Malpua Recipe (Classic Homemade Sweet)

Making malpua batter

1. In a mixing bowl take the all-purpose flour, fennel seeds and cardamom powder. Mix the dry ingredients well.
2. Add the khoya and curd (yogurt). Please use fresh yogurt. Instead of khoya you can also use milk powder.
3. Add water and begin to stir to a thick or medium-thick flowing batter without lumps.
4. Cover the bowl and allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile when the batter is resting blanch the almonds and pistachios in hot water. Keep them soaked in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Then peel and slice them. Keep aside.

Making sugar syrup

1. In a pan take sugar and water. Stir so that the sugar dissolves. On a low heat simmer this mixture.
2. You need to have a ½ string or 1 string consistency in the sugar syrup. If you cannot achieve these string consistencies than just make a sticky syrup.
3. The sugar needs to be kept warm. For this keep the sugar syrup on a hot water bath so that it stays warm throughout and does not crystallize. Meaning you have to keep the sugar syrup pan on a bowl or another pan filled with hot water. The hot water should touch the base of the pan containing the sugar syrup.

Making malpua

1. Heat ghee in a frying pan or skillet.
2. When the ghee is heating up add baking soda to the batter.
3. Stir to combine so that the baking soda is mixed evenly with the batter.
4. Lower the heat. Take 2 to 3 tablespoons or a ladle of the batter and gently pour it on the hot ghee. Spread the batter lightly with the back of the spoon. Make 2 to 4 malpua depending on the size of the frying pan.
5. Fry on a low to medium heat. When one side is light golden and crisp, gently turnover and fry the second side until crisp and light golden.
6. Fry until both sides are golden flipping the malpua as needed for a couple of times.
7. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Coating malpua with sugar syrup

1. Then immediately place them in the warm sugar syrup. Gently coat the malpua with the sugar syrup with a spoon or small tongs.
2. Immediately remove them and place them in a serving tray or plate. Prepare all malpua this way and coat them with the sugar syrup.
3. Pour some rabri on top. Garnish with the chopped almonds and pistachios. Serve the malpua with rabdi hot. You can also just serve them coated with the sugar syrup and garnished with the blanched nuts.

Making rabri to serve with malpua

1. In a broad thick bottomed pan or sauce pan or a kadai take the whole milk and bring it first to boil.
2. Lower the heat and continue to simmer the milk stirring at intervals.
3. Bring the clotted cream/malai which forms on top of the milk to the sides of the pan. Also keep on scraping the dried milk from the sides and add them back to the milk.
4. Do stir often so that the milk does not get burned at the bottom of the pan.
5. Keep on simmering, stirring, removing the clotted cream and scraping the cream of the sides.
6. Switch off the heat when the milk has reduced to ⅓ or ¼ of its original volume. The milk would also have thickened. It will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour for the milk to thicken on a low heat.
7. Add sugar. Stir well so that the sugar dissolves.
8. Next add crushed saffron or saffron powder along with kewra water (pandanus water) or rose water. Add the sliced almonds and pistachios.
9. Remove the rabri in a bowl and serve it later with the malpua. Refrigerate if not using it immediately. The combo of malpua rabdi taste good and is liked by many people. It is best and recommended to have malpua rabdi hot or warm.