One of the most popular desserts made on the Hindu spring festival Holi, malpuas are pan-fried pancakes dipped in a sweet saffron-and-cardamom syrup. This recipe comes from Nidhi Jalan, founder of Brooklyn-based Masala Mama — maker of artisan Indian simmer sauces (check out the Chickpea Curry) — by way of her mother-in-law, who adds semolina flour to the batter for an extra-crunchy pancake edge. Nidhi call this version “simply divine” and admits that they are easily addictive.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 15 pancakes |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 15 pancakes |
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup semolina flour
- 3 tablespoons whole milk powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup ghee or canola oil, for frying (ghee preferred) (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds or 2 to 3 smashed whole cardamom pods
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons blanched and slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons shelled pistachios, finely chopped
Instructions
- For the pancakes: Combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, milk powder, fennel and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt and gradually add enough milk, while stirring, to form a smooth pourable batter. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, while you make the syrup.
- For the syrup: Combine the sugar, cardamom and 1/2 cup water in a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until syrupy, about 8 minutes. Keep warm. Meanwhile, soak the saffron in the milk in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, add the baking soda to the pancake batter and mix well. Once the ghee is hot, add dollops of the batter (2 to 3 tablespoons each) to the skillet; it should spread like a pancake. Reduce the heat to medium and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. (Make 4 to 5 pancakes at a time.) Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more ghee as needed between batches. Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
- To serve: Warm the syrup, if it has cooled. Add the saffron-milk mixture. Use tongs to dip/coat the pancakes in the hot syrup and transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with almonds and pistachios and serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 15 servings |
| Calories | 158 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 26 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 15 servings |
| Calories | 158 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 4 mg |
| Sodium | 26 mg |