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| Mysore Pak |
Mysore Pak is a fudgy confection made by cooking chickpea
flour( besan) with clarified butter(ghee) and sugar. My mom’s recipe of this Kannada dessert has
gained wide popularity in our neighborhood and I must say once you try this you
will wonder whether she was Madappa, the king’s chef at the Amba Vilas Palace
of Mysore( which is better known as the Mysore Palace), in her previous birth !
J
A thing of worth is bound to become popular! The Mysore Pak , just like Alexander, conquered taste buds across the region and
spread outside Karnataka and now it is a popular sweet of other South Indian
states like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu . It is prepared for special
occasions and festivals. Mysore Pak is a
traditional south Indian wedding snack served by the bride’s family to the
groom and his relatives when they arrive to solemnize the marriage.
Mysore Pak can be made in two varieties- one is the hard and
crispy variety and another which I like- the soft and melt-in-the-mouth
variety.
Want to enjoy this royal sweet? Get set and go ….here is the
recipe for you:
What you need (ingredients):
1 cup chickpea flour( besan)
1 cup sugar
4 cups cooking oil
1 cup ghee ( clarified butter)
½ cup water
1 tsp cardamom powder
Cooking Utensils and
Equipment:
1 wok (for cooking the sweet)
1 ladle(for pouring oil and ghee)
1 spatula(for stirring the mixture)
1 newspaper (for transferring roasted chickpea flour)
Cooking gas(20 mins. consumption)
How to make it (Directions):
Roast chickpea flour in a wok on a low flame for 10 mins,
stirring constantly so that it is not burnt.
Remove it from fire and transfer it to a newspaper
Wipe the wok dry with a napkin.
Now pour the sugar into the wok along with water and make a thick
syrup.
Now pour the chickpea flour in small portions with constant stirring
(in circular motion) into the sugar syrup.
Add oil while constantly stirring the chickpea flour mixture. Add 3 cups of oil this way, adding a fresh
portion of oil when the mixture seems to have absorbed the previous.
When adding the fourth cup of oil, add clarified butter
along with the oil while constantly stirring the mixture.
Eventually, after all the oil and ghee have been added, the
mixture will attain a porous and soft texture.
Remove from fire when the mixture is in a semi-solid state
and spread on a greased and flat dinner plate (preferably made of steel or aluminum).
Let it cool for about 10 mins. and cut with a knife into
square or diamond shaped pieces. Let it cool further till it completely
solidifies. The Mysore Pak is now ready for serving.
Nutrition Facts of
Mysore Pak Ingredients:
Chickpea Flour- It is low in cholesterol, saturated fats and
sodium. It is rich in folate, manganese, dietary fiber, magnesium and copper.
Clarified Butter-While this is used to counter the gastric
effects of chickpea flour (for those who are prone to gastritis) and is low in
sodium, it is high on saturated fats. You could use an unsalted low saturated
margarine as a substitute instead.
Let us see how this irresistible blend of chickpea flour,
clarified butter, oil, and sugar are going to affect your health. Well first of
all, I would like to assure you that there are two golden rules for good
health:
1.
Eat everything in moderation
2.
Eat and burn
Well, just one piece of Mysore Pak a day will not harm you
and if you are a person who exercises regularly, you have nothing to worry
about! Just a bit of extra jogging will burn up any extra calories you may have
put on.
For those who are on a restriction, you could use a heart-healthy
oil in place of normal cooking oil and use a sugar-free sweetener in place of
sugar. If your sweetener is sweeter than sugar, then you use a lesser quantity
of it than sugar as per your taste preferences.
Where to Buy
If you do not have the time to make Mysore Pak , then you
can buy it from Nandini
Milk Products at Bangalore.
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