 2 tbsp fine semolina (suji), 1 tsp fennel seeds, ¼ tsp ground green cardamom and 1 tbsp sugar. Add the rest of the milk gradually to make a smooth batter that pours like thick cream.
5 minStep 2: Cover and rest for 30 minutes so the semolina swells and the batter thickens slightly.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile, boil the 7 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 pinch saffron threads over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until slightly sticky, not yet stringy. Keep warm over the lowest heat.
5 minStep 4: Heat the 1 ¼ cups ghee to a depth of about 1.5 cm in a wide, shallow kadhai or frying pan over medium heat. It is ready when a drop of batter sizzles and rises within 2 seconds.
4 minStep 5: Pour a small ladle of batter into the centre of the pan from close above. It will spread on its own into a 10 cm round with frilly edges. Fry 2–3 at a time for 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and deep golden, then flip and fry for 1–2 minutes more.
15 minStep 6: Lift the malpuas with a slotted spoon, let the excess ghee drip off, and slide them into the warm syrup for 1 minute. Lift out onto a plate.
5 minStep 7: Serve warm, 3 per person, topped with a spoon of 5 ½ oz rabri (thick sweetened reduced milk) and the 2 tbsp pistachios.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 74 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jaipuri malpua take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour (maida)?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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