Malpua (Cardamom Pancakes in Sugar Syrup)

Name: Malpua (Cardamom Pancakes in Sugar Syrup)
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150g plain flour; 50g fine semolina; 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed; 0.5 tsp ground cardamom; 300ml whole milk; 200g caster sugar; 150ml water; 1 tsp lemon juice; 100g ghee, for frying; 0.25 tsp saffron strands

Thin, lacy-edged fennel and cardamom pancakes fried in ghee and dipped in warm sugar syrup.

Time45 min
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.42 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

6 pancakes (10)

Ingredients

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150 gplain flour
50 gfine semolina
1 tspfennel seedslightly crushed
½ tspground cardamom
300 mlwhole milk
200 gcaster sugar
150 mlwater
1 tsplemon juice
100 ggheefor frying
¼ tspsaffron strands

Method

1
Whisk the flour, semolina, fennel and cardamom with the milk to a smooth, pourable batter like single cream. Rest for 20 minutes.
20 min
2
Make the syrup: simmer the sugar, water, saffron and lemon juice for 6 to 8 minutes until slightly sticky. Keep warm.
7 min
3
Melt a thin layer of ghee in a non stick frying pan over a medium heat.
4
Pour in a small ladle of batter and spread it to about 10 cm. Fry for 2 minutes until the edges are crisp and brown, then flip for 1 more minute.
3 min
5
Dip the hot pancake in the warm syrup for 30 seconds, turn it over and lift it out onto a plate.
6
Repeat, adding more ghee as needed, and serve warm.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.