By Sushmita Sengupta
Mysore Pak, also known as Nalapaka is a crown jewel of Karnataka cuisine today, but the melt-in-your-mouth dessert has quite an origin story.
Once Krishna Raja, the king of Mysore asked Madappa to make him a unique dessert, the chef accepted the challenge and started working with Besan, ghee and sugar.
The dessert was supposed to be slightly liquid-y in consistency, but when the king got a chance to eat it, the dessert had cooled down to a golden fudge.
The chef was embarrassed and wanted the dessert to be replaced, the king however loved the dessert and asked for its name.
The nervous chef blurted ‘Mysore Pak’( ‘Pak’ means a kind of sweet), and the name stuck.