Guyana’s Soft & Crunchy Mithai – Which One Is Your Favorite?

In Guyana we enjoy two types of mithai: a soft one that is fat and has a triangular or diamond shape and another one that is long and crunchy. Both are delicious alike, it is hard to decide which one tastes better. However, it seems as though most children would enjoy the long, crunchy one which is called kurma. That one is mostly sold at the canteen of their schools. As for the soft, fat mithai, adults especially love to sit back and indulge in the sweet, sugary sensation of these goodies.

Soft Mithai

Mithai is typically made with basic ingredients like flour, butter, coconut and sugar. Depending on what kind of mithai, so the dough will be cut before frying. It is easy to cop a few after frying, nobody will judge you, as they are quite delicious! However, when drizzled in a snowy coating of sugar syrup, the taste is simply unimaginable. Continue reading to learn how to make both Soft and Crunchy mithai.

Soft Mithai

Ingredients 

• 1 lb all-purpose flour
• brown sugar
• coconut
• custard powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• cinnamon
• 1/4 nutmeg grated
• oil for frying

Ingredients for Syrup

• sugar
• water

Optional: anise seed, milk powder, yeast

1. In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, yeast and butter until dough falls apart.
2. Add grated coconut and mix.
3. Add milk and knead into a ball. You may need to add a bit of water to combine mixture properly.
4. Leave to rise for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove dough, place on flat surface and divide into small balls.
6. Use rolling pin and flatten the balls individually until the are about 3/4 inch thick. Make sure they are still thick enough for a soft mithai.
7. Cut into large but neat squares, triangles or diamonds.
8. Heat oil in a skillet.
9. When heated, add the cut pieces of dough and fry until golden brown.
10. In another pan put water to boil and add sugar.
11. Stir until sugar is dissolved into the mixture.
12. Keep stirring; do not allow the mixture to thicken.
13. Remove from stove and evenly coat the fried dough.
14. As it cools, the sugar will crystalize and turn a frosty white.
15. Allow mithai to cool and enjoy!

Crunchy Mithai – Kurma

The crunchy mithai only gets better with every bite. with their sugary, addictive crunch.  Flavoured with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon crunchy mithai create the perfect snack for anyone with a sweet tooth. The crunchy mithai requires basically the same ingredients and follows the same recipe as the soft mithai. The only difference is that the crunchy mithai is cut into thin, long strips and fried a bit longer.

Crunchy Mithai

Ingredients 

• 1 lb all-purpose flour
• brown sugar
• coconut
• custard powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• cinnamon
• 1/4 nutmeg grated
• oil for frying

Ingredients for Syrup

• sugar
• water

Optional: anise seed, milk powder, yeast

1. In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, yeast, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter until dough falls apart.
2. Add grated coconut and mix.
3. Add milk and knead into a ball. You may need to add a bit of water to combine the mixture properly.
4. Leave to rise for about 30 minutes.
5. Remove dough, place on flat surface and divide into small balls.
6. Use rolling pin and flatten the balls individually The thinner they are, the crunchier your mithai will be.
7. Cut into large but thin, neat rectangles.
8. Heat oil in a skillet.
9. When heated, add the cut pieces of dough and fry until golden brown.
10. In another pan put water to boil and add sugar.
11. Stir until sugar is dissolved into the mixture.
12. Keep stirring; do not allow the mixture to thicken.
13. Remove from stove and evenly coat the fried dough.
14. As it cools, the sugar will crystalize and turn a frosty white.
15. Allow mithai to cool and enjoy!

Soft And Crunchy Mithai In Guyana

Both of these mithais are enjoyed by Guyanese especially when they are homemade. If you don’t have the time to make them, you can buy them at local supermarkets, canteens, from vendors on the street and at Stabroek Market. Some good tips for making the perfect mithai is to: flatten the dough with your hands first before rolling, if dough sticks to the knife when cutting dip knife in flour in between cuts, start cooking the sugar syrup halfway through frying the mithai strips and finally if strips float immediately upon dropping into the oil, that means the oil is too hot. Your mithai will be soft on the inside and not crunchy enough. Whether you make your mithai crunchy or soft, you will definitely enjoy this sugary, milky delicacy that satisfies your craving for something sweet.

Watch This: RealNice Guyana Recipe

Last updated: 2020-07-02