Holi is around the corner and best part about festivals is the sweets that I enjoy throughout. People having thandai, gujias being made from scratch at homes and gifting sweets and colours all around. The vibe is fantastic.
And this time, me being me, took up a challenge to elevate my Indian dessert game and come up with a recipe that will be nothing but Holi in a cup. Malpua thandai pudding is exactly that.
I have never made malpua in my life but making them was an absolute delight. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I’m sure you’ll too. Mini malpuas are the highlight of this dessert but it sits on a cold set thandai pudding which according to me is a flavour bomb.
Not only that, the base of this layered dessert is a saffron sponge which tasted heavenly with the pudding.
To top it off, I use crushed gujia to garnish it. I don’t think it can get better than this. And I won’t say much now. I’m sure you get the picture and if your mouth is drooling too, I say -Get go!
INGREDIENTS USED IN MALPUA THANDAI PUDDING
All purpose flour
All-purpose flour forms the base of the malpua batter, providing structure and texture to the final dish. It acts as a binding agent, helping to hold the ingredients together and prevent them from falling apart during frying. It can be easily combined with other ingredients and spices to customize the flavour and texture of the final dish according to personal preferences.
Semolina
Semolina, also known as sooji or rava, is a key ingredient in making malpua. Semolina adds texture to the malpua batter, giving it a slightly grainy or gritty consistency. This texture enhances the overall mouthfeel of the malpua, providing a pleasant contrast to its soft and tender interior. Semolina absorbs liquids added to the batter, such as milk or water, to create a thick and pourable consistency. This ensures that the malpua batter has the right balance of moisture, allowing it to fry evenly and develop a golden-brown colour.
Sugar
Sugar is the primary sweetening agent in malpua, providing the characteristic sweetness that balances the other flavours in the dish. When malpua is fried, the sugar in the batter caramelizes, creating a golden-brown crust on the outside of the malpua. The malpua is further soaked in the sugar syrup and taken out. The sugar here, acts as a preservative too and extends the shelf life of the malpuas.
Sugar is added in the thandai pudding as well, to provide sweetness, of course.
Milk
Milk is used in both the elements, that is, malpua as well as thandai pudding. Milk is the main wet ingredient and provides moisture to the batter. It forms the base of the pudding and thickens further upon heating to form the pudding custard. milk acts as the binding agent in the malpua batter. I have used Nestle milk for this recipe but you can use any milk of your choice.
Thandai powder
Holi is incomplete without this refreshing, flavourful essence. Personally I’m not a fan of thandai but this thandai pudding is definitely better than a normal custard and I could eat it off the spoon anytime. I used a store bought thandai powder but you can easily make it at home too and customise according to your preference. The link for making thandai powder at home is given below.
Saffron sponge
Sponge forms the base layer of the pudding and adds an extra texture to the dessert. I have used a saffron flavoured sponge since it’s a Holi inspired dish but you can replace it with vanilla sponge as well. The sponge as the base hold the entire dessert together and balances perfectly well with the pudding and malpua.
EQUIPMENTS USED FOR MAKING MALPUA THANDAI PUDDING
A correct proportion of all the ingredients will guarantee the best taste, so you will need measuring spoons and measuring cups to measure quantities of the various ingredients.
Mixing bowls are equally important while baking to combine ingredients and make batters.
Spatulas and whisks are my favourite tools and I use then as much as the measuring cups and spoons.
For frying, I have used Stahl kadhai (frying pan). I’ve used a Stahl saucepan. for making the thandai custard,
For a smoother appearance of the pudding, I used a piping bag to transfer the thandai filling.
You will need glass ramekins to assemble the dessert.
TIPS TO MAKE MALPUA THANDAI PUDDING
- Make sure the malpua batter is runny and thin in consistency before frying. This helps in easy pouring and thin malpuas.
- Fry at the Right Temperature: Use a deep-fry thermometer to ensure the oil reaches and maintains a temperature of around 175-190°C.
- Fry the malpuas in small batches to avoid overcrowding the fryer, as it can lower the oil temperature and result in uneven cooking.
- Make the sugar syrup by heating equal quantities of water and sugar, alongwith some saffron strands and cardamom powder. Heat till it reaches the one thread/ string stage.
- I used a saffron sponge as the base but you can also use store bought vanilla cake or any other flavour to experiment.
- The malpuas can be made as a separate dessert recipe also and can be made bigger in size by pouring more batter in one go.
OTHER RELATED RECIPES FROM THE BLOG
- For the malpua
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp semolina
- Saffron strands
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp fennel
- ¼ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ cup milk
- Sugar syrup, for soaking (1 cup sugar + 1 cup water)
- For the thandai pudding
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp thandai powder
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- Oil (for frying)
- Saffron sponge
- Rose petals, for garnish
- Gujia, for garnish
- Silver leaf, for garnish
- In a mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, semolina, sugar, saffron strands, fennel and cardamom powder
- Gradually pour in 1 cup of milk while whisking until you get a smooth batter consistency. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep-frying pan. Once the oil is hot, pour 1 tbsp of the batter into the oil to form small pancakes.
- Fry until they turn golden brown on both sides. Remove the fried malpuas from the oil and drain excess oil.
- While the malpuas are still warm, gently dip them into the prepared sugar syrup, ensuring they are coated evenly.
- To make the thandai pudding, take a saucepan set over medium heat, add in 1 cup milk, thandai powder and sugar. Bring this to a slight boil and then pour in the cornflour and milk mixture into the saucepan. Keep whisking till the mixture comes to a boil and becomes thick. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature. Transfer the cooled mixture into a piping bag.
- Assembly-
- Start by layering Saffron cake at the bottom of the dish to form the base.
- Next, generously pipe a layer of creamy thandai pudding over the saffron cake.
- Finish off this delightful dessert by malpuas and crumbled gujiyas on top. Place silver leaf and dried rose petals for garnish.
If you like my easy Malpua Thandai Pudding recipe and happen to make them in your kitchen, , do tag me on Instagram and share pictures with me using #Bakewithshivesh. Happy Baking!
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