Impress your guests with this delicious and indulgent dessert – malpua! Our easy-to-follow guide will help you learn ‘How to make perfect malpua’ in no time. No matter whether you are an experienced cook or a beginner, making malpua that are crisp on the edges with a soft center is easy with this comprehensive guide.
Malpua is a traditional sugar syrup coated North Indian sweet dish that is often made on special occasions and during festivals like Holi and Diwali. Malpua in texture is soft and fluffy at the center while crisp on the edges. You may also call it sugar syrup dipped pancake. There are many variations of this dish which you can find across various regions of India, we however will not make this recipe complicated but easy-to-follow.
In my personal experience, mashed banana is one of the important ingredients and should be added to the batter to make the malpua fluffy. In other variations, either yogurt is being added to the batter or let the batter rest overnight for fermentation. I would introduce you a very simple and unique way to make delicious malpua in less time.
I have used ghee to pan fry the malpua. Remember not to deep fry them as they may become crispier than you actually need. In some variations, deep frying method is quite famous but I always prefer shallow frying as it requires far less fat comparatively.
Malpua is traditionally served with sweetened thickened milk, also called as Rabri that should be poured on top of it along with tossed pistachios and almonds. This sugar syrup coated pancake is a festive delight and must to have. This dish is often paired with non-veg (mutton/chicken) curries (I like to have with Mutton curry).
Pro Tips: Thickness of malpua is important but it should also suit your liking. I prefer them to be thin with crispy edges but fluffy towards the center. To make thicker malpua, you may add 1/4 tsp of baking soda and rest the batter for some time. Adding yogurt to the batter is also a wise option.
Ingredients
Plain warm milk – 1 cup – You may use thickened milk or milk powder depending upon availability but I would recommend to stick with plain milk.
Sugar – ½ cup
Refined wheat flour – 1 cup – This recipe works well with refined wheat flour but rice flour may also be used.
Banana (Mashed) – 1 to 2 – It’s important to mash the banana nicely.
Cardamom
Nuts (Cashew, Raisins, Almonds, Pistachio)
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Semolina/rava – 2 tbsp
Ghee
Saffron strands (optional)
Step by Step Instruction: How to Make Perfect Malpua
Batter
Step 1 – Add sugar to warm milk and stir for 1-2 minutes. Keep the milk aside for 4-5 minutes and then check if sugar is completely dissolved.
Step 2 – Add in refined wheat flour to the milk and mix well, add more milk as needed.
Step 3 – Add semolina/rava, cardamom powder, fennel seeds and pinch of crushed nuts to the mixture. Mix well and let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4 – Now add mashed banana to it and mix well. Your batter is now ready.
Pro tips: Consistency of the batter is very important. The batter should not be runny or free flowing. My recommendation is to make the batter slightly thicker as I used.
Sugar Syrup:
Step 1 – Add sugar to the pot/pan. Add in water and then heat it up.
Step 2 – Simmer the syrup on low flame until it turns sticky and you get honey like consistency. You may also check for one string consistency to make sure syrup is ready. Add couple of saffron strands to the syrup.
Step 3 – Now, heat up water in comparatively bigger bowl, and then place the bowl containing sugar syrup on top of bigger bowl making sure that the base touches the warm water. You need to do this to prevent the syrup from crystallization.
Malpua
Step 1 – Add 2-3 tbsp ghee as needed to a pan and heat it up on low flame. You may also use natural oil instead of ghee but for a better malpua use ghee (highly recommended).
Step 2 – Once ghee turns hot, pour half/one ladle of batter without spreading it manually. It should spread by its own and start sizzling. Once the edges start turning golden, flip over using a spatula and fry till it’s done. Repeat this process in batches till all the malpuas are fried.
Note: You may drain them using paper towels to remove excess ghee.
Step 3 – Dip the malpuas in warm syrup. Remember to gently coat them with sugar syrup using a spoon.
Step 4 – Remove and place them in a serving plate. Pour some Rabri on top and then garnish them with chopped pistachios and almonds.
5 Expert Tips
Perfect Sugar Syrup: Consistency of syrup plays a vital role in making malpua. With a measurement cup take 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer the mixture on low flame until you achieve 1 string consistency.
Thickness of Malpua: A perfect malpua should be thin on edges and fluffy towards the center. So, consistency of batter is equally important. Batter should not be free flowing or too thick.
Rest the batter: If you have time, it’s always recommended to rest the batter for at least 30 min. For fluffier malpua, ferment the batter or keep the batter aside for some time.
Prefer Shallow fry over deep frying: I would urge you to shallow fry the malpua as you need comparatively less fat. Additionally, you can even remove excess fat using paper towel.
Dip the Malpua in Syrup: Always dip the malpua in syrup or gently coat using a spoon. Don’t leave them in the syrup for a longer period as they may become soggy and lose the crunch.
Malpua: Easy Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain warm milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup refined wheat flour
- banana mashed
- cardamom
- nuts Cashew, Raisins, Almonds, Pistachio
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp semolina/rava
- 3 tbsp ghee
- saffron strands
Instructions
Batter:
- Add sugar to warm milk and stir for 1-2 minutes. Keep the milk aside for 4-5 minutes and then check if sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add in refined wheat flour to the milk and mix well, add more milk as needed.
- Add semolina/rava, cardamom powder, fennel seeds and pinch of crushed nuts to the mixture. Mix well and let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Now add mashed banana to it and mix well. Your batter is now ready.
Sugar Syrup:
- Add sugar to the pot/pan. Add in water and then heat it up.
- Simmer the syrup on low flame until it turns sticky and you get honey like consistency.
- Now, heat up water in comparatively bigger bowl, and then place the bowl containing sugar syrup on top of bigger bowl making sure that the base touches the warm water. You need to do this to prevent the syrup from crystallization.
Malpua:
- Add 2-3 tbsp ghee as needed to a pan and heat it up on low flame.
- Once ghee turns hot, pour half/one ladle of batter without spreading it manually. It should spread by its own and start sizzling. Once the edges start turning golden, flip over using a spatula and fry till it's done. Repeat this process in batches till all the malpuas are fried.
- Dip them in warm syrup. Remember to gently coat them with sugar syrup using a spoon.
- Remove and place them in a serving plate. Pour some Rabri on top and then garnish them with chopped pistachios and almonds.
Serving Instruction
Malpua should be served hot or warm. Don’t refrigerate them as they lose crunch and turn chewy.
I would recommend serving them with Rabri but it’s optional. You may just garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds and then serve.
This dish can be paired with non-veg (chicken/mutton) gravy. People in some regions of India enjoy it with Mutton curry.
FAQ
Which state is famous for malpua?
It is quite famous across different regions in India. This dish is very popular in Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal.
Is malpua made of maida?
Yes, this dish consists maida (refined wheat flour) as one of the ingredients. You can optionally use rice/wheat flour.
Is malpua made of egg?
Traditionally, it is made of refined wheat flour (maida), semolina (rava), sugar, banana, fennel seeds, cardamom and nuts. Please refer the ingredients above.
General QnA
What is maida called in?
Refined wheat flour.
What do we say malpua in English?
It can be called as ‘sugar syrup dipped pancake’.
