You must have eaten halwa and malpura separately, but did you know in some parts of Sindh the combination is a popular breakfast item? It’s called seero malpuro.
The halwa is prepared with sooji or wheat flour, and the malpura with wheat flour, all-purpose flour and milk. In my family though, we combine these two with slightly salted boiled chickpeas, to balance the sweet with the savoury.
This is a recipe for wheat halwa. Atta halwa is a popular Sindhi dish in India as well, and it the prasad that is given out in mandirs, known as kadha prasad in India.
This is a dish reserved for mostly special occasions like Eid or lazy Sunday mornings. But you can cook it for iftar or as a post-iftar snack. It is a wholesome meal and if taken in moderation, won’t make you feel full.
Here’s all you need for the recipe (for 3-4 people)
For halwa
Take half a cup of desi ghee (approx 100grams) and put in a frying pan and heat on full flame. If you don’t have desi ghee, use any unsalted butter but add a tablespoon of oil because otherwise it would burn. Take a large-sized cup of wheat flour.
When the ghee has melted, add the flour to it in batches for proper mixing. (Like in regular cooking, don’t wait for the oil to be too hot, or simmering). You have to keep stirring with the spatula continuously or you’ll get a lumpy batter. After two minutes, take a large cup of water (same amount as wheat) and keep adding it in batches to the flour. Add four tablespoons of sugar and two cardamoms. Add nuts. Keep roasting it till medium-brown, and does not smell of uncooked flour. This should take you 7-8 minutes.
For malpura
Take one large-sized bowl, and add equal amounts of wheat flour and all-purpose flour so that the bowl is half-full. Add just a pinch, no more, of baking soda. Add three tablespoons of sugar. Mix them. Then add half a glass (approx 150ml) of water and half a cup of milk (or coconut/almond milk) and whip until relatively smooth. Keep mixing smaller amounts of water, whipping well before you add more. Mix until the batter is smooth, and there are no lumps and the sugar is dissolved. The final batter should be not too thick, and not too runny. If it’s runny, the malpura will break when frying.
To cook: Take half a cup of desi ghee (approx 100grams) and put in a shallow frying pan and heat on medium flame. You can use pancake rings or put directly in the pan in a circular direction and finishing it off in the middle. Remember, these are malpuras, not western-style pancakes, and they are not supposed to be as thick or fluffy but softer from inside and crispy from outside. Put the batter on the pan accordingly. Fry till golden brown.
For chickpeas
The chickpeas will have to be soaked in water overnight to cook quickly. Take two small cups of chickpeas. Take a big cooking pot, fill it to the brim with water, and put the chickpeas to boil. Add a tablespoon of salt.
All three items are ready now. Serve all in a plate, and take turns eating halwa with malpura and chickpeas.
