Malpua: Your all-time favourite Holi delicacy is rooted in the Vedic culture
It is that time of the year again, when we all wait for the festival of colours, Holi. But there is much more to Holi than colours. Holi is also about celebrating the vibrancy and joys of life with friends and family while indulging in our traditional dishes such as gujiyas or thandai, and of course the finger-licking malpua.
Malpua, the name itself is enough to make your mouth water, isn’t it? This Indian version of pancake is deep-fried and then soaked in a thick sugar syrup called chashni. This is what gives it the ultimate sweetened flavour, cherished by one and all. Come, let’s trace the origin of malpua as we gear up for Holi.
The oldest Indian dessert
Standing the test of time, malpua is believed to be the oldest Indian dessert. In fact, it can be traced back to the Vedic Age, almost 3000 years with frequent mentions in Vedic literature (Rigvedas), especially the ones dating back to 1500 BC.
Back then, it was known as apupa and was made out of barley flour. At first, it was boiled in water, then deep fried in desi ghee and finally dipped in honey. During that time, it was offered only to the 'enlightened’ souls.
Okay, now here comes the most important question. Why barley? Well, as it turns out, back then, the Aryans respected it as the most important kind of grain because barley was known to provide immense strength. It was filling too. No wonder, the Aryans consumed it in high amounts as they were the fighting race.
Rajputs and their tryst with malpua
Indians have a sweet tooth and Rajputs were no exception. During the 2nd century AD, they wanted to add their native touch to malpua and started experimenting with it, replacing barley with wheat and honey with surgarcane juice. Guess what? The taste didn’t change much. To make it more unique, they also stuffed the malpuas with jaggery, cardamom, pepper, ginger and gave it the shape of small flat cakes. There was also a topping full of sugar granules and clarified butter. In fact, this exact version of malpua. known as stupped apupa or pupalike, became a Holi special introduced by the Rajputs.
The Bengali twist to malpua
Bengalis too, just like the Rajputs have been an experimental race. As a result, they added milk to flour and then deep fried the combination. In fact, it was them who also introduced the chasni (‘rawsh’) as part of the recipe that stuck around. However, instead of just eating them during Holi, Bengalis started having it earlier during the winter. What’s more interesting is that the name malpua originated from Bengal and has now become nationally acknowledged.
Amalu, another version of malpua for Lord Jagannath
In Odisha’s world-famous Jagannath Temple in Puri, every morning, a variation of malpua is served. It is called amalu and it is considered as the day’s first holy offering (Sakala Dhupa) to the deity. Amalu is made with thickened milk and very little rice flour. It is often served with mangoes, bananas or pineapples on the side. Food historians believe that amalu has been served since the time the Jagannath Temple has existed.