Mysore pak is a traditional South Indian sweet made with gram flour (besan), ghee and sugar. This classic sweet is immensely popular in the South Indian states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It is believed that Mysore pak originated in the Royal kitchen of the Mysore Maharaja palace. This aromatic and super delicious Mysore pak is a real treat to the taste buds. In this post I share how to make it the traditional way.
Mysore Pak
While the traditional Mysore pak is made with a combination of pure ghee and oil for a unique porous texture, the commercial versions are made in numerous ways with just ghee or just oil or both and sometimes even with Vanaspati.
The quantity and kind of fats used decides the texture of your Mysore pak. You can find rock hard to super mouth melting versions of in the South Indian sweet shops.
The store bought versions are equally delicious as the homemade Mysore pak but loaded with ghee/ oil or Vanaspati. With homemade you have the choice of using organic ingredients.
This recipe will help you make Mysore pak that has a light porous texture with a slight crunch. It won’t be greasy or hard as some of the store bought versions.
Making perfect traditional Mysore pak requires understanding the sugar syrup consistency and also the method of cooking the flour in the syrup. It is not one of those easy peasy burfis where we dump the ingredients and cook until the final consistency is achieved.
If you are a new cook you may not get it right in the first trail. This is an old post which I shared a few years ago so thought of updating it with my latest tips and tricks which may help you.
A well-made Mysore pak is non-greasy meaning it should not have traces of ghee over it.
If you love Burfis, you may check these
Besan Burfi
7 Cup Burfi
Coconut Burfi
Kalakand
Pro tips & notes
- Ratio of ingredients is the key to the texture of the Mysore pak. If you alter the quantities the results will vary. Do not alter the recipe if you are keen to get the same texture as seen in the pictures.
- Oil is used to give a light porous texture to your Mysore pak. If you alter the quantities or skip oil, your pak will be more like a burfi, soft and smooth with absolutely no texture.
- Besan is never roasted to make a traditional Mysore pak. The flour will be cooked in a very hot bubbling sugar syrup which cooks it very well. So no raw flavour is left.
- Color of mysore pak – Store bought traditional Mysore pak has a deep golden to light brown color. Since it is made in large batches in an iron kadai (wok), the mixture gets the deep color on its own. Don’t aim for that color, you may end up with powdery mixture.
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled but stirring a large batch would be a real arm work as it requires constant stirring and you need to be quick. So I usually make 2 batches on the same day as it is easy to handle small batches.
- Choice of cookware: Do use a heavy kadai or pan with a good strong spatula for stirring. Avoid using a non-stick pan for this recipe. About 3 to 4 years ago, I had made this in a brand new prestige omega plus nonstick handi. The entire coating completely came off to the mysore pak.
Even a cast iron pan didn’t work well for me as it is hard to control the heat and the Mysore pak got overcooked towards the end. So a heavy bottom steel pan, pressure pan or a kadai works well.
More Diwali Sweets Recipes
Ladoo recipes
Burfi recipes
Halwa recipes
Kheer recipes
How to make Mysore pak (stepwise photos)
Preparation
1. Sieve 1 cup besan (105 to 110 grams) to a large bowl. Repeat the sieve twice. Set this aside roughly dividing to 3 parts. I usually transfer this to 3 small cups. Make sure there are no lumps in the flour.
2. Grease a small pan well and set aside. I use a mini loaf pan.
3. Burner 1 – Begin to heat 1 cup ghee and half cup oil in a kadai or pot on a low to medium flame. We need hot ghee and oil to add to the bubbling besan and sugar syrup later, as and when needed.
4. Burner 2 – Add 1 ¾ cup sugar to a kadai along with ½ cup water.
Making sugar syrup
5. Boil it on a medium heat stirring often until a one string consistency is achieved.
6. To check one string consistency, take a small portion of the sugar syrup and cook it slightly, take in between your thumb and index finger. Move the fingers apart, you should be able to see a single string formed. Take care as the syrup will be too hot.
Caution: If you go past this stage and make a 2 string or 1½ string consistency your mysore pak will become hard or turn to powder. If that happens, drizzle some water and cook to 1 string consistency.
7. Make sure your oil and ghee are getting hot while you make the sugar syrup.
Adding flour
8. Add 1/3 rd portion of the besan to the bubbling sugar syrup. The flame has to be medium and the syrup bubbling well at this stage else the mysore pak turns flat and not porous. Stir until all the flour blends well with the syrup.
9. Then add the next 1/3rd portion of flour and repeat adding the last part too following the same process.
10. At this stage there should be no lumps and the flour should have blended well with the sugar syrup.
11. Add in 1 ladle full of hot ghee & oil to the besan mixture. Immediately the oil and ghee must sizzle, meaning it is hot enough. Make sure the ghee is really very hot otherwise increase the flame of burner 1 to keep ghee & oil consistently hot. Quickly stir well until all the ghee has been absorbed.
12. Repeat adding the ghee in parts and repeat stirring until the ghee is well absorbed each time.
13. As you keep adding the ghee, every time it has to sizzle, then stir well until absorbed. If you do not have enough ghee and oil left in the kadai on burner 1, then you can add 2 tbsp more each of oil and ghee and heat it quickly. I did not use any excess.
Consistency of mysore pak mixture
14. At one stage, you will see the mixture just begins to leave the pan.
15. Quickly add some hot ghee and stir. Do not add a lot at this stage as it will leave out the excess.
16. When the mysore pak is about to finish, the mixture will become very thick, with lot of pores or bubbles. No more adding ghee at this stage otherwise it will ooze out the excess. The mixture will leave the pan completely within few seconds.
Setting the mixture
17. Be very very quick and transfer to a greased pan. With the help of a greased spoon, lightly level the top. Traditional Mysore pak is actually not leveled but I suggest this to reduce the crumbs.
18. Set aside for 10 to 15 mins. Invert it on a board. Cut to desired size pieces.
Cool Mysore pak completely and store in a air tight jar. It keeps good for 10 days at room temperature.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Mysore Pak Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup besan or gram flour
- 1 ¾ cup sugar (can reduce to 1¼ cup but texture will be like burfi)
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup ghee (pure good quality ghee)
- ½ cup oil (preferably peanut oil, if you skip it will be like burfi) (refer notes)
Optional – use if needed. I have not used
- 2 tbsps oil
- 2 tbsps ghee
Instructions
Preparation
- Pour 1 tbsp ghee to a small tray and grease it well for setting the mysore pak. Set this aside.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl. Measure and add besan to the sieve.
- Next sieve it well twice. Divide the flour to 3 parts and transfer them to small bowls. Set this aside.
- On one burner of the stove place a kadai and pour ghee and oil. Begin to heat it on a low to medium heat.
Sugar syrup for mysore pak
- On another burner, place a wide deep pan. Pour the sugar and water. Begin to heat it.
- Boil the sugar syrup stirring often until it reaches a one string consistency.
- To check one string consistency of the syrup, take a small portion of the syrup in between the thumb and index finger. Move the fingers apart. You must be able to see a single string in between the fingers.
- Ensure the oil and ghee are turning hot.
How to make mysore pak
- Add 1/3 rd portion of flour to the bubbling sugar syrup. Flame must be medium and the sugar syrup bubbling well otherwise mysore pak turns flat. Stir well until all the flour blends well with the syrup.
- Then add the next 1/3 rd portion of flour. Repeat adding the last part too following the same process.
- At this stage there must be no lumps & the flour must blend well with the sugar syrup.
- Next add in 1 ladle full of hot ghee & oil to the pan. Then immediately oil and ghee must sizzle, meaning it is hot enough. Make sure the ghee is really very hot otherwise increase the flame of burner 1 to keep ghee & oil consistently hot. Immediately stir well until all the ghee has been absorbed.
- Repeat adding the ghee in parts & repeat stirring until the ghee is well absorbed every time.
- As the ghee is added every time it has to sizzle. Then stir well until absorbed. If you do not have enough ghee left in the kadai, then pour 2 tbsp more each of oil and ghee. Then heat it quickly. I did not use any excess.
- Quickly pour some hot ghee and stir. Do not add a lot at as it will leave out the excess.
- When the mysore pak is about to finish, the mixture will turn very thick with lot of pores or bubbles. Do not add any more ghee at this stage otherwise it will ooze out the excess. The mixture will leave the pan completely within few seconds.
- Be very very quick and transfer to a greased pan. Level the top with the help of a greased spoon. Keep this aside for 10 to 15 mins. Invert it on a board. Cut to desired sized pieces.
- Cool mysore pak completely. Store in a air tight jar at room temperature
Notes
- Oil is used to get the porous and airy texture. Replacing it with ghee may affect the texture but the pieces will still come out good. There will be no oil smell in the Mysore pak if you use good quality oil.
- For health reasons, I suggest using peanut oil as it has a high smoke point. While we heat the oil and ghee, it may smoke up sometimes. The addition of peanut oil in fact enhances the aroma of mysore pak.
- Please read the pro tips section in the post.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Mysore pak recipe first published in August 2017. Updated and republished in October 2021.
I tried most of your recipes, it came out well. My husband and children liked mysore pak. Thanks for your recipes
Came out perfectly. Thanks for your detailed instructions
Glad to know Radhika
I tried this recipe I got powdery mysore pak and I was not able to cut also
Hi Anuradha
Looks like you overcooked the mixture. This recipe requires a few trails to get it right. At least 3 times. Give it another try.
I tried this but my mixture was very gooey..it didn’t become hard at all ..more fudgy
Hi Sylvia
Either the sugar syrup consistency you got is not correct (undercooked) or the final mixture is undercooked. Put the mixture back to the pan and cook it for a few more minutes. I have a video showing the correct stage at which you need to remove from heat. Check that out. Hope this helps
Came out good.
Thank you
I tried the Mysore pak. Came out very well. Only modification I did was to roast the besan. Also, next time, planing to reduce sugar. Otherwise, perfect recipe. This is my first time trying it and it came out very good. I have been researching for a good recipe for a long time. Hats off to you!
Should we dry roast the besan flour or ghee
Or roasting the flour necessary?
No. You don’t need to roast the flour.
Best recipe ever! It turned out perfect in both taste and texture!! Was a hit for Diwali. Thank you!!
Glad to know!
I doubled the quantity and tried this for Diwali. My mixture started becoming airy and bubbly while I was 2/3 way through the ghee . I still had one whole cup of ghee and oil left.
The taste was good but my Mysore Pak was a little crumbly. It wasn’t too bad for the first try 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sukshma
You are welcome. Making perfect mysore pak needs a bit of practice. I think you were not fast enough to work/stir while you added the oil and ghee. Just give another try you will get it. Also try 1X and don’t double the recipe until you are very confident. Hope this helps.
I’ve tried it this recipe 2 x. And I just can’t get it right. It flattens out after some time when I pour it into the tin. And the oil is too much. Not airy as picture….where am I going wrong?
Did you watch my video? If it flattens it means either the mixture or the sugar syrup is not cooked yet. It has to be airy which comes by adding hot oil and ghee. If you use less oil it will not be airy and will flatten.
Oil is too much means? I didn’t get you. If you use more oil that mentioned in the recipe it will ooze out. Hope this helps
Thanks for sharing. I tried it last night and it came out really well. I used half the portions as a trial. The pieces are not super soft and that’s because i added a little less ghee
Hi Dharini
You are welcome! Glad to know mysore pak turned out good.
Yes any changes to the ghee or oil proportions in the recipe will alter the texture. Thanks for the comment
Tried to make it today. Didnt turn out well. When I added the besan the texture got hard.
I will try again. Hopefully it turns out better.
Hi,
I guess you went wrong with the sugar syrup consistency. If you are not an experienced cook you won’t get it right in the first trial. Yes give another try. Also watch the video before attempting
Very very useful.
Thank you
Your recipe is awesome
But my besan turned brown while i poured the hot oil. Why is it so ?
Thank you .
Hope you used gram flour and not chickpea flour.
I tried it for the first time and I was skeptical if it would come well. But, it came so well. The texture was perfect and it tasted so good. It was especially loved by Friends from Karnataka… Awesome….
Hi Priya,
Glad to know! Thank you so much for leaving a comment
First time I tried it was a flap..today I tried it turned out very well..thank u
Welcome Jyothi
Glad to know
Thank you
tried the recipe, what i got was grainy besan which didn’t set at all. followed the recipe to the T, not sure what went wrong…
Hi Ritu,
The mixture got overcooked so it became dry. Did you watch the video? Getting mysore pak right is a bit tricky. Halve the recipe and give another try in a day or 2 so you know where you went wrong. Hope this helps
Hi Swasthi
I was a bit skeptical before making Mysore pak, if I could really pull it off. As always I read your entire recipe couple of times and then decided I have to try this as had many childhood memories attached to Mysore pak. my dad’s one of the favourite sweets. He would get it from store on festival/ occasions up until we grew up.
I had to try this out for him to have. this attempt of mine has been good as my parents loved it a lot. My mom said that she was very happy to eat the homemade Mysore pak and could never imagine it being made at home. a big thankyou to you for making this happen through your lovely recipe. Looking forward to try many of your recipes.
Hi Suhasini
Great to hear that! You are most welcome!
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures and leaving a comment here.
🙂
Hi Swasthi I always have trouble with sugar syrup consistency… Can u help me with it? Like how long will it take to reach single string on medium heat? Any other shortcuts like using a candy thermometer?
Hi Abinaya
Take a look at the video to know the correct string consistency. I haven’t checked with the thermometer. The timing depends on the flame and the kind of pot used. But it is easy to learn the string consistency. You may halve the recipe and try.
Thank u Swasthi will try 🙂
Hi!!
I want to use 3cups of besan N how much sugar should u use??
Hi
I suggest to try the recipe as it is with 1 cup besan.
3 cups is a lot and I haven’t tried it any time with so much in one batch.
I have tried with one cup of besan n it came out good!!
So just wanted to make it 3 cups for my huge family!!
So plz tell me how much sugar to use??
Or I should just take 3/4th cup extra like 3 cups bean top 3 3/4th cup of sugar??
Megha,
With 3 cups, it is very hard to stir the mixture. You need a lot of arm strength. If you thick you can, then just go ahead tripling all the ingredients. I had doubled this recipe before and felt it is too tiring. So I split up to batches now and make which is easier to manage. Hope this helps.
Hi I need to make like sweet shop ghee mysore pak deep brown in colour…. Can you please share that recipe
Srivani,
Yes I will share when I make it.