Marble Pak

I was at an Indian Sweet Shop in Leicester with my parents and my mum and I were given Marble Pak. We had no idea what it was called at the time but everytime we went we would get it by pointing at the mithai behind the glass. One day I asked what it was and was told it was Marble Pak. I had to make it but when I was doing my research I didn't find much about it online. There seems to be a mithai called Hirasadi which has similar ingredients but has the addition of coconut and/or gondh - edible gum. Looking at the ingredients list of a few Sweet Shops I was able to make my own rendition. Marble Pak is similar to Magaj in taste however the addition of roasted vermicelli adds a lovely crunch and in my opinion makes it so much better. Let me share this recipe for Marble Pak which is super delicious and a mithai you really need to try.

Ingredients:

1 cup gram flour/besan (125g)

3/4 cup melted ghee (110g)

3/4 cup powdered or caster sugar (125g)

1/2 cup milk powder (50g)

1/2 cup mixed almonds (30g) and pistachios (30g)

1/2 cup vermicelli (30g)

1/4 tsp cardamon powder

1/8 tsp nutmeg powder

Chopped almonds and pistachios for garnishing

Method

Heat a pan on low heat and roast the vermicelli dry. Roast for around two mintues. The vermicelli will darken slightly and become fragrant. Once roasted leave to cool on a plate.

In the same pan add 1 tbsp of ghee and roast the almonds and pistachios separately until they become slightly golden, fragrant and a little firmer. Then leave to cool on a plate.

Once the vermicelli, almonds and pistachios have cooled down, grind them into a coarse powder.

In the pan heat up the melted ghee on a low flame and add in the gram flour/besan. Roast on a low heat for around 10 minutes or until the flour has roasted - golden in colour and fragrant.

The mixture will initially become thick, then fluffy as the mixture bubbles slightly. The final stage is when the mixture becomes a golden roasted liquid.

At this point add in the ground roasted vermicelli, almonds, pistachios and milk powder. Mix everything together until fully incoporated. You can turn the heat off at this stage or keep it on at the lowest setting.

Once combined add in the sugar and mix again. I used caster sugar however powdered sugar will dissolve better into the mixture. Once the sugar has melted into the mixture add in the cardamon and nutmeg powder. Mix until fully combined.

Put the mixture into a 6 inch tray/cake pan lined with baking paper. Press the mixture down with the bottom of a small bowl and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle some chopped almonds and pistachios on top and press them down into the surface using the back of a spoon.

Then allow the mixture to set overnight or for 6-8 hours. You may see ghee on the surface. Once set cut into pieces and store in an air tight container. I made around 13/14 pieces from this recipe.

This is a must try recipe as the roasted flavour and crunch in this mithai are to die for. I'm also assuming this is called marble pak as the surface has a slight marbling look. But if anyone can confirm this I would really appreciate it. Let me know what you guys think of this recipe.

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