Mysore Pak or Mysore Pa is the first recipe that I wrote when making a list for this month’s Explore The Flavors Mega BM. Mysore pak is a pretty intimidating sweet and even the experts have their fingers crossed when making it. The ingredients are very simple and it just essentially needs 3 ingredients to make it. Mysore Pak is very rich and we should not be watching calories when making it. It does need quite a bit of ghee and please do not compromise or reduce the amount as that is what gives the Mysore Pak its distinct taste and texture. There are many recipes that call for oil and ghee together. It will work to make the Mysore Pak, but if you are looking for that authentic flavor, then it has to be all ghee and no oil. Like with all the burfi, finding the end stage is very critical. You take it out early and it will result in a chewy Mysore Pak. You take it out late and it will be crumbly. If I was to make a mistake, I would take it a touch later than earlier. It takes a couple of attempts to get the texture right and figure out the end product. But trust me, it is not as intimidating as what everyone says. It takes very few minutes to make it. From start to finish, it took me under 30 minutes to make the Mysore Pa. Just make sure that you are not multitasking when making the Mysore Pak. You need to be with it, stirring and pouring hot ghee every couple of minutes for that perfect texture. I asked my cousins back in India for the recipe and that is when my mother’s cousin gave me the recipe for Mysore Pak and the procedure saying that my mother had taught her long ago and to this day it works great. I was very happy to hear that it was my mother’s recipe. Not that it makes a difference as Mysore Pak just has 3 ingredients, but it still made me very happy. I began my Mega Marathon cooking with this Mysore Pak and I am so happy that it worked great the first time. Preparation time - 10 minutesCooking time - 20 minutesDifficulty level - Intermediate
Ingredients to make Mysore Pak - Makes 12 Large Pieces
Kadalai Maavu / Besan / Chickpea flour - ½ cup Sugar - 1 ¼ cup Nei / Ghee - 1 cup Water - ½ cup
Procedure to make Mysore Pak -
Measure the kadalai maavu / besan into a bowl. This step ensures that there are no lumps in the Mysore Pak and the besan incorporates easily into the sugar syrup.
Grease a metal pan with ghee and keep it ready. Make sure that the pan is slightly tall as when we pour the Mysore Pak, it will be very foamy and bubbling. I used an 8 x 5 loaf pan.
In a saucepan, heat the nei / ghee until it is melted. Now lower the flame and simmer the ghee. The ghee should be very hot but not smoking. So adjust the temperature in such a way that the ghee is constantly hot. We will be pouring hot ghee into the besan mixture to make the Mysore Pak.
In a wide pan, add the sugar along with ½ cup of water. Heat the sugar mixture until the sugar melts and starts to boil. Keep stirring the sugar mixture until we reach the one-string consistency. This happens quite quickly, so keep a constant eye on the syrup and keep stirring.
Once the sugar syrup reaches, a one-string consistency, add the sifted besan in batches and mix well using a whisk. The whisk helps in making the mixture smooth without forming any lumps.
Once all the besan is added and the mixture starts bubbling, start adding a ladle full of hot ghee into the mixture and stir it to incorporate. Place the ghee and the besan mixture in adjacent flames, so it is easy to pour and mix. Keep mixing the mixture with one hand. You will notice that the ghee will be absorbed by the besan mixture right away.
At this stage, add another ladle full of ghee and mix. Keep adding ghee and mixing until almost all the ghee is done and the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan and begins to thicken and bubble up.
Once the mixture is very foamy and bubbling, pour it right away into the prepared pan. Identifying this end stage comes with practice and do not be disheartened if it is not the right consistency the first time. Took out early, the Mysore Pa will be on the chewier side. If taken out later, the Mysore Pak will be crumbly, but the flavor will not be compromised. If you have to make a mistake, I would say, remove it later than earlier as it will still be edible then.
Do not disturb the pan and let the Mysore Pa cook down for about 15 - 20 minutes. When it is still a little warm, using a sharp knife, make markings to slice the Mysore Pak.
Once it is completely cooled down, cut the pieces out and enjoy.
Have all the ingredients measured and ready. Grease the pan and keep it ready.
Make sure that you sift the Besan / Kadalai Maavu as it prevents having lumps. Also using a whisk really helps in getting the batter smooth.
Pouring hot ghee every couple of minutes gives the Mysore Pak its distinct texture. Please follow it and be careful when doing it. Try to avoid multitasking as it comes around very quickly and you don’t want to miss the last stage.
More Burfi Recipes for Diwali
Thengai Burfi / Coconut Burfi - A delicious and chewy burfi made with freshly grated coconut. One of the easiest burfi recipes to make Badam Burfi / Almond Burfi - A perfect recipe to make for special occasions made with almonds and sugar. Kaju Katli / Cashew Burfi - If you are a lover of nuts, this is the recipe you need to try. Just like store-bought, if not better. Lauki Burfi / Bottle gourd Burfi - A wonderful dessert made with bottle gourd. Milk Burfi - A traditional milk sweet that is perfect for all festive occasions. 7 Cup Cake / Burfi - One of my favorite burfi to make when in a hurry and it works like a charm every time. Maida Burfi - One of the easiest burfi recipes and I would call it the beginner recipe. Simple and easy to make. If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter/X
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