Durga Puja Oreo Malpua Recipe with Tips to Get the Perfect Crisp Edges

Malpuas are one of the principal treats in Navratri bhog. It is often prepared on various festivals, such as Holi, Diwali, and Janmashtami. In Odisha, for example, malpua is part of the famous Chhappan Bhog, which is offered to Lord Jagannath. Malpua is a sattvic preparation, made using ingredients such as milk, jaggery, flour, and fruits like bananas. The traditional recipe is often offered as a prasad to God, and as it is rich and loaded with ghee, it is considered as a symbol of abundance and prosperity. Malpua is therefore a significant treat for Durga Puja during Navratri.

There are many variations to classic malpua. Dessert chefs always strive to introduce innovations into malpua to make it more appealing to people who enjoy trying something adventurous. From flavors like chocolate to vanilla, everything has been experimented with using a simple malpua recipe, and with every experiment, it always becomes more interesting. Since malpua is made with a mildly flavored base, it provides numerous opportunities to introduce additional flavors. This recipe gives an even more interesting twist to Malpua with the addition of Oreo cookies. Oreo cookies bring a chocolatey flavor along with a crispy texture, making malpuas more indulgent. The addition of Oreo cookies to malpua batter an interesting flavor that tastes much better than fruits. You can further enhance it by adding more dark chocolate and other flavorings. This recipe is perfect for both adults and children. While introducing a new twist, it retains its traditional value, serving as an elegant treat that appeals to everyone. Try out this recipe and prepare it for Durga Puja to make the festival even more memorable.

Ingredients:

• 10–12 Oreo biscuits with cream removed
• ½ cup maida (all-purpose flour)
• ¼ cup semolina (sooji/rava)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp sugar or jaggery
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Ghee/oil

For Sugar Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• A few saffron strands
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Method:

Step 1: Prepare Sugar Syrup

Add sugar to water and bring it to a boil until the sugar dissolves, forming a syrup with a one-string consistency. One-string consistency means when you rub the syrup between your index finger and thumb, then pull your fingers apart, a string forms, which confirms that the syrup is thick enough. After that, flavor the syrup with cardamom powder and saffron. Keep it warm so it absorbs well in malpua.

Step 2: Make the Malpua Batter

Crush Oreo cookies into a fine powder, then mix it with flour, semolina, sugar, fennel seeds, and cardamom powder. Now, gradually add milk to the mixture to turn it into a smooth pancake-like batter. Add some baking powder to help the malpua puff up. Baking powder will make malpua spongy and delicious.

Step 3: Fry the Malpuas

Add ghee to a shallow pan for frying malpuas. Ladle some batter onto heated ghee and press it down slightly to make it flat and spread evenly. You can spread it out as big as you want to make massive malpua or bite-sized malpua. Remember to be creative! Fry malpua on medium heat until it turns golden brown and crisp on the edges. Take the malpua out and keep a paper towel to soak up extra oil.

Step 4: Dip in Syrup & Serve

Once malpua is fried, soak it immediately in the prepared warm sugar syrup for about 30 to 40 seconds. Remove it from the sugar syrup, drain excess syrup, and garnish with a few Oreo crumbs and nuts.

Tips To Get Perfect Crisp Edges For Oreo Malpua:

• The key to making perfectly crisp malpua lies in the batter. When the batter is too thin, malpuas will turn out to be soggy, and more oil will get absorbed into them, which ruins the whole experience. When the batter is too thick, malpuas will become dense and remain uncooked in the center. Therefore, the batter should have a pancake-like consistency.
• The proper batter is neither too thin nor too thick. It is spreadable yet holds up well together when fried.
• Fry malpuas on medium flame. When you fry on low heat, it absorbs more oil, making the malpuas oily. When you fry at high heat, the edges burn, while the center remains uncooked and soggy.
• Using semolina in the batter adds texture and helps make malpuas crispy.
• Dip malpuas in sugar syrup while they are still hot and not cooled. Hot malpuas absorb syrup while retaining their crunch. Cooled-down malpuas will become soggy after dipping.