MYSORE PAK

Dish of the Day- Mysore Pak

Place- Mysore, Karnataka.

Mysore Pak as a sweet is probably one of the richest you will ever come across. Generous amounts of ghee and sugar make up this lovely yellow- brown sweet dish.

The origin of the Mysore Pak recipe was by a cook named Kakasura Madappa at the Mysore Palace, while experimenting with besan/ chick pea flour in the kitchen.

People watching their weight should not even look at a piece of Mysore Pak. The best way to tell if it’s an authentic mysore pak is to pop it in your mouth and see if it melts. If it does, I can guarantee you’ll feel like you’re in heaven! Loaded with calories, this mithai makes up for being so fattening by being equally delicious!

Food lovers must try the mysore pak at Sri Krishna Sweets- it is to die for!

How to cook it Up:- (serves 4 people)

Chick pea flour (Besan)……..1 cup

Pure Ghee………………………...1 cup

Sugar………………………………..2 cups

Water…………………………...…1/2 cup

Directions:-

        1) Mix the flour with a little ghee.

       2) Heat the sugar in water till reaches a ball consistency.

   3) Slowly add the flour stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.

       4) When it is well blended, pour in the hot ghee very slowly and keep stirring continuously.

   5) Cook till the mixture becomes frothy and the ghee separates.

   6) Spread out the mixture on a greased plate.

   7) When firm, cut the mysore pak into squares.

* Cooking this dish requires a lot of patience and constant stirring to see that no lumps are formed.

* Do not share with neighbours- they WILL come back asking for more! ;)

VANAKKAM ( Welcome)

Welcome to the land of curries, coconut and coffee! Karnataka (language:Kannada), Kerala (language: Malayalam), Tamilnadu (language: Tamil), and Andhra Pradesh (language: Telugu) are the four states that make up this region.

When people mistake me for a Bengali, I usually correct them saying I’m a South Indian. Promptly, the next question I get is, “Toh matlab Madrasi na?” That’s when I go on to describe how there are four states that exist and  how they’re all very different from each other but have a few common elements with respect to their cuisine, attire and style of living; and that the difference between Tamilnadu and Kerala is as vast as that between West Bengal and Assam.

“Arre lekin Bengal aur Assam mein toh bahut farak hai!”

That’s why I decided to start a blog. A blog that lets me write about my passion and that helps people understand what South Indian cooking is all about. Using the three C’s (coffee, curry, coconut) and four states;  with various permutations and combinations you can stir up a meal peculiar to each one of those states. The dishes are similar yet different, complicated but easy to cook, laden with spices yet not spicy! 

I invite you to try a few. You can taste them, rate them and maybe even whip them up at home! 
Most importantly, don't forget to get your banana leaf!