Meetha Pua Sweet Dumplings
Meetha Pua
Yashoda Gupta
Puas are small, sweet, chapatti flour dumplings or pakoras, deep fried in ghee or oil. These are made on many Hindu festivals.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
250 gm. chapatti flour (if using whole-wheat flour, mix with 50/50 white flour)
200 gm sugar
Enough milk to make a batter (about 100-125 ml.)
1/2 tsp. green cardamom (illaichi) powder
A few strands of saffron, soaked in a tbs. Warm milk
1 tsp. poppy seeds or ‘khus-khus’ or ‘post’
Enough ghee or oil to deep fry
Instructions
Warm milk to hand hot and dissolve sugar in it.
Add cardamom powder, saffron and khus-khus seeds.
Make a batter of flour using this milk. It should be of dropping consistency.
Heat the ghee/oil in a wok/karahi to moderate heat. It should not be smoking hot. Test the oil temperature by dropping a tiny drop of batter in it. This should sizzle and rise to the top quickly, but not brown too fast.
Drop dollops of the batter, gently from the side of the pan using your fingers or a dessert spoon. Dropping from a height may splash hot oil onto your hands, so be careful.
They will fluff up and float at the top. Fry, turning over frequently, until they are evenly browned on all sides.
Serve hot, either by themselves or cream or ice-cream.
