A dabba of Besan Laddus is like a bumper pack of nostalgia! Agree or no?
Because any Indian kid who has lived away from home knows it, for Mathris and Besan Laddus are the two things Moms won’t forget to pack along! 😀
I remember my hostel days too! Ahh! What fun. ❤
Also all our Indian festivals call for this delicacy! Be it Janamashtmi, Ganpati utsav, Diwali or any occasion when you crave for something sweet and can’t think of many other options, Besan Laddus come in handy! 🙂
I believe laddu making is an art that is truly therapeutic. Just the whole process of roasting a flour with ghee till it releases that hypnotic aroma, adding in the sugar and mixing it well. Then finally forming the mix into beautiful round laddus! As a child, I loved doing it along with Daadi & Mummy. 🙂
So let’s get to laddu making! 🙂
Recipe:
Serves: 15 medium sized laddus
Ingredients:
- 250 gms Besan (Gram flour)
- 165 gms shakkar boora/castor sugar
- 100-110 gms ghee (clarified butter)
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- Nuts of your choice (optional)
Method:
- In a heavy bottom pan, add 100 gms ghee and let it melt, now lower the flame and add in the besan.
- Start roasting the besan on low-medium flame, keep stirring.
- You’ll see that initially there are lumps but as the flour gets roasted it will start releasing ghee on the sides and will be easier to stir.
- After about 10-12 minutes, you’ll see the consistency change and it’ll be liquid like.
- Keep roasting the besan till you smell a lovely nutty aroma and also will start to see the color change to a beautiful golden hue.
- Approximately after a total of 25-30 minutes, besan will be roasted completely. Take the pan off the flame.
- You may transfer the mix to another vessel or if not don’t forget to stir in again as the pan will still be hot.
- Once the mixture has completely cooled down to room temperature (this might take an hour or so), add in the cardamom powder and shakkar boora/castor sugar and mix well. At this stage only, add in the chopped nuts if you like. See if the mix needs more ghee, melt the remaining ghee, add and adjust.
- Rub the mix really well between your palms until smooth.
- Now take a small portion of the dough mix and shape them into round laddus.
- Shape them all and let them sit in a plate for half an hour till set and then transfer them to an airtight container and enjoy! 😀
Notes:
- You may use powdered sugar instead of castor sugar/boora as per your liking.
- Similarly you may use fine besan or Ladu besan as per your liking. I like to use the coarser one as the grainy texture gives the laddus their aesthetic texture.
- If you don’t have Ladu besan and still want the grainy texture, here’s what you can do.
3 tbsp water+3 tbsp melted ghee, rub and mix it well with besan and leave it for an hour. Once set, take a steel mesh and sieve the mix through it. This will give you a perfect grainy (danedar) texture to the flour and then continue as per the recipe. - Do not add sugar to the hot mix, as it will release moisture and you won’t be able to mould the laddus.
- Adjust the sugar as per taste, if you like it more on the sweeter side, you may add 200 gms of boora/castor sugar to this recipe. I like my sweets on the milder tone sweetness.
- If you want to make more or less laddus, you may proportionately increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients as given in the recipe.
Do try these out and let me know how it came out for you! 🙂
Happy cooking
xoxo ❤
Treat Your Palate 