Mysore pak recipe – Most popular South Indian sweet recipe with video and step by step photos. Mysore pak is a classic traditional sweet dish which is said to have been originated in the kitchen of Royal Mysore palace. This aromatic and delicious sweet is prepared using besan/ chickpea flour, sugar and ghee. Commercially sold mysore pak also uses a small amount of oil to get a unique texture.
To make mysore pak, one need not possess any special skills but understanding the method is crucial to getting the perfect texture. A correctly made mysore pak is light, slightly crunchy, not hard, edges with crumbs and the cube has a porous texture with a delicious aroma. It should not have traces of ghee over it and should not release ghee when eaten.
To get the right texture, the ratio of the ingredients used is very important. I suggest not to alter the recipe if you are keen to get the same texture as seen in the pictures. The mysore pak recipe I have shared here is to make a small batch that yields about 12 medium sized pieces. Even a beginner or a first timer will be able to handle this quantity with ease.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled but stirring a large batch would be a real arm work as it requires constant stirring and one needs to be quick. So I usually make 2 batches on the same day as it is easy to handle small batches.
Do use a heavy kadai or pan with a good strong spatula for stirring. 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.
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Mysore pak recipe
Mysore pak recipe
Mysore pak recipe - It is a sweet dish that is made with gram flour, sugar and lots of ghee. This recipe yields mysore pak that has a delicate crumb with a mouth melting texture.
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
Ingredients for mysore pak
- 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
How to make the recipe
Preparation for mysore pak
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.
Making 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
Recipe Video
Video of mysore pak recipe
Recipe 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 infact enhances the aroma of mysore pak.
Preparation for mysore pak
1. Sieve besan well twice. Set this aside dividing to 3 parts. Make sure there are no lumps in the flour.
2. Grease a small pan well and set aside. I used a mini loaf pan.
3. Burner 1 – Begin to heat ghee and 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 sugar to a kadai along with water.
Sugar syrup for mysore pak
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 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.
7. Make sure your oil and ghee are getting hot.
How to make mysore pak
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.
17. Be very very quick and transfer to a greased pan. With the help of a greased spoon, light level the top. Traditional mysore pak is actually not leveled but I suggest to reduce the crumbs.
18. Set aside for 10 to 15 mins. Invert it on a board. Cut to desired sized pieces.
Cool mysore pak completely and store in a air tight jar. It keeps good for 10 days at room temperature.
Namit Arora says
Can I change the quantity of sugar?Thanks for this great recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Namit Arora
You can make the recipe by reducing the sugar to 1.25 cups and skipping oil completely. But the texture of mysore pak will change and it will not turn porous, light with a sight crunch. It will turn just like any other burfi but not mysore pak. I think you should go ahead and try the recipe as it is.
Jayanthi says
Hi Swasthi,
Superb Mysore pak recipe. As a kid I would watch a halwai making this in our backyard for special occasions. Always remember ghee overflowing on the mysore pak. Assumed it is made that way. When I saw this recipe i gave a quick try and just loved the way it turned out. Stunning texture. Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Jayanthi,
So sorry forgot to reply you. Yes you are right. Traditionally made mysore pak has some excess ghee on top. The tray is tilted to remove away the excess. I guess some amount of ghee goes waste so I made it this way. Thanks for trying and the comment too.