Read time: 6 min | Category: Recipes
Mysore pak is the least forgiving sweet in this collection. There is a window of roughly ninety seconds at the end where it goes from perfect to ruined, and you cannot taste your way there. What you can do is understand the two signals that tell you when to pour. It is made with just three things: besan, sugar and a large amount of A2 desi cow ghee.
The Two Textures
Traditional Mysore pak, as made at Guru Sweets in Mysore, is dense, hard and almost brittle. The modern version, which most people now expect, is soft, porous and melts on the tongue. The difference is the ghee quantity and the final cooking stage. This recipe makes the soft porous version, which uses a 1:1:1.5 ratio of besan to sugar to ghee.
Ingredients
Makes about 20 pieces
- 1 cup besan (gram flour), sieved
- 1 cup sugar
- 1.5 cups Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee, kept hot
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder, optional
How to Make Mysore Pak
- Prepare first. Grease a tray and keep it ready. Keep the ghee hot in a separate pan on low heat throughout. Sieve the besan twice. Once you start, there is no time to prepare anything.
- Lightly roast the besan. Dry roast the sieved besan on low for 3 to 4 minutes until it smells faintly nutty. Do not brown it. Set aside.
- Make one string syrup. Boil the sugar and water. Cook until it reaches one string consistency: lift a drop between thumb and forefinger and pull apart, and a single thread should form. This is roughly 5 to 7 minutes at a rolling boil.
- Add the besan. Lower the heat and add the roasted besan to the syrup in a steady stream, whisking constantly. It will thicken quickly and lump easily, so keep whisking.
- Start adding ghee. Add the hot ghee one ladle at a time, stirring after each addition until it is fully absorbed before adding the next. This is the long stage, roughly 10 to 15 minutes total.
- Watch for the signals. Near the end the mixture will start frothing and bubbling actively, and it will stop absorbing ghee, so the ghee begins pooling on the surface. At that moment the mixture also starts pulling away from the pan sides.
- Pour immediately. Transfer to the greased tray, level the top, and mark into pieces after 5 minutes while still warm. Cut fully once set.
Tips
- Keep the ghee hot. Cold ghee added to hot besan seizes the mixture and kills the porous texture.
- Sieve the besan twice. Lumps at this stage cannot be fixed later.
- Do not overshoot the syrup. Past one string the Mysore pak turns hard and chewy.
- Pour early rather than late. Slightly under cooked Mysore pak is soft and still delicious. Over cooked is dry and crumbly and cannot be saved.
- Mark while warm. Cutting cold Mysore pak shatters it.
Why the Ghee Quantity Is Not Negotiable
The porous, honeycomb texture of soft Mysore pak comes from ghee being absorbed into the besan and then partly released as the mixture froths, leaving air pockets behind. Reduce the ghee and you get a dense, dry block instead. Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee works well here because it is water free and cultured, so it delivers the aroma without introducing moisture that would interfere with the sugar syrup.
Nutrition Notes
Mysore pak is roughly equal parts flour, sugar and ghee, which makes it one of the richer Indian sweets. Besan does contribute some plant protein and fibre (Healthline). Serve in small pieces, as it is traditionally cut. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Mysore pak hard?
The sugar syrup went past one string consistency, or you cooked the mixture too long after the ghee stopped absorbing.
Why is my Mysore pak not setting?
You poured too early, before the mixture started frothing and leaving the pan sides. It will still taste good but stay fudgy.
Why is my Mysore pak not porous?
Usually because the ghee was not hot, or it was added all at once instead of ladle by ladle. The gradual absorption is what creates the air pockets.
Can I reduce the ghee?
Not meaningfully. Ghee is a structural ingredient here. Less ghee produces the dense traditional style, not a lighter soft version.
How long does Mysore pak keep?
About a week in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate, as it hardens.
Make It with Rulife
👉 Rulife A2 Desi Cow Ghee: the structural ingredient in this sweet
👉 A2 Desi Cow Ghee Combo: both varieties for festival cooking
