Malpua (pancakes with saffron syrup)

Pancakes with sugar and lemon will never quite cut it again after you’ve tried these fluffy fennel-infused yoghurt pancakes, soaked in a fragrant saffron-and-cardamom syrup, and topped with pistachios. Popular in the Bengali regions of Bangladesh and India, malpua vary from place to place, but are generally served as a dessert or snack during festivals.

Credit: Brett Stevens

• makes

  18

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 150 g (1 cup) plain flour
• 110 g (½ cup) caster sugar
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
• 280 g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
• 160 g (⅔ cup) ghee
• pistachios, to serve

Saffron syrup

• 330 g (1½ cups) caster sugar
• large pinch saffron threads
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tbsp rosewater (see Note)

Resting time 4 hours

Instructions

Combine flour, sugar and fennel in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine yoghurt and 125 ml (½ cup) water and whisk until smooth. Add to flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 4 hours or until mixture bubbles slightly.

Meanwhile, to make syrup, place sugar, saffron and 375 ml (1½ cups) water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook for 8 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Cool slightly, then add cardamom and rosewater. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 120°C. Heat enough ghee in a heavy-based frying pan to generously coat surface over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 2 tablespoonfuls of batter per pancake onto pan and spread gently to form 9 cm rounds. Cook for 3 minutes or until deep golden on the base, then turn and cook for a further 2 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with extra ghee before frying.

Serve pancakes topped with warm saffron syrup and pistachios.

Note
• Rosewater is from Middle Eastern food shops and select supermarkets.

Photography Brett Stevens. Food preparation Leanne Kitchen. Styling Vivien Walsh.

As seen in Feast magazine, November 2014, Issue 37.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.