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Pushpesh Pant
Malai is translated into English as clotted cream or double cream, but much is lost in translation. Milk when boiled for hours on low heat results in formation of a creamy layer on the surface when it is cooled. Carefully removed, it resembles a sheet of blotting paper more than anything else. Ironically, that’s the stuff that was used for adulteration! But we digress. For generations, malai called baalai in Lucknow has been the foundation of the most-prized desserts — Baalai ki Gilori and the rare Baalai ka Shahi Tukda. But it’s in Benaras that malai reaches sublime heights in malaiyyo or malai ka puda. Layer after layer of malai is delicately lifted off the earthen pots in which milk is boiled and placed one over the other to form a more substantial soft material. This is used in a variety of ways by imaginative sweet meat makers. Malai mithai is Delhi’s improvisation on this theme. We first tasted bliss when the peerless custodian of city’s culinary heritage, Gunjan Goyela, treated us to more than a plateful of this stuff prepared under her personal supervision by local craftsmen. She was generous to share the recipe but cautioned that magic is created equally by the quality of milk used and tender loving care imparted by the handlers. This may sound complicated, but a little practice leads to perfection. Well worth the trouble to master.
Malai Mithai
Ingredients
Clotted cream 500 ml (collected from 5-6 litres of milk reduced to 1/3 to 1/4 its original volume)
Sugar 50 g
Pistachio slivers 1tsp (powdered)
Saffron A few strands (soaked in milk)
Method
Lightly moisten a flat platter or a thali with thickened milk. Sprinkle powdered sugar evenly all over. Spread the sheets of malai on it. Roll very carefully into a tube. Cut with a sharp knife into bite-sized rolls. Garnish with pistachios and sprinkle over with saffron strands soaked in milk. Chill before serving. This will help retain the shape. Resist any temptation to add a filler or binder.
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