Mysore Pak | Mysore Pa for SNC

Deepavali / Diwali is around the corner and the blogsphere is loaded with sweets and savories for the occasion. So I am joining the band wagon and posting this Mysore Pak for the Diwali season and for SNC which is celebrating its first Anniversary!

South Vs North Challenge or SNC is a food community started of Divya Pramil of You Too Can Cook . The group is divided into 2 groups – North and South team based on where they hail from.The members of the opposite group pose challenges each month to the other group and the challenge is to prepare and post it.

This month we got a free reign and we were given the whole of last years recipes to try out and it could be from the North or the South team’s Challenges.

Syrup based sweets are something I am a little hesitant of trying out. So to celebrate this Anniversary, I chose the mysore Pak challenge that was posted for the North team by Divya last October. I mainly wanted to try this out to get out of my phobia for such kind of desserts and I feel I needn’t have worried so much about it!

When I attended a confectionery course a couple of years ago In the session we were told that syrup based confectionery is better and easy to make with a thermometer for reference instead of looking for the single thread / soft ball/ hard ball stage.I wanted one badly vut I was 8 months pregnant with Lil dude and I could not travel to the store that sold this thermometer which was located on the other end of the city.

One of my batch-mate,an elderly lady, got one for me when she went to that shop and that was one of the best gifts I ever got! But sadly, I never used it until last weekend!

Yes, I used the Candy thermometer to get the right consistency and I am sure with more practise I will be making them without this too…

I used:

Recipe Source : Divya’s Culinary Journey

Besan – 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Water- 1/2 cup
Oil- 1/4 cup

1. Brush a pan/tray with ghee and keep it ready. It is very essential to do this right at the start as we will not have time to do it once the mysore pak is ready. Sieve the besan and keep aside.

2. To this besan, add oil and make a paste without lumps and keep aside.

3. Heat the sugar and the water and stir once in a while. Check for the single thread consistency or use  a candy thermometer  The temperature goes up rapidly till 80 degree C then it is kind of slow, yet keep a close eye on the syrup. If you are unsure, keep the flame in low. I got the single thread consistency around 105 degree C.

If not using a Candy thermometer,check by taking a bit of the syrup between your thumb and index finger. Rub the fingers gently over the drop of syrup and take the fingers apart. If you see a thread between the fingers the stage is correct.

Once the thread consistency is reached, pour in the besan paste immediately. If you are doing it alone, you can try as I did. I switched off the flame and added the besan, mixed it well into the syrup and then witched on the flame. It is important not to let the syrup cook for longer than the required consistency. But be very careful as the syrup is very hot!

4. Mix well and keep stirring. After a few minutes add 1/3 of the ghee and mix again. Keep cooking on low flame and again after a few minutes add another 1/3 of the ghee. Repeat this till the all the ghee is added and the mixture is frothy and the color and texture of the mysore pak changes. It will come away from the sides now. Immediately, remove the pan from heat.

5. Pour into the prepared tray and spread it quickly else the Mysore Pak will harden. Let it cool for a few minutes and mark squares with a greased knife before it cool completely

After it is completely cooled, gently remove the Mysore Pak from the tray and enjoy right away or store it in an air tight container.

Note:

• During the whole process, it is essential to keep stirring and never leave the pan even for a minute. If you don’t have help, be sure to keep all the ingredients ready by the stove. 
• Also it is easy if you use a non stick pan.
• And it would be great if you get a little help from someone at home as you need to stir non stop and add ingredients at the same time. Help is especially required of you need to click pic at the same time!
• The consistency of the syrup is really very important. If you miss the correct stage, then the sweet become hard!

Now I am confident to try out similar recipes.I must say that the texture and the taste was excellent. I got a thumbs up from MIL who was the first one to taste it and the Lil one at home has asked me to make this more often! My parents loved it too and my mom said it had a good texture and looked yum too! So what more can I say!!!!

Bon Appetit…