CRISPY FRIED MALPUA

WHAT IS MALPUA?

Malpua is an Indian sweet /dessert. Every region has it's own recipe. In Bengal we call it Malpoa and is generally made with a mixture of flour, semolina, milk and sugar. I faintly remember our grand mom using homemade rice flour to make it, in fact rice paste. In this batter you can add mashed banana, shredded coconut, khoya / mawa. I used the basic batter today, weekdays are no frill days for me. Malpoa perhaps is the first sweet meat / dessert / pithe a Bengali girl learns to make.... a basic, easy recipe in the Bengali 'Pithe' category. When served with rabri, it becomes a dessert.

About 20-30 years ago, yet to be married Bengali girls were asked by would be in-laws or their representatives .... do you know cooking? Can you make malpoa, patishapta? Under 5-8 pairs of scanning eyes, the poor girl had to answer a bizarre questionnaire just to prove her worth in the marriage market. Its not a past tense as yet but has lessened.

Malpoa brings back memories. I remember the mother frying them one after another tirelessly which amounted to 50-60 in evenings or more. The ritual was to distribute among your neighbours, as part of  a nice warm gesture. Neighbourhood culture existed like talking to each other regular, exchanging food. Whatsapp or Facebook were not required for socialising. 

This is a sign of me growing old. Old people generally like reminiscing, glorifying the bygone days. My middle class values, sentiments say there are reasons to. This would invite never-ending arguments, better we jump onto the recipe. Usually malpoa is served dipped in sugar syrup,  I skipped the dipping part, kept it crispy fried as is liked by my family. Some add both black peppercorns and fennel seeds, my family doesn't want black peppercorns.

INGREDIENTS : 

All Purpose Flour : 1 coffee mug

Rice Flour : 2tbsp
Semolina : 1/2 coffee mug
Milk : 500 ml [there can be water used instead]
Sugar : 1 medium tea cup
Fennel Seeds : 1tsp 
Oil : As required for deep frying]

METHOD :

Pour milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Bring it to boil, keep boiling until it reduces to 250 ml. The milk should not turn brown. Once done let it cool a bit.

To it, add the semolina while it is still warm. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour. Add the flour now little at a time stirring with a ladle simultaneously. No lump should be there in the batter. Add sugar, 2-3 drops of oil. 

Keep at rest for an hour to allow the sugar to dissolve. Addition of oil helps malpoas not to stick to pan while frying. 

Add fennel seeds. Your batter is ready. It wouldn't be too thick nor too thin.

Take a round shaped bigger spoon. Heat oil in pan. Lower heat from medium towards low. Pour a spoonful of batter to oil with spoon. Fry each side well until brown. Fry one at a time.

Because I wanted flattened, not round & fluffier malpoa, I used a flatter pan & less oil!

You can serve them after soaking in sugar syrup or with rabri / thickened milk. I serve them fried; as is preferred by my family. Mind you they taste best the next day. Enjoy....