Malpua is the classical sweet dish of India which is known, since the age of Vedas. This dessert is popular on every street and household across the peninsula, so ignoring it is impossible. This oldest crunchy, soft and sweet course dipped in the sugar syrup is enjoyed by every single Indian.

This dish is like a small deep fried pancake that is soaked in sugar syrup. It comes in various forms across the Indian subcontinent. The first literal source of this sweet dish is found in the oldest Veda, Rig-Veda. It was known as ‘apupa’, it was made with barley flour fried in ghee and fashioned in honey (the oldest sweetener). The Malpua made with Rice flour and sugar came later.

Like all the Indian cuisine, Malpua also went through many transformations. The evolution of this sweet dish makes a fascinating narrative. The changes are made in preparation of dough which was made with milk, clarified butter and species like cardamom, pepper and ginger added to it. These changes in this veg-sweetmeat explain the great cutlery skills of that time. The later texts like the Upanishads and Brahmanas also talk of this. The type of Malpua made with eggs and mawa was popular in the Islamic royal courts.

This dish is also served as a Prasad (offering) to Lord Jagannath in Odisha and considered one of the Chappan Bhog. It is popular in Nepal during Hoil festival and in the state of West Bengal, it is eaten with 'pithley’. The aroma of malpua during Ramzan on the whole Mohammad Ali road in Mumbai can give anyone a sweet tooth.

So guys, at least once enjoy this traditional and delicious sweet dish. To celebrate this flavoured and popular dish, India Post has issued a stamp in 2017.

To know more about other Indian cuisines click here.