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Malai gilori
मलाई गिलोरी (malai gilori): sheets of set milk cream folded like a paan around khoya, nuts and saffron (plus overnight chilling)
Malai gilori is one of Lucknow's most delicate sweets, sold by the old sweet shops of the Chowk, where it is made from thick sheets of malai lifted from huge pans of slowly heated, cooled milk. Each square is folded into a triangle like a gilori of paan around a filling of khoya, sugar, cardamom and chopped nuts, sometimes finished with silver leaf. It melts in the mouth and is eaten at weddings, at Eid and on winter evenings. The home method needs a wide pan and a night in the fridge. If you use silver leaf, buy one certified vegetarian. Contains milk and tree nuts. Chef's tip: once the milk has simmered, do not stir or even move the pan; the cream sheet needs to form undisturbed.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the malai sheet
- 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz khoya (mawa)crumbled
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅔ oz pistachiosfinely chopped
- ⅔ oz almondsfinely chopped
- 1 pinch saffron threadssoaked in 1 tsp warm milk
- ½ tsp rose water
To finish
- 1 sheet edible silver leaf (vegetarian) (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Pour 8 ¼ cups full-fat milk into your widest heavy pan (28–30 cm) and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring the bottom so it does not catch.
15 minStep 2: Lower the heat to the gentlest simmer and leave for 60 minutes without stirring the surface. A thick, wrinkled skin builds up on top; if milk catches at the sides, scrape it gently onto the skin.
60 minStep 3: Turn off the heat and leave the pan to cool completely without touching it, then put it in the fridge overnight, uncovered but well away from strong smells. Common mistake: stirring or moving the pan while it cools; the cream tears into thin rags.
Step 4: Next day, run a knife round the edge, slide a wide spatula under the thick malai sheet and lift it carefully onto a board. (Use the milk underneath for tea or rabri.)
5 minStep 5: For the filling, warm 5 ½ oz khoya (mawa) in a non-stick pan over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until soft and smooth. Take off the heat, stir in 1 ¾ oz icing sugar, ½ tsp ground cardamom, ⅔ oz pistachios, ⅔ oz almonds, 1 pinch saffron threads and ½ tsp rose water, and leave to cool.
5 minStep 6: Trim the malai sheet and cut it into 8 cm squares. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each and fold in half into a triangle, then fold the corners over like a paan.
10 minStep 7: Lay on a plate, top with a little 1 sheet edible silver leaf (vegetarian) if using, and chill for 30 minutes. Keep in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does malai gilori take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of full-fat milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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