This easy bread malpua with instant khoya is a simplified twist on the traditional deep-fried dessert. The bread is toasted in ghee until crunchy, then soaked in a saffron-cardamom syrup, topped with a quick khoya made from ricotta and milk powder, and garnished with crushed pistachios.
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What is malpua vs. bread malpua?
Malpua is a traditionally North Indian deep-fried pancake that is soaked in a saffron-cardamom syrup and often served with mawa, khoya, or rabri.
This bread malpua is a riff on this classic dessert which cuts the step of making the batter and instead uses pre-made bread as the fluffy base. Using fluffy white bread instead of batter eliminates the need for deep frying and eggs. Traditionally, malpua is circular, but I find it easier to cut the bread into squares; hence the shape of bread malpua in this recipe.
Ingredients for instant khoya topping
Traditionally, khoya is made by slowly stirring whole milk until it condenses into a thick and creamy condensed milk. Making khoya from scratch is pretty time consuming and error prone.
My bread malpua recipe has an accompanying quick and creamy khoya topping that puts it over the top! So for this recipe, we take a shortcut that results in a similar taste without taking so much time. The khoya topping adds a salty and creamy contrast to the crunchy and sweet bread. Here are my tips for making a quick khoya topping:
- Milk Powder - Low fat milk powder will work for this but for a richer taste, use whole milk powder. The milk powder gives the iconic milky taste of khoya.
- Whole Milk Ricotta - A rich and creamy cheese that simulates the creaminess of khoya. You can also substitute marscapone for ricotta.
- Sugar - Adds the sweetness to the instant khoya.
- Salt
If you want to make more of a rabri, a sweetened version of khoya, you can mix saffron, a pinch of cardamom powder, and increase the sugar to create a rabri topping.
Buy Now → Tips for making bread malpua
- Cutting bread malpua into squares instead of circles saves time.
- Be patient and toast the bread squares thoroughly to ensure they stay crispy once dunked in syrup.
- Use ample ghee to toast the bread malpua not only for the taste but also to help brown the bread.
- Make sure that the syrup is a thick consistency that leaves a thin coating on the back of the spoon. A thin syrup will contain too much water and make the malpua soggy. This is why the recipe calls for a syrup with a higher ratio of sugar to water.
- Make sure the syrup is at maximum 110F. Any hotter and the bread has a risk of dissolving in the syrup.
- Quickly dip the malpua in syrup using tongs. Don't allow the malpua to sit in the syrup or else it will become soggy.
- Ensure that the khoya and is room temperature so it is easy to spread on top.
- Sprinkle roasted and salted pistachios on top for a salty crunch.
Storage tips for bread malpua
- Make ahead:
- Syrup: The syrup for the malpua can be made up to a week ahead and stored at room temp or in the fridge. Add a bit of lemon juice if you plan on storing the syrup for a long period of time as it prevents crystallization of sugar. However, if the syrup does crystalize, add a tablespoon of water at a time to the syrup and reheat on medium-low temperature until it becomes liquidy.
- Khoya/Mawa: The khoya and mawa can be frozen for 1+ months or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Simply thaw and loosen khoya by mixing in 1 teaspoon of warm milk at a time until it becomes a frosting consistency.
- If making for a party, toast and soak the bread on the day of the event for the best texture.
- Bread malpua is best eaten within 1-2 days of making it. It needs to be stored in the fridge as soon as the mawa is added as a topping. The bread will become stale and lose its crunch the longer it stays in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Syrup for bread malpua can be made 1+ weeks in advance, the khoya can be made 2-3 days in advance, and the bread should be toasted on the day of.
The bread malpua could be soft if you did not toast the bread in ghee enough to really yield a crunchy crouton, the sugar syrup was too watery, the sugar syrup was too warm, or you dunked the bread malpua in the sugar syrup too long.
You can buy milk powder at most grocery stores or online.
This syrup is essentially gulab jamun syrup. You can use the leftover for pancakes or make this gulab jamun cocktail with it!
Bread malpua is best eaten within 1-2 days of making it. It needs to be stored in the fridge as soon as the mawa is added as a topping. The bread will become stale and lose its crunch the longer it stays in the fridge.
Other Indian desserts you may like
Easy Bread Malpua with Instant Khoya
Ingredients
Rich Saffron Cardamom Syrup Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) water
- 3-4 cardamom pods slightly crushed
- 10-15 strands of saffron
Instant Khoya Topping Ingredients
- ½ cup (140 g) whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup (56 g) milk powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Bread Malpua Ingredients
- 4 slices white bread
- ¼ cup ghee salted, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons pistachios salted and roasted, finely chopped
- Flaky sea salt to sprinkle on top
Instructions
Make syrup
- Add ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ½ cup (110 g) water, 3-4 cardamom pods, and 10-15 strands of saffron in a small saucepan on medium heat to create an enriched syrup.
- Allow the syrup to come to a rolling boil and ensure that the sugar granules are fully dissolved.
- Turn off the heat. Allow the syrup to cool and the cardamom and saffron to infuse the syrup for 10-15 minutes. Once the syrup cools, it should be slightly thickened. The syrup should be the consistency of vegetable oil.
Make the instant khoya
- Mix ½ cup (140 g) whole milk ricotta, ½ cup (56 g) milk powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt until the milk powder is combined with the ricotta. The khoya should be thick with the consistency of frosting. It is okay if the khoya has small bumps and isn’t completely smooth. Set khoya to the side.
Toast bread
- Stack the bread in a small stack. Then cut crust off 4 slices white bread using a serrated knife.
- Next, cut each slice into 4 squares.
- Set up a sheet tray with a wire rack on top. This is setup for the bread to sit on after toasting and soaking in the sugar syrup. The wire rack helps excess sugar syrup drip off.
- In a wide pan on medium-low heat, add enough ghee to create a thin layer of ghee. The recipe accounts for ~1 tablespoon of ghee per every 4 squares; however, you may need more or less ghee depending on how wide your pan is. You can alternatively spread the ghee on each square before it hits the pan to ensure that it gets the right coverage of ghee.
- Wait for the ghee in the pan to warm up before adding the cut slices of bread and toast on one side until golden brown.
- Flip and toast on the other side; the second side will not get as golden as the first side. It is important that you toast each square until it is crunchy on both sides with enough ghee so it is like a crunchy crouton. If not, when the pieces are soaked in the syrup, they will become too soft and soggy.
Assemble Bread Malpua
- Using tongs or a fork, quickly dip each bread crouton on both sides into the syrup and place on a sheet tray or serving platter to allow the excess syrup to drip off.
- Using an offset spatula or spoon, swoop the creamy khoya topping diagonally on the square. If the khoya has thickened too much, loosen the mixture with 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it is a spreadable frosting consistency.
- Sprinkle the bread malpua with crushed pistachios and flaky sea salt and enjoy. The malpua is best eaten at room temperature. You can alternatively store it in the fridge for ~1-2 days and take it out and allow it to come to room temperature before serving. DO NOT warm the malpua in the microwave once made as it will create bread that is soggy.
Notes and Tips
- Make syrup ahead: You can make this syrup weeks before you are ready to have the malpua. Simply store it in the fridge in a sealed container. If you plan on storing the syrup for a long time, squeeze ½ teaspoon of lemon juice in the syrup to ensure it doesn’t crystallize. If the syrup does crystallize, you can add a tablespoon of water and simmer on the stovetop until the crystals melt. Before using the syrup, warm the syrup up slightly warmer than room temperature so that the malpua can easily absorb the syrup.
- Make ahead khoya: The khoya can be made 1-4 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. The khoya will become thicker as it sits in the fridge; simply add 1 teaspoon of milk to the khoya, mix, and warm in the microwave in increments of 10 seconds until the khoya is a frosting consistency.
- Bread malpua is best eaten within 1-2 days of making. It needs to be stored in the fridge as soon as the mawa is added as a topping. The bread will become stale and lose its crunch the longer it stays in the fridge.
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