Mysore Pak (Soft Gram Flour and Ghee Fudge)
میسور پاک (بیسن اور گھی کی نرم برفی)
Mysore pak was created in the kitchens of the Mysore Palace in Karnataka, and it's still the city's most famous sweet. Only three ingredients go in: , sugar and a lot of ghee. Hot ghee is poured into the cooking gram flour and syrup a little at a time, so the mixture froths, puffs and forms tiny air pockets. The soft version, made famous by Mysore's sweet shops, melts in the mouth; the older, harder style is porous and crumbly. Both are rich.
- ⏱ Total: 30 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Hard
- Serves 12
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Grease a 20 cm square tin with ghee. Mix the besan with ¼ cup of the hot ghee into a smooth, lump-free paste. Keep the rest of the ghee hot on a low flame.
In a heavy karahi, heat the sugar and water, stirring until dissolved, and boil for 3–4 minutes to one-string consistency.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the besan paste, stirring constantly so no lumps form.
Add the hot ghee 2–3 tablespoons at a time, stirring after each until absorbed. Keep going for 8–10 minutes: the mixture will bubble, froth and turn porous, and start leaving the sides with a little ghee separating.
Add the cardamom and pour immediately into the tin. Don't press it down. Cut into squares after 5 minutes while warm, and leave to set completely for 1–2 hours before removing.
Kitchen notes
Keep the ghee hot; cold ghee won't make the mixture froth.
Pour it out the moment it froths and leaves the sides; a minute too long and it turns hard.
Store in an airtight box for up to 2 weeks.
A sweet from the palace
The story goes that Mysore pak was first made by Kakasura Madappa, a cook in the royal kitchens of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore, in the early 20th century. Asked its name, he simply called it the “pak” (sweet) of Mysore. It’s still a symbol of the city, sold in famous sweet shops and taken home as a gift.
Hard or soft?
There are two styles. The traditional one is golden, firm and full of tiny holes, slightly crumbly. The modern soft style, made famous by Mysore’s sweet shops, uses more ghee and is poured out earlier, so it melts in the mouth. This recipe makes the soft kind.
Ghee and froth
Hot ghee added to the cooking gram flour and syrup reacts and froths, creating the airy, porous texture. Stir constantly and add the ghee little by little; the mixture will puff up and change colour.
Serving
Serve at room temperature with filter coffee or tea, or as part of a mithai platter with kaju katli and besan ladoo.
Questions people ask
Why did my Mysore pak turn hard?
It was cooked too long after the froth stage. For the soft style, pour it out as soon as it froths and leaves the pan.
Can I use less ghee?
The ghee is what makes Mysore pak; using much less gives a dry, crumbly besan barfi instead. For a lighter sweet, try besan ladoo.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 270
- Protein
- 3 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
