| PREP TIME: 5 MIN | COOK TIME: 30 MIN | SERVES: 4 |
Fried pancake / Malpua is one of the most popular dishes during festivals in Nepal and different parts of India like West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, etc. Since I grew up in Kailaya, Bara which is on the border of Northern India, I ate a lot of malpua during festivals, and was a weekend delight. They are simple, easy to make, and delicious. They are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. You can easily find men and women selling them in little carts on the side of the road or in your neighborhood restaurants. There are many varieties of ways to make this dish but this is my favorite way.
Most store-bought malpua are more like pancakes. They are thin and oily but I am not a big fan of this style so I make my batter a little bit thicker, this is less oily and more delicious.
Note: Make sure the batter is thicker than the pancake batter so it is not runny and won’t become flat when you fry them. You can use your favorite non-dairy milk but if you don’t have milk, just use water instead. I added ½ cup of coconut water from the fresh coconut instead of regular water. You can use your favorite sweetener like jaggery, agave, maple syrup, etc. I used molasses this time because that is what was in the pantry. Also, I don’t like my desserts too sweet. It tastes great if you pair them with your favorite ice cream. This recipe has a similar texture to the most popular dessert in New Orleans called Beignets.
| INGREDIENTS | SPICES |
|---|---|
| Semolina flour: 1 cup All-purpose flour: 1 cup Water: 1½ cup Coconut Milk: ½ cup Coconut Water: ½ cup Almond: ½ cup Coconut: ½ cup Molasses: 4 tbsp | Fennel Seed: 1 tsp Cardamom: ½ tsp Oil: 2 cups |
STEPS
- Chop almonds and coconut.
- In a mixing bowl, add semolina flour, all-purpose flour, water, coconut milk, coconut water, fennel seed, coconut, almond, and sweetener. Mix it well.
- Cover the lid and let it sit for 15 – 30 minutes if you have time.
- Heat a pan and add oil.
- When the oil is hot, turn the heat to low and add ⅓ cup of batter to the oil with a spatula or carefully with the palm of your hand.
- Turn the heat to medium and let it cook slowly for 4 minutes.
- Flip them and cook for another 3 minutes.
- When it looks golden brown turn the heat high and take the malpua out of the pan.
- Repeat the process with the rest of the batter.
- Delicious and crunchy malpua is ready to serve with tea or coffee.
