Mysore Pak
I have wanted to make mysore pak, a melt in your mouth, goodness of ghee and sugar sweet for ages now. The first time I tried it, it didn’t go too well (see recipe notes for what happened). But it was at the back of my mind, that I had to conquer it. And I think today was a small victory! Thanks to moral support, recipe, and videos from mom and my sister, I made it, and it was easier than I thought!
Servings Prep Time
15pieces 10minutes
Cook Time
10minutes
Servings Prep Time
15pieces 10minutes
Cook Time
10minutes
Ingredients
  • 1/2cup besan/chickpea flour
  • 3/4cup ghee/clarified butter
  • 1cup sugarI could have used a bit less, it was a bit too sweet for us
Tools/equipment
  • 1pan to fry the besan with ghee
  • 1heavy bottomed pan to make the sugar syrup and the mysore pak
Instructions
  1. Make the ghee, measure it and keep. Measure besan, and sugar, grease a plate with ghee and keep it ready.
  2. Heat a sauce pan, and roast the besan slightly. When it’s warm, add half of the ghee and make a thick slurry.
  3. In the meantime, dissolve the sugar in very little water, (I did it in a thick bottomed pan) and make a thin syrup. There is no need to bring it to any string consistency, just dissolve it.
  4. Now, add the besan and ghee paste to this and reduce the heat, and keep stirring.
  5. It’ll start bubbling, keep stirring, and add ghee in small quantities, while still sirring, and the mass will become thicker and slightly solid. Keep adding the ghee, and when you’ve used it all up, keep stirring.
  6. A couple of things happen to let you know it’s ready – the mass becomes slightly solid, with a kind of honeycomb look, and if you drop a piece on the plate, it forms into a solid in a minute or so.
  7. Now turn the heat off, and drop the mass on to the greased plate. As it spreads, flatten the top with the back of a spoon.
  8. It will become a soft, pliable and semi-solid mass. At this stage, while it’s still warm, take a knife or a pizza slicer, and make diamond cuts.
  9. Your mysore pak will set very quickly, and ready to be devoured! And as they say about Pringles (or is it Lays? whatever), you can’t just have one! Store in an airtight stainless steel or glass container and enjoy for a few days, if you’re lucky!
Recipe Notes

The first and the only other time I tried making this delectable, ghee-laden dessert, this happened, and I was traumatized for a few years. But then, it became a little nagging voice that I couldn’t take anymore, and decided to try it again. And I was glad I did, because now I know I can make it!

ps. Read a parody, written by a fellow blogger, and possibly my son, here.

Tips:

  1. I would reduce the sugar a little bit, as it was a bit too sweet for me.
  2. The general ratio of besan:ghee:sugar according to my mom and my sister who are both experts in this 1:1.5:2, and that’s what I followed.
  3. I am not why mine turned slightly darker in color as the taste is perfect. I think it may be due to the raw/unrefined sugar I used. My sister thinks I may have roasted the besan a bit too much. Either way, it didn’t affect the taste.

Hope you try this, and have fun at it! This is a very quick recipe, and with the ghee already made, it took me less than 30 minutes.