Small, slightly thick sweet pancakes made from rice flour and jaggery batter, fried in ghee — the Berhampur (Brahmapur) version of malpua specific to Ganjam district of southern Odisha, a version using rice flour rather than wheat flour which gives it a distinctly different texture.
Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup semolina (adds texture)
3/4 cup jaggery — melted in 1/2 cup warm water and strained
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
a pinch of salt
ghee or oil for shallow frying
Method
Melt the jaggery: Melt grated jaggery in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir until fully dissolved. Strain to remove any impurities.
Make the batter: Combine rice flour, semolina, cardamom, fennel and salt. Add the warm jaggery syrup gradually while stirring. Mix to a smooth, thick-flowing batter — between pancake and dosa batter in thickness.
Rest 10 minutes: Allow the batter to rest so the semolina softens in the jaggery syrup.
Check consistency: The batter should drop from a spoon in thick ribbons. Add a tablespoon of water if too thick.
Heat ghee: Heat a flat griddle or pan on medium-low. Add 1 tsp ghee. The rice flour malpua must be cooked on lower heat than wheat malpua — the jaggery burns easily.
Pour small rounds: Pour a small ladleful of batter (about 3 tbsp) onto the hot griddle. It will spread into a disc about 8 cm wide.
Cook until edges set: Cook on medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges are set and dry and small holes appear on the surface.
Apply more ghee: Apply a few drops of ghee around the edges. Flip carefully. Cook 1.5 to 2 minutes on the second side.
Remove when golden: The malpua should be golden, slightly crispy at the edges and soft in the centre.
Serve warm: Serve as a festival sweet or as a morning treat with fresh yogurt.
Note: Berhampur (Brahmapur) in Ganjam district is the textile and saree city of southern Odisha, known for its Bomkai and Berhampuri silk sarees. The city has a distinct food culture influenced by the Kalinga coast and the Telangana border. The rice flour malpua of Ganjam is distinct from both the wheat-based malpua of Rajasthan and the Bengali malpua — the rice base gives it a slightly grainy, chewy texture that absorbs ghee differently.