Kitchen Recipe Collection
Indian Mysore Pak
A legendary South Indian sweet born in the royal kitchens of Mysore. A rich, porous, melt-in-the-mouth fudge made of roasted gram flour, sugar, and copious amounts of ghee.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- indian
Ingredients
Scaled for 12 servings
- besan (gram flour)
- ghee (clarified butter)
- sugar
- water
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan
- Deep steel tray (greased)
Instructions
- 1
Sieve the Flour
Sieve the besan (gram flour) twice to ensure there are absolutely no lumps.
- 2
Roast the Flour
Dry roast the besan in a pan on very low heat for 5 minutes until it smells nutty, but do not let it change color. Set aside.
- 3
Heat the Ghee
In a separate saucepan, heat the ghee until it is completely melted and bubbling hot. Keep it on a low flame on a neighboring burner. The ghee MUST remain hot throughout the process.
- 4
Prepare Sugar Syrup
In a heavy-bottomed pan, combine sugar and water. Boil until it reaches a 1-string consistency.
- 5
Add the Besan
Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Gradually add the roasted besan to the sugar syrup, stirring continuously to prevent any lumps.
- 6
The Ghee Infusion Begins
Once the besan is mixed smoothly into the syrup, take a ladle of the hot, boiling ghee and pour it into the besan mixture.
- 7
Stir and Froth
The mixture will instantly sizzle and froth up. Stir vigorously until all the ghee is absorbed by the besan.
- 8
Repeat the Process
Add another ladle of hot ghee, wait for it to froth, and stir until absorbed. Repeat this process continuously.
- 9
The Finish Line
After adding the final ladle of ghee, the mixture will become highly porous, frothy, and start leaving the sides of the pan. It will look like a honeycomb.
- 10
Pour Quickly
Immediately turn off the heat and pour the frothing mixture into a pre-greased, deep steel tray. DO NOT flatten it with a spoon, or you will ruin the porous texture.
- 11
Cut While Warm
Let it cool slightly for 10 minutes. While it is still warm and soft, use a sharp knife to cut it into squares.
- 12
Cool and Serve
Let it cool completely. A perfect Mysore Pak will be light brown in the center and yellow on the edges, with a crumbly, porous texture.
Cooking Tips
- The ghee must be boiling hot when added to the besan. The heat of the ghee cooks the besan and creates the signature porous 'honeycomb' texture.
- Timing is everything. If you pour it too late, it will turn into hard powder. If too early, it will be a sticky paste.
Variations
- Soft Mysore Pak (Mysurpa): Uses less heat and is flattened into a smooth, buttery, fudge-like consistency without the porous holes.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Invented by the royal chef Kakasura Madappa in the Mysore Palace.
Nutrition Estimate
250 calories · 3g protein · 22g carbs · 18g fat · 1g fiber per serving
