Friday, October 17, 2014

Kumaoni Malpua -Singhal


Malpua or singhal (सिंघल) - Specially for Diwali

In Kumaon (Hills of Uttar Pradesh, now called Uttarakhand) culture, malpua is a festivity dish. It is made on every festive and auspicious occasion such as Diwali, Holi, Weddings, Birthdays, Child's naming ceremony, etc. When I was a kid my brother and I really enjoyed these yum sweet treats and now my girls do the same. Apart from the delicious taste it keeps alive the festive tradition in our family and I hope to pass it on to my girls some day. Making singhals is a bit tricky and I have spoilt a large quantity of batter when I first tried making these some 12 years ago. You need to hold a lot of batter in your palm and drop it in a continuous spiral shape in the oil. But don't worry the tiny malpuas are just as tasty and are easy to make until you are able to make the spirals. They can also be made using a ziplock bag. Fill a large ziplock with batter and snip a large hole in a corner. Now carefully drop the batter in a spiral pattern into the hot oil.

Ingredients: (about 40 malpuas)
2 1/4 cup suji (semolina)
1/3 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
oil for deep frying
  1. Take suji in a large bowl and add ghee. Mix well with finger tips. 
  2. Add yogurt and milk and mix to get a batter of droppable consistency.(see image below) 
  3. Now add sugar and mix thoroughly. Cover and leave aside for an hour at room temperature. 
  4. Heat oil in a deep pan at medium high heat for 7-10 minutes. 
  5. After an hour the batter will change in consistency and become drier. Add about 1/4 cup of water to bring it back to the right consistency. 
  6. Drop spoonfuls of batter into the oil and deep fry till golden brown. You might need to bring the heat down a bit every so often and then take it back up to prevent them from charring. 
  7. Store in an air tight container at room temperature Will keep for 4-5 days.
Batter Consistency

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