Apupa – Barley pancake

Cereals and pulses played an important role in the nutrition of the Ancient Indians. In archeological finds from the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization in the Indian Subcontinent, we find remains of Barley, Rice, and in some minimal quantities, even Wheat dishes.

Barley is considered by many knowledgeable of these ancient cultures, mostly in the West Asian and South Asian cultures, we find that Barley was ubiquitous. It grew in vast grasslands naturally and was later cultivated actively. It is native to many of these regions and takes far less to grow water and nutrient-wise.

In the Atharvaveda, one of the ancient religious texts of the Hindus, from as far back as the 7th century BC, there are references to Barley as a common staple. In Atharvaveda, one of the Vedas, it is referred to as one of the two immortal sons of the heavens, the other being rice.

Barley was ground, cooked as is, dried, and ground. Parched barley or Dhãnãh was cooked and eaten as is with Soma juice. Or in some cases, it was cooked to be eaten with yogurt, ghee, or just plain water. Barley gruel (Yavāgū) was also commonly consumed among the population.

A reference is made to a dish called Apūpa. This dish is made from ground Barley, cooked with ghee and jaggery into cakes (Karambha). The more recent dish Mālpova or Malpua is considered an interpretation of this dish, although Malpua is prepared with wheat flour.

Apūpa – Barley sweet cake

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Sweet Barley flour cakes cooked in clarified butter (ghee)

Print Recipe

Prep Time 13 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Resting time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 1 Non stick pan (any pan will do.)
• 1 Measuring cups – cup, table spoon, tea spoon
• 1 Spoon (1 spoon of mixture)
• 1 Dosa Spoon (This has a flat back and is used to peel dosas off the pan)

Ingredients

  

• 2 cup Barley flour (pearl barley)
• 2 tbsp Ghee or Clarified butter
• 2 tbsp Powdered Jaggery or brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder (optional)
• 1.5 cup Milk or water (This quantity will vary based on how course the barley flour is)

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, add barley flour, jaggery powder (or sugar), cardomom powder (optional)
• Add milk in small quantities. You are looking for a thick syrupy consistence; something like a slightly thin yogurt
• Mix well and cover this container. Leave it aside for about 10 minutes
• After 10 minutes, you notice barley flour mixture becomes slightly thick.
• Add a little milk, until the original consistency returns.
• Keep pan on medium flame.
• Add a little bit. Move the pan so liquid ghee spreads on the surface of the pan.
• When ghee is slightly hot, pour one ladle full of batter on the pan.
• Gently spread the spoon on the pan into a circular shape of about 2.5 inch diameter roughly.
• Drop some drops of ghee on the pancake
• After a couple of minutes, flip this pancake after slowly detaching it from the pan using the dosa ladle.
• Cook the other side in a couple of minutes or until the sides turn slightly brown.
• Take it out of the pan and start with another ladle of batter.
• Serve with some more drops of ghee (because ghee makes everything better!!)