It’s Holi, the Indian festival of colour, today, and being a lover of festivals, had to make something to mark the occasion. So quickly rustled up these delicious coconut and jaggery malpua. The coconut gave a lovely bite to it. Soaked in a jaggery and saffron syrup and garnished with nuts and dried edible rose petals, the house was smelling quite nice, I must say! And they are not cloyingly sweet. All in all, a winner I must say!
Holi hai!
Holi, the festival of colour! I do have a love-hate relationship with it. I love all festivals and of course, the delicious treats that are associated with each. However, I preferred to celebrate the colours among my near and dear ones rather than going out and being thrown colour by all and sundry! Not really a fan of huge crowds; so my ideal Holi would be to dab a little colour on dear and loved ones and enjoy the day with some delectable edibles. These coconut and jaggery malpuas , for instance, would be right up my alley.
Anyway, for all those who are celebrating the festival, and in whichever way, wishing you all a very Happy Holi. The essence of Holi is the victory of good over evil, of light over darkness. May your life be full of the various colours of happiness.
Malpua-
Malpuas are basically pancakes which are dunked in a sugar syrup and is popular during festivities, especially Holi. The pancakes are usually made with plain flour, fennel seeds, cardamom etc and mixed with milk / yogurt. Leavening agents may or may not be used. The ones I made were whole wheat based along with other ingredients to make them more flavourful.
The batter-
The consistency of the batter for malpuas should not be too thick or thin. After whisking the batter, scoop a ladleful and from the bowl and drop it back in. If the batter falls back in ribbons and spreads out by itself, the consistency is right. The batter will need to rest for some time. Check the batter again after the resting time and adjust the consistency if needed.
The syrup-
I have used jaggery in the syrup instead of the usual granulated sugar; it imparts a lovely hue as well as a light caramel flavour to the malpuas. Adjust the sweetness of the syrup according to your preference by reducing or adding more jaggery. The syrup is ready when the jaggery melts and the mixture is very slightly sticky. Also, keep an eye on the heat as we don’t want the syrup to burn.
Frying-
Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium low and fry the malpuas. They colour very quickly, so do keep an eye on the heat.
Soaking-
Soak the malpuas in the syrup for about 1-2 minutes, straight after frying them. Also make sure that the syrup is warm. If it has cooled down, warm it a little before soaking the malpuas. After 1-2 minutes, remove the malpuas from the syrup and keep on a serving plate.
Continue reading for the full recipe / video for these delicious coconut and jaggery malpua.
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Coconut and jaggery malpua
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plain whole wheat flour (atta)
- ¼ cup fine semolina
- ⅓ cup desiccated coconut
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp ground cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 5 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 cup milk (more or less)
For the soaking syrup-
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup jaggery (more or less, according to taste)
- a pinch of saffron strands
For frying-
- ½ cup sunflower / vegetable oil
For garnishing-
- almond and pistachio slices
- dried edible rose petals
Instructions
The batter-
- In a bowl, add the flour, semolina, coconut, baking powder, fennel seeds and cardamom. Whisk well.
- Add the yogurt and whisk.
- Add the milk, a little at a time till the required consistency is achieved. (see notes below).
- Cover the bowl and rest the batter for at least 30 minutes.
The syrup-
- While the batter is resting, make the syrup.
- Add the water, jaggery and saffron to a wide pan.
- Place the pan over high heat and stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer till the jaggery has melted completely and the syrup is very slightly sticky. Do not overcook. Remove from heat.
Frying and soaking the malpua-
- Give the batter a good mix. Adjust the consistency if needed. ( see notes below)
- Keep the pan with the syrup ready. If it has cooled down too much, warm it slightly and keep within reach.
- Heat ¼ cup of oil in a wide pan. I used the rest of the oil to top up in the next two batches. ( I cooked the malpuas in three batches)
- Reduce the heat to medium and drop a ladleful of the batter. I made 4 – 5 at the same time.
- Cook for at least 2 minutes or till the bottom is nicely coloured. If the top is still wet, spoon a little oil over the top with the ladle. (check the video).
- Turn over and cook for approximately 2 minutes or less or till the bottom is nicely coloured too.
- Drain the malpua and add to the syrup. Toss well and let it soak for about 1-2 minutes and then arrange on a serving tray.
- Repeat with the rest of the batter and syrup
- Spoon any remaining syrup over the malpua.
- Garnish with the almond and pistachio slices along with the dried edible rose petals.
- Serve warm or cold; we prefer it slightly warm!
Video
Notes
The batter-
The consistency of the batter for malpuas should not be too thick or thin. Add the milk, a little at a time. You may need more or less than the quantity mentioned. After whisking the batter, scoop a ladleful and from the bowl and drop it back in. If the batter falls back in ribbons and spreads out by itself, the consistency is right. The batter will need to ret for some time. Check the batter again after the resting time and adjust the consistency if needed.The syrup-
I have used jaggery in the syrup instead of the usual granulated sugar; it imparts a lovely hue as well as a light caramel flavour to the malpuas. Adjust the sweetness of the syrup according to your preference by reducing or adding more jaggery. The syrup is ready when the jaggery melts and the mixture is very slightly sticky. Also, keep an eye on the heat as we don’t want the syrup to burn.Frying-
Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium low and fry the malpuas. They colour very quickly, so do keep an eye on the heat.Soaking-
Soak the malpuas in the syrup for about 2 minutes, straight after frying them. Also make sure that the syrup is warm. If it has cooled down, warm it a little before soaking the malpuas. After 1-2 minutes, remove the malpuas from the syrup and keep on a serving plate.You might also like to try the following recipes from this website-
Until next time,
Sunita
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