Malpua

Malpuas are banana fritters that are commonly served as a dessert or a snack in the Indian state of Orissa. They are also popular in other parts of eastern India, such as Bihar.

The batter for Malpuas are prepared by crushing ripe bananas into a pulp, adding flour, and either a little water or milk. The mixture is delicately seasoned with cardamoms. It is deep fried in oil, and served hot. In one version of the recipe, enough sugar is added to the batter to sweeten it before frying, as is done in Bihar, whereas in another method more prevalent in Orissa, the fritters are dipped in sugar syrup after frying, instead.

Malpua is also popular in West Bengal and Maharashtra where it is served during festivals along with other sweets. There are other variations of Malpua, where bananas are replaced with pineapples or mangoes.

Malpuas in most parts of North India (certainly in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan) don't contain any fruit. There are several variations, using some or all of the following ingredients: maida (refined flour), semolina, milk and yogurt. The batter is left to stand for a few hours before being spooned into a kadhai of hot oil to form a bubbling pancake which should be crisp around the edges. The pancakes are then immersed in a thick sugar syrup. Malpua is a popular sweet to make on Holi.