Malpua with Rabri and Perdine’s Creamy Orange Blossom Honey

Golden delights, delicate and tantalizing, pile high atop a polished plate. The outer limits of these opulent discs are crisp brown and glistening against the onrush of accompanying light. Seated around a packed kitchen table diners wait patiently to reach and snatch the dessert to at last revel in the rich flavors that await their palettes. For those (not many) unfamiliar with the dessert at the center of the table, the question persists, ‘What are these exquisite delights, and what in the world has bedizened their tops?’

Should you find yourself around the kitchen table of Shuvabrato, the answer would come back confidently, ‘This is Malpua with Rabri, and the colorful garnish is Perdine Creamy Orange Honey with a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds.’

The heads of diners would swivel back and forth between the description and the iridescent desert upon the table. The creamy orange honey is thick and brilliant, drizzling down the side of the stacked Malpua. The sliced almonds, almost imperceptible to the human ear, provide the subtle crunch that beckons diners closer and closer. In the culturally nuanced regions of infinite India, one can find aromatic Malpua in the North, the batter bathed in ghee, reflecting the grandeur of the region, whilst Eastern charisma carries through with the coastal variation favoring grated coconut in its fermented dough, imbuing it with a sweetened blend of tangy goodness. In the West, among the desert sands of Rajasthan, the Malpua are garnished with crushed black pepper and fragrant fennel seeds, fried until crisp, and dipped in saffron sugar syrup, the enchanting dance of sweet and savory culminating in a flavorsome crescendo. In the Southern realms, plantain takes to the stage, snatching the spotlight and transforming Malpua into Pazham Pori or Ethakka Apam, the deep-fried bananas resulting in a crispy exterior that is contrasted beautifully by the soft and sweet interior of the transformed dessert.

Right across India there are Odd Pairings which result in wonderful dishes, so it only makes sense that such creativity would find its way to the table of Shuvabrato – chef extraordinaire and Malpua aficionado.