WOYP Day #30 Mysore Pak

Mysore Pak is a popular sweet in Mysuru (formerly Mysore), Karnataka where I hail from. Mysore Pak goes back to the Royal kitchens during the rule of Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV. A royal cook came up with this sweet concoction using gram flour, sugar, generous amounts of ghee and named it “Mysore Pak” for lack of a better name. “Pak” or “paaka” in kannada means the consistency of sugar, which is a critical element while making Mysore Pak.

 

In Mysuru, there are two types of Mysore Pak. The regular brick-kind of Mysore Pak which is widely sold in every sweet shop. The other kind is the special Mysore Pak oozing in ghee and the melt-in-the-mouth kind. There are some sweet shops that specialize exclusively in this kind of Mysore Pak. The first kind is made with a mix of ghee and oil while the second is made with pure ghee. You can achieve the bee hive kind of look using ghee too, that depends on the sugar consistency.
 

Using ghee elevates the sweet and is an important ingredient. I used home-made ghee to make this and the proof is in the taste..yum! Making Mysore Pak requires some arm strength and patience since the mixture needs to be stirred constantly to get the right consistency and to avoid the bottom from burning. I’ve never been a fan of Mysore Pak, but my older son is! So this attempt was for him and he was mighty pleased :)

Like I mentioned earlier, ghee plays an important role in this dish. Don’t skimp on the ghee if you want melt-in-the-mouth kind of Mysore Pak. The recipe I followed calls for 2 cups but I made do with 1.5 cups and still was able to achieve tasty Mysore Pak. 

You will need:
Adapted from here

1 cup Gram flour (Besan)
2 cups Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1.5  cups Ghee, melted

Silicone Spatula
A good thick-bottomed pan
Metal whisk
8x8” square pan
Parchment cut to fit bottom of square pan

Place parchment into square pan. Set aside.

Warm the ghee. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gram flour and 3/4 cup of ghee.Use a whisk to make a smooth, lump-free paste. In another pan, combine the water and sugar and place on medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar is melted and comes to a rolling boil. Once it begins to boil let the sugar syrup thicken and come to a one string consistency (similar syrup consistency when we make Gulab Jamoons) This takes about 5-6 minutes.

Once the consistency is achieved, pour the gram flour ghee mixture into the sugar syrup and combine with a spatula. Continue stirring on medium heat, after few minutes add 2 tbsp of ghee. Stir and cook until the ghee is absorbed. Continue with the remaining ghee 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed.

Since I had to constantly stir, I couldn’t pause to take pictures unfortunately.

The mixture will begin to thicken after about 20 minutes of stirring. Continue to cook until the mixture further thickens, 5 more minutes. Pour mixture into the parchment lined pan. Smooth the top and set aside to cool completely.

Once cooled, over turn the pan onto a cutting board or plate.Remove parchment.  Cut the Mysore Pak into small rectangles using a sharp knife. Store in a an air-tight container. 

Though I’ve never liked Mysore Pak, I am kinda enjoying eating this home-made version :D Hope you do too! 

WOYP Day #29 - Maddur Vade

The last time I made Maddur vade (pronounced vade-y) was almost a decade ago. The name for these vade comes from the small town in Karnataka, Maddur. Crisp vade with a soft interior laced with onions, there is simply no reason not to like these! We used to look forward to these hot vade on train journeys from Mysore to Bangalore and back. The heavenly aroma would waft through the compartments and I don’t remember a single time I haven’t gorged on this precious vada on any journey. Just the thought is surely making me drool! 

The original recipe is a closely guarded secret like most popular dishes and we have to make do with a version that’s as close to the original as possible. I tried with different proportions and also used Upma Rava instead of fine Rava this time. This yielded a crispier vade and tasted just as good.

Maddur Vade:

You will need:
Makes: About 18 (4”) Vadas

1 onion, very thinly sliced
4 green chillies, finely chopped
6 curry leaves, finely chopped
1 cup Sooji/Semolina (Upma Rava)
1/2 cup Rice flour
1 cup All-purpose flour (Maida)
2 tsp Butter, melted
1 tbsp White sesame seeds
1 tbsp Hot oil
1.5 tsp Salt adjust to taste
1 tbsp chopped Peanuts, roasted and skinned (optional)

Oil for frying
Water as required

It is important to get the right consistency in the vade dough to ensure crispy Vade. This largely depends on the quantity of water used to mix the dough. Also the dough does not need to rest, so have cooking oil ready for frying on low heat before you start mixing the dough.

Heat oil on  medium-low in a deep pan for frying.

Combine the sliced onions, chopped green chillies, chopped curry leaves in a large mixing bowl. Squish to make the onions moist. Now add the sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, flours and salt. Combine and then add hot oil and the butter. Mix well. Slowly add water until the dough comes together, soft but not sticky..this is very important. A sticky dough results in soft vadas, we don’t want that! So go slow with the water.

Increase oil heat to medium high. Cut out a small square piece of parchment paper.

Take a small piece of dough. Drizzle little oil on the parchment. Place the dough on top and using your fingers pat into a thin disc about 4” wide. Take care not to make it too thin. Gently tip parchment with one hand while peeling the vade into your other hand. 

Slide gently into the hot oil. Fry for 30-40 seconds on each side until light brown. 

Remove and drain briefly on a paper towel lined plate. Serve warm. 

Restaurants back in Karnataka serve it with coconut chutney but we gorged on ours just as is. 

These can be stored in an air tight container for 3 days.