Manas Manohar
Malpua
Malpua is one such traditional dish, which is made in one way or the other in every part of India. It is specially made in Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan etc. on the day of Holi. Making it is not a difficult task. Just, once you understand its method, then it can be made very easily.
Malpua usually consists of two parts – Pua and its syrup or Rabri. First let’s talk about making Pua. Malpua is prepared in different ways in different areas. Some people make it only with maida, some people add rava i.e. semolina to the flour, while some people add rice flour. But it can also be made with only the flour used everyday at home. It would be better to take half the quantity of maida and half of the daily use flour to make it. A batter of this flour has to be prepared. For this, keep the quantity of half milk and half water. If you want better results, then you can add rabri or milkmaid to it.
Mix the flour and flour well. Grind small cardamom and fennel in it and add. Then add sugar. According to the quantity, if one cup of flour is taken, then half a teaspoon of cardamom and fennel powder and quarter cup of sugar is sufficient. About half a liter of water and milk mixture will be needed to make its solution. If adding milkmaid, then keep in mind the amount of water.
In this ratio, you can take as many ingredients as you want to make pudding. After adding all the ingredients, mix well so that no lumps remain in it. Then cover it and keep it for at least an hour. It would be better to keep it overnight.
Now take the same quantity of sugar as the number of cups of flour you had taken and water in half its quantity. That is, if there is a cup of sugar, then take half a cup of water. Heat it in a pan and mix it. When it starts boiling, add crushed cardamom seeds and some saffron seeds too. If the sugar solution becomes sticky, then switch off the flame.
Heat enough oil in a pan for frying. When the oil becomes hot, reduce the flame to medium. Then look at the solution. It should be so thin that if you put it in the oil with a ladle, it should fall evenly. Not too thin, not too thick. Take the batter with the help of a ladle and pour it into the oil and cook till it turns golden brown in color from both the sides.
One of the hallmarks of the ripening of Puya is that it starts swelling and piercing. That is, the Pua is cooked crisp from above and soft from inside. Now dip these puas in sugar syrup for five to seven minutes and then take them out. Put crushed nuts on them. Thus, while serving Malpua, Rabri is poured over it. If you can serve it with Rabri, then it is good, otherwise you can serve it without it. It is a dessert of sweets and a meal of food.
Moong dal dumplings
On the day of Holi, people are filled with sweets like Gujhiya etc. In such a situation, there is a desire to eat something spicy, some salty, some spicy. Therefore, on the day of Holi, there is a trend of serving pakodas with different types of dishes. When serving pakodas, serve moong dal pakodas instead of gram flour. They are very crunchy and have a distinct taste.
Even for making moong dal pakodas, preparation has to be done four-five hours in advance. Soak a cup of washed moong dal after washing it thoroughly and keep it for four to five hours. Then drain it and grind it in a mixer. Make sure not to use too much water in this, otherwise it will become a thin batter. We have to keep a little thick batter only. You can decide the quantity of moong dal according to your need. After making the solution, put a small spoon in it, cover it and keep it for half an hour.
Till then, prepare other ingredients to put in it. If you have a cup of lentils, then take a medium sized carrot, half capsicum, one onion (if you get green onion, it is better), two green chilies, a little ginger, some green coriander and grind them finely- Finely chop or grate. Add all these vegetables to the ground dal. Add tsp crushed red chilli, tsp vegetable masala, tsp turmeric, tsp chaat masala and a pinch of asafoetida.