Malabar Style Wheat Paal Cake (Traditional Fried Milk Cake)
A delicious, soft-on-the-inside and slightly crispy-on-the-outside traditional Malabar tea-time snack made with whole wheat flour (gothambu podi) and soaked in sugar syrup. This sweet and spongy fried milk cake is a absolute favorite to enjoy with a hot cup of tea!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prepare the Dough: In a clean mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of whole wheat flour, a pinch of baking powder, and a pinch of cardamom powder. Add a little milk and a spoonful of oil or ghee, and knead it into a smooth, soft dough.
- Shape the Paal Cakes: Divide the dough into small portions, roll them into small balls or desired shapes, and flatten them slightly (or shape them traditionally as shown in the video).
- Make Sugar Syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar and water and boil it to make a medium-consistency sugar syrup (add a touch of cardamom powder for extra aroma).
- Fry the Cakes: Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium flame. Gently drop the shaped wheat cakes into the hot oil. Fry them on low-to-medium heat until they turn a rich golden brown color and are cooked thoroughly through the center.
- Soak in Sugar Syrup: Remove the fried cakes from the oil and immediately drop them into the warm sugar syrup. Let them soak in the syrup for a few minutes so they absorb the sweetness nicely.
- Serve: Take them out of the syrup and serve your juicy, traditional Malabar Paal Cake!
Video
Notes
Frying Temperature: Always fry on a low-to-medium flame so that the inside cooks properly without burning the outer layer too quickly.
Syrup Consistency: Ensure the sugar syrup is warm when adding the freshly fried cakes for better absorption.
Syrup Consistency: Ensure the sugar syrup is warm when adding the freshly fried cakes for better absorption.