Mysore Pak

Mysore pak is a traditional Indian sweet. During marriages or any other function like seemantham (babyshower) etc, we have the tradition of making 5 kootam palaharam, ( 5 kinds of sweets and savouries), and Mysore pak is one among those. Any festivity seems incomplete without this sweet.

Traditionally, the mysore pak is made using 1 measure of gramflour and almost 3 times the amount of ghee. And the texture of the sweet is very porous and light and just crumbles and melts in the mouth. It is very tricky to get the right texture and consistency of the traditional mysore pak. My Grandfather was an expert in making it and each and every time he used to make the perfect mysore paks.

Then there is the ghee laden rather ghee oozing mysore paks, which just don’t do any justice to the traditional ones. They are way to oily and eating just a small piece makes you feel so guilty.

The recipe I am sharing here is not the traditional one, but this one tastes very good too. And it is really easy and quick to make. This is my MIL’s recipe and she makes it every year for Diwali as it gives good number of pieces and is perfect for sharing with friends.

Makes about 16 square pieces

What you’ll need

1. Kadala maavu/Besan – 1 cup
2. Ghee – 1 cup, melted
3. Sugar – 1.5 cup

Method

1. Grease a square baking dish or a plate and keep ready.
2. Heat a Kadai, add the melted ghee and besan/kadala maavu and mix well. Fry it on medium flame, for 5 minutes, so that the raw smell of the kadala maavu disappears.
3. Side by side, heat a heavy bottomed Kadai, with sugar and ½ cup water.
4. Heat on medium flame till one string consistency is reached. To check for consistency, wet your fingers lightly, and take a little bit of syrup in between your index finger and thumb, move the fingers apart slowly, if the syrup form a single thread like then the syrup is ready.
5. Now pour the ghee and besan mixture into the sugar syrup and start stirring on medium flame.
6. Keep stirring. After sometime, the mixture will start leaving the sides and come together like a ball and will be frothing on the sides.
7. Pour immediately on to the greased plate. Smoothen with a greased back of a flat cup.
8. Let it sit for a couple of minutes then mark the lines for the mysore paks when still warm
9. Break into pieces after it has cooled.

Note:

The sugar syrup consistency is very important. If it has not reached the conistency then you will not get burfi texture, and also if it exceeds the consistency, then the mysore pak will crumble and be too hard.

Also the removing stage is important, look for the stage, when the mixture starts leaving sides and becomes like a ball.