Arun Kapil’s Indian malpua pancakes

1. To make the malpua batter, add all the ingredients to a bowl from flour down to water in the ingredients list and whisk to a smooth batter. You’re looking for a thick pouring consistency. Cover with a clean cloth and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge.

2. Make the syrup by adding the sugar and water to a thick bottomed pan, quick stir, place over a medium to gentle heat and cook until the sugar dissolves, about three to four minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, saffron threads, stir and set aside in the pan.

3. When it’s time to cook, add a small pinch of the baking soda to the batter and stir well to combine.

4. Reheat the sugar syrup so it’s warm.

5. Add the ghee to a small fry or sauté pan and heat to an ideal 170 degrees if you have a cooking thermometer, or until a piece of bread lightly browns in about 20 seconds.

6. Take 50ml to 60ml of batter, I use a quarter cup measure, and carefully pour it into the hot fat. The batter will naturally spread to form its own shape. The pan I use can fit two pancakes in at once, so add a second scoop of batter if you can.

7. When you see the pancake bubble, fluff-up and brown lightly around the edges, carefully flip it over with a couple of forks and cook the other side, a couple of mins each side should do it.

8. Once cooked, immediately drop into the warm sugar syrup for half a minute or so. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

9. Serve immediately with chopped pistachios, toasted almonds, vanilla ice-cream and clotted cream.

Suggestions:

For a slightly healthier version serve with a fruit purée, or mango or pineapple slices – tinned are perfect.

·You can add 125g of mashed banana to the batter instead of the yoghurt if you’d like and maybe a sprinkle or two of desiccated coconut.