The Sunday Times Magazine - UK (2021-02-14)

The Sunday Times Magazine • 45

The Dish

3

Malpua

sweet

pancakes

Malpua is a delicious sweet snack
pancake that is deep-fried then
soaked in sugar syrup. I was taught
this method by my neighbour back
in India and it stuck with me, but
there is no wrong or right way.

MAKES

10 pancakes

INGREDIENTS
150g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 tsp green cardamom seeds,

powdered

½ tsp saffron (soaked in 10ml

hot water)

4 tsp natural yoghurt

175ml full fat milk

1.2 litres sunflower oil, for frying

and deep frying

A handful of chopped pistachio nuts,

to serve

For the syrup

300g caster sugar

1 tsp green cardamom seeds,

powdered

200ml water

01 To make the batter, mix

together the flour, sugar, baking

powder, fennel seeds and

cardamom powder in a bowl. Pour

in the saffron soaked in water, the

yoghurt and milk. Whisk until

the batter is smooth. Leave to rest

for at least 30 min before making

the pancakes.

02 Meanwhile make the syrup.

Pour the sugar, cardamom powder

and 200ml water into a pan and

bring it to the boil over a low heat.

The syrup will eventually become

sticky to the touch. Remove from

the heat and set aside.

03 In a deep pan heat 1 litre of

oil on a medium heat to deep-fry

the pancakes.

04 Heat a nonstick frying pan

over a medium heat, then brush

or spray evenly with oil. Use a

small ladle carefully to pour in

a spoonful of batter and

immediately spread with the

back of the ladle to form into

pancakes. Brush or spray oil on

the top and cook for about

2 min on each side.

05 Remove the pancakes

and carefully drop into

the pan of hot oil.

Deep-fry until they are

crispy and brown.

06 Remove the pancakes

from the oil and dip in the

sugar syrup. Repeat the

process with all the

pancakes and serve with

chopped pistachios n